Vote Brown, Get Blair

Written by Paul Holmes MP and published in View from Parliament on Wed 1st Nov 2006

"Should he stay or should he go" is the dominant topic of conversation recently. One recent opinion poll has revealed that Blair is now even less popular than Thatcher was just before her downfall - and incidentally that Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell is twice as popular as David Cameron.

Blair has been forced to reluctantly concede that he will be gone by next autumn but it seems that he intends to hang on until May, so that he will have clocked up ten years as Prime Minister. That he should put his own interests before those of the country is no surprise, coming from the man who could convince himself that Iraq was armed to the teeth with non-existent Weapons of Mass Destruction.

In the end though will his going make any real difference? Disillusioned Labour activists in Chesterfield have more than once told me, after they have suffered yet another electoral defeat, that "it will all be alright when Gordon is Leader". Gordon Brown of course is still the front runner to replace Blair even after the bad press and bitter infighting that he has triggered recently.

How though will he be different? In his policy speeches he has made it clear that he will continue Blair's 'New Labour' approach. Introducing privatisation into our schools and the NHS, spending up to £25 Billion on replacing Trident, wasting Billions on ID Cards, maintaining Blair's relationship with George Bush. This really should not have been a surprise. After all has Brown ever spoken out against the illegal invasion of Iraq? Did he criticise Blair and Bush for supporting Israel's completely disproportionate onslaught on Lebanon only a few weeks ago?

As Chancellor for the last nine years Brown has been the mastermind behind the tax credits fiasco that has plunged thousands into debt in Chesterfield alone. He has overseen the worst State Pension in Western Europe. He has introduced the biggest expansion of means testing since the 1930's. He is the financial brains behind the rigged system that steals millions of pounds of Chesterfield council tenant's money every year and tries to force them to opt for privatisation.

Clearly if you vote Brown you get Blair. The message for both of them should be "Go Now."