Etonian dilemma
So Labour's classiest class warrior, Dennis Skinner, has been booted out of the Commons for alluding to suggestions that the new Tory leadership had a "full and active student life".
It comes as no surprise to me. Many Labour MPs are raring to go for Cameron and his friend Osborne as old-fashioned Tories out of touch with the real world and with enough money to spend on you know what.
The problem, as one northern Labour member put it to me, is that "Tony's posh too and we don't want to embarrass him." Then he added: "On the other hand, he's on his way out and we've got to get Cameron."
The serious aspect of this is that if - and yes, it is a very, very big IF - Cameron continues on a roll, some in Labour will demand a change in leader to someone better able to take him on. A gruff Scot perhaps.
One of his backers recalled the other day that Margaret Thatcher boasted that she'd forced the Labour Party to change so that it was safe to have them in power again. "Tony," he said, "has made it safe to have a bloody Old Etonian toff running the country again. Thanks Tony."
I'm 
Comments
The first blog that is actually worth reading - good insights here ...
It's nice to see that class envy, hatred and warfare are alive and well in New Labour.
How... modern.
Great stuff from Skinner, now who said 'Punch and Judy' politics was dead?
Excellent point Nick in concern of Labour being unable to properly attack Cameron.
I was surprised but pleased to hear that Mr Skinner cannot be sued for his comments in the Commmons since members are allowed to say anything they wish in the chamber.
Is this the last place where true 'free speech' applies?
If he'd said it in the street he probably could have been charged with something!
This is fox hunting all over again - except this time it is the public school boys that are the quarry. The unrequited left are desperate for a new way to skin a posh fox.
Skinner aside, no offence to the man but the phrase "Has Been" jumps to mind, I will be interested to see what Diane Abbott has to say tonight on This Week. She is representative of quite a few people in parliament who obviously feel unrepresented. They never liked Blair, Kennedy is too weak and they have just realised that the new Tory leader is, perhaps, slightly left of their pretender, GB.
They are in a quandary. If, here comes another one of your BIG IFs, DC develops in the direction that has been promised he will rapidly become the natural successor to TB. In fact I would suggest to TB that he should develop this new atmosphere of co-operation because his grandest policies probably have a safer future under Cameron’s stewardship than under Brown’s.
Oh, dear. There are a lot of people trying to stand on a very small patch of mediocracy, wouldn't you say?
PS – the poor fox still gets my vote over an MP, however.
I don't understand why the Labour benches are so hung up on private education. By attacking Cameron as a 'public school toff', aren't they tacitly acknowledging that state school education is inferior and thereby highlighting their own policy failures?
I'm a product of a comprehensive school education, although I did send my daughter to a private school. Judging by my daughter's example, DC (like Blair) is likely to have a much more internationalist outlook. In a global economy, isn't this exactly what we're looking for in a PM?
It does bring forward the day Tony Blair stands down, I think. A resurgent Tory Party means that Blair cannot be allowed to go a full term. A new leader has to be given time in place before the next election. Labour's fate depends on whether it can pull behind its new leader or fly apart.
However, we shouldn't get too wrapped up in Tory fervour. Previously leaders have had these short periods of euphoria before crashing to Earth. Cameron's few policy decisions he has made so far (like withdrawing the Tory Euro MPs from the centre-right grouping) seem a little more right-wing than his rhetoric suggests he is.
All party leaders, neigh, all *MPs* should reflect the people who they represent.
Do you really think that the majority of Labour voters are as "posh" and Mr Blair? No, I didn't think so.
MPs need to be more in touch with the voters of today, and with future voters, and society as a whole.
I find it fascinating how political reporting is based so much on personality and not on policy. The media ignore policy and then point fingers at the politicans for "not explaining your policies to the public".
With 3 party politics, an undemocratic election system, a looming sub 50% turnout in the next General Election, a media that is forcing all the parties to have the same centre-right politics and then facing them down in interviews asking "what makes you any different than x party?!!" and a Government that garnered a minority of the public votes having a healthy majority and now seemingly working with the Tories taking us one small step closer to a one party state.
There seem to be more important things to talk about than "personalities" if you ask me.
It would be funny, if it wasn't so scary.
Honestly, those comments from Labour backbenchers (that you give us some great snippets of, Nick) are priceless. Safe to have an etonian toff in Government?
Iraq. Terror suspect torture. Spin. Top-up fees. Pensions.
Oh dear. That theory just seems to crumble away doesn't it... I don't pretend that other governments have not had their moments, but the halo that most Labour MP's see glowing above Tony Blair's balding head is distinctly dimmer...
John has a good point about the personality/policy divide. I'm scared to admit that UK politics is becoming rather too similar to the "who-can-come-up-with-the-most-dirt-about-their-oponent" politics of the US.
It would be refreshing if Cameron and Blair's similarities negated some of that meaningless name-calling and focused people's attentions on what the politicians intend to *do*!
Great blog, Nick, thank you!
"Great stuff from Skinner"
Yes, it's great stuff for the Tories, because it shows up the Labour Party as the real nasty party. To bring in such slanderous snide comments in what is supposed to be a mature debate just shows how childish some Labour MPs really are. He was also very ignorant in claiming these unsubstantiated allegations to be true when all the Daily Mirror (he named the wrong newspaper)had on Osborne was some dodgy photo.
Bringing back class warfare is only going to hurt one party: Labour. If they want to scare off the mostly middle class electorate, please go ahead with their petty class obsession!
"I find it fascinating how political reporting is based so much on personality and not on policy." [Comment by John, above]
Personality IS politics. Of course it matters. Think of any politician who made a difference. Policies change because of personalities.
I wish that politics in the UK wasn't so cold and cynical. Here's hoping to meaningful debates between party leaders I can follow.
The background of an MP should not matter. Why should someone be penalised because their parents were rich, or because they were sent to a good school? What matters are aptitudes and beliefs.
Those are the grounds on which Cameron can be legitimately criticised.
cameron appears to be highlighting just how tory tony is.
wonderful stuff!
now we need the lib dems to become a bit more dynamic and be a viable alternative to them.