tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886699355569845297.post7502887930088195333..comments2023-04-30T10:16:26.740+01:00Comments on Scrubbed Up Student: An Overdue ReturnChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16200814430153413467noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886699355569845297.post-25309754233466784552010-06-07T11:36:57.385+01:002010-06-07T11:36:57.385+01:00I guess they are fairly centrist overall but I wou...I guess they are fairly centrist overall but I would still say that they have a few centre-right policies. I suppose the party members themselves would differ in political views (like any party); apparently Ed Miliband is fairly left inclined while Blair wasn't.<br /><br />You know, if the leaders do take a step back and appreciate mistakes that they've made, I think a lot of people would be happy.<br /><br /><br />To be fair, I would call the election a verge on success on their part- they had the Murdoch empire against them and they've been in power for years, yet they still hung onto a fair amount of seats. I suspect that in a few years, they will return into power, and hopefully will veer more towards the left.Unbiased Opinion.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06887251045453556860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886699355569845297.post-11065413443658788872010-06-07T11:24:12.245+01:002010-06-07T11:24:12.245+01:00I think the left-wingers were a bit disenchanted w...I think the left-wingers were a bit disenchanted with New Labour for dragging them toward the centre ground, but I'd still say we stuck on the left of the line. New Labour was needed after the mess of the 80's when the party could have collapsed. Now that it's in better shape (losing the last election notwithstanding) it can go back to its members and look back at its mistakes. The party activists saved a lot of seats and its only by using them properly that we can win again, New Labour didn't use its members well enough.<br /><br />That's what many leadership candidates have said and if they stick to it I think Labour will be stronger for it.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16200814430153413467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886699355569845297.post-57413089315674601452010-06-07T11:12:05.675+01:002010-06-07T11:12:05.675+01:00I haven't looked into the freedom bill that mu...I haven't looked into the freedom bill that much, there was just a short section about it in the Metro newspaper and it seemed pretty good at first glance. :P<br /><br />Yep, that's true. I guess that was more Blair's doing than Brown as well.<br /><br />They're their good achievements. However, they've also privatised part of the NHS, become tougher on immigration, introduced the counter-terrorism bills, backed the (illegal) Iraq war (although I don't know enough about it to have a full opinion) and, under them, the rich-poor divide got large(but to be honest, I don't know how much of the last one actually is Labour's fault). Don't get me wrong, I would much rather have Labour in power than the Tories but I can see why left-wingers would get disenchanted with New Labour.Unbiased Opinion.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06887251045453556860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886699355569845297.post-91482033836095507852010-06-07T10:01:15.161+01:002010-06-07T10:01:15.161+01:00Yes, I don't think anyone could consider child...Yes, I don't think anyone could consider children being in detention centres acceptable, that got pretty much unanimous support, and as for the freedom bill I haven't seen enough of it to comment.<br /><br />One of Labours biggest mistakes of the last 13 years was to get caught up in the hype from the US and lose touch wit civil liberties, something I'd hope the next leader would recognise. <br /><br />But I would certainly never ever describe them as centre-right,the proudest achievements are all very much progressive ideas. Minimum wage, a greatly expanded NHS and equal rights are all things I would associate with a progressive left rather than centre-right party.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16200814430153413467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886699355569845297.post-10319877013038881272010-06-07T07:51:47.858+01:002010-06-07T07:51:47.858+01:00*a few people say.*a few people say.Unbiased Opinion.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06887251045453556860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5886699355569845297.post-57379163386044473322010-06-07T07:51:02.036+01:002010-06-07T07:51:02.036+01:00I actually like a few of their policies; namely th...I actually like a few of their policies; namely the freedom bill ones. Also the fact that they're not allowing children to be kept in detention centres (which I've heard are pretty horrible places). It's the exact reasons that you said you were falling out with the Lib Dems that made me skeptical of Labour- they were getting more and more authoritarian. I have heard quite a feel people say that Clegg is acually quite centre-right in his views and I've seen a political compass which showed the LDs as centre-right liberal whilst the other two were centre-right authoritarian. A bit crappy, really.Unbiased Opinion.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06887251045453556860noreply@blogger.com