Lunchtime List No.30

~ The best and most relevant stuff in today’s papers and on the web ~

Friday 20th February, 2009

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COMMENT OF THE WEEK:
Tory: “Will you vote for us?”
Voter: “Maybe. What would you do?”
Tory: “The country is in recession”
Voter: “Err yes but what would you do?”
Tory: “Recession. It’s Labour’s fault.”
Voter: “Erm…. wasn’t it the bankers and the sub-prime thing in America and isn’t the whole world….”
Tory: “RECESSION. Didn’t you hear me? We’d cut spending on the NHS too”
Voter: “Cut spending in a global recession? Is that sensible?”
Tory: “Sensible? Sensible? I tell you what’s sensible. Thatcher. Cameron. They are sensible. Unemployment is sensible. It seperates the wheat from the chaff. Winding down the minimum wage is sensible. Getting rid of banking regulation is sensible. I bet you are on tax credits too aren’t you? You look a bit poor to me. We’d cut those too, because Tax Credits hide poverty.”
Voter: “Hide poverty? I used my tax credit to buy a new school uniform for my lad. They feel real to me”
Tory: “Look I haven’t got time for this. I have a meeting with my accountant in ten minutes about the Directorship. Will you vote for us or not? Remember – RECESSION. Cut spending. What do you say?”
Voter: “Go away”. Andrew H

Congratulations, Andrew! You’ve won a bottle of House of Commons champagne!

ON LABOURLIST NOW

Tom Guise looks at the odd dealings of the Tallest MP in the House, Daniel Kawczynski.

Essex Councillor and Labour Parliamentary candidate Julian Ware-Lane says even after 12 years, there’s a lot of warmth for Labour values on the doorstep.

Dan McCurry contributes another provocative blog post, this time assessing how we share the burdens of the world’s ills.

We’ll have several more posts going up throughout the day, so stay posted.

*** Make sure you comment on the posts that interest you and if you want to post let us know. ***

Also, have a look at Ed Balls’ new column on the Tories’ “broken society”.

THE CAMERON VERDICT

According to new firgures in the FT, the ordinary man on the street refuses to see any promise in Dave’s Tories. Have a look at what the Tories are saying about this here.

After a Monaco tax exile donated £100K to Cameron’s crew, there’s more bad news as an £84K Tory donor dismisses Cameron as having shown no ‘real attempt to understand the genesis of the credit crunch, or how to fix it.’

Paul Routledge has some very choice words for Dave’s Tories.

WHO IS THE LEADER? THE PRIME MINISTER!

With all the talk of ideological clashes and “dream tickets“, Hazel Blears has told Labour ministers to stop the political positioning now. Steve Richards looks at the winners and losers of the jockeying – LabourList simply states, Gordon Brown is our leader and our Prime Minister, and the best “person” for the job.

FIGHT OR FLIGHT IN THE RECESSION?

Contrary to Cameron’s vision of Britain, there have been some interesting articles today about how, even in a recession, we should never turn our back on our ideals and our values.

The Guardian looks at what the new public debt figures, which no one can agree on precisely, might actually mean.

Sam Whimster writes that we need to reassert human values as better than the markets.

Johann Hari reminds us that crime is never inevitable.

The Independent says that now we know where we stand, things will improve from here on in.

Where should our priorities lie in a recession? In populsim or pragmatism?

Meanwhile, Frank Field cuddles up to economic pariah Dave by questioning government support.

EDUCATION

The Cambridge Primary Review has revealed serious shortcomings in our schools.

The Guardian has a look at how our Primary Schools are doing, and where we should be going from here.

FINALLIST

Alan Johnson steers clear of the nonsensical leadership speculation and concentrates on the job in hand.

Martin Kettle’s political confusion continues. First he wanted to be a Tory, now it’s the Lib Dems.

Terence Blacker agrees with Tom Miller’s call to confront the racists head on.

A month of milestones: The Independent assesses Obama’s first 30 days.

The Shoe Thrower is still unhappy about the last guy, though.

As secularism spreads, the Pope has been invited to Britain.

Suicide helpers may have more leniency from courts in the future.

The discovery of Atlantis, the City lost under sea for 12,000 years?

Hungy Hippos? Nature always gives us some of the most striking photography.

Life is Tweet – we’ve never been better connected.

HERO of the day: Claire Robertson. Resourceful, innovative, determined and committed – defiance in the face of adversity.

ZERO of the day: The New York Post, for publishing that idiotic cartoon of President Obama. You won’t find LabourList linking to it or republishing it, though.

~ THE BIG ONGOING DEBATES ~

LIB LABBERY

Sundar’s original New Statesman piece.

Luke Akehurst said no thanks.

Nick Clegg’s views on what matters in a coalition.

LABOUR STRATEGY

Jon Cruddas raises questions about Labour’s strategy. Later, Cruddas questions the rogue Blairite sections of the Party.

Meanwhile, ultra Blairite Philip Collins criticises the government and Luke Akehurst responds.

John Prescott has a go at Matthew Taylor.

This follows on from recent articles in the FT and Ben Brogan’s blog. Hopi Sen and Don Paskini have both chipped in.

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