All journalists hate slow news days, and bank holiday Mondays are often the slowest news days of the lot. Let’s be charitable and assume that this is why the Guardian led its politics coverage this morning with a potboiler of the worst order from Nicholas Watt.
It seems that an obscure New Labour speechwriter – hyped up as ‘a key ally of Tony Blair’, in a failed attempt to sex up the copy - has attacked Gordon Brown in a most unoriginal manner in a small circulation pointy-head magazine.
A man called Phil Collins - not the slaphead who played drums in Genesis; that would at least have novelty value - has penned a piece for Prospect, arguing that ‘Labour’s faith in central government draws from the deep, poisoned well of its Fabian tradition … The only hope for the party is to excavate its liberal treasure.’
Collins’ ‘intervention’ is said to be ‘significant’ because after a stint writing speeches for Blair, he is now employed by work and pensions secretary James Purnell. He has also been sniffing around safe Labour seats. So what? Anything he writes remains essentially the private opinion of a glorified bag carrier.
But let me run his basic premise past you once again, in case you missed the full subtlety of the proposition. Mr Collins is here insisting that central governments are not supposed to have faith in … central government. Doesn’t that kind of go with the gig?
After all, central banks necessarily believe in central banking, central casting directors are most likely of the opinion that central casting has a vital role to play in today’s movie industry, and Birmingham central mosque would presumably enjoin Birmingham’s Muslim community to worship at Birmingham central mosque.
Granted, there is plenty to criticise in the Fabian tradition, not least its explicit advocacy of imperialism. But this is not the aspect of Fabianism Mr Collins seems to dislike. His target is rather Fabian advocacy of state action to deliver socialised healthcare, which he considers to be unaffordable:
The NHS can only survive through the use of liberal principles. The range of medical treatment is too large, the population too old and their expectations too great for the NHS simply to carry on as it is. Control over funding and treatment has to pass from the professional to the individual ...
Yeah right, Phil. I mean, what do all those poncy doctors with their fancy-schmancy medical qualifications know about effective treatment? If some dippy middle class cow wants to tackle her terminal cancer with aromatherapy, who is the nanny state to second guess such desires? If this is the policy output of New Labour’s finest, we are all pretty much stuffed.
And there’s more:
The key dividing line in politics is no longer between left and right but, increasingly, between liberal and authoritarian.
If that soundbite sounds familiar, that’s because it’s a straight lift from Sir Menzies Campbell’s leader’s speech to the Lib-Dem conference last year, in which he insisted that ‘the great divisions are no longer between left and right but between liberal and authoritarian’. Naughty boy, Phil. Talk about excavating liberal treasure, eh?
For Collins, New Labour under Brown too often finds itself on the wrong side of this divide. Writing as someone who sees no contradiction in being both a leftist and a libertarian, I happen to agree.
But will Collins – if only from consistency – now be calling for the introduction of ID cards to be scrapped, or for the government to drop proposals for internment without trial for 42 days? I very much doubt it.
Rarely can such mediocre ultra-Blairite tosh have enjoyed such a high profile in what remains the newspaper of choice for many Labour activists. I’m almost looking forward to reading the full length version of this man’s ramblings, if only on the basis that it will probably be so bad it’s good.
Posted at 13:49, 27 May 2008
Comments (15)
Is this the same Phil Collins who went for selection in Bolton South East and threatened the CLP that he would get government money redirected from Bolton if he wasn't selected. Unsurprisingly he didn't win. Muppet.
The very same, apparently.
Dave: "If some dippy middle class cow wants to tackle her terminal cancer with aromatherapy, who is the nanny state to second guess such desires?"
Language beyond sexist and into the relams of misogny I would say
Great to finally meet you Saturday! Must confess I got utterly ratted later on with comrades from CfS and had excelent fun. On this one, I'd say it is Against All Odds that Labour will win the next election if they listen to idiots like this one. In fact, the slaphead has probably got some better ideas.
''The NHS can only survive through the use of liberal principles. The range of medical treatment is too large, the population too old and their expectations too great for the NHS simply to carry on as it is. Control over funding and treatment has to pass from the professional to the individual''
Yes very dangerous indeed! I can see a whole industry of private medical consultants springing up over night to help you make your decision on treatment, taking a very tidy commission. Remember when the Tories gave people the choice of opting out of SERPS!, and the miss selling!.
The ultra-Blairites' True Colours showing through there. They must be living Separate Lives to the rest of us.
Ok, So far, I've spotted three Phil Collins song titles in the comments. Can we make it up to ten?
Genesis tracks don't count, otherwise we'll be in a land of confusion.
Language beyond sexist and into the relams of misogny I would say
Ooooh, sorry Andy. I'd better stick to apolitical ramblings about the need to buy 'my woman' Kylie Minogue-style underwear.
Because you actively defend 'socialists' that do that, don't you, you hypocritical tosser ...
It was actually Charlie boy Kennedy that first used that "not left and right but liberty and authority" line, which makes it even worse as it's older...
Language beyond sexist and into the relams of misogny I would say
Go meet some women who actually suffer gender discrimination day to day. And then think about what you wrote. Then think about who told you to write it. And after that consider What Would George Do...
He's right about one thing - the NHS cannot survive in its current form. It needs some serious treatment of its own and if anyone thinks that a state-run monopoly is the best way to deliver healthcare, they need their head tested.
the Decents are very big on it too (the liberty/authority thing), who else saw the hilarious diagram that Marko Attila Hoare did for his GCSE politics homework?
More baffling are the rumours about Compassites are these NuLab types trying to stitch Gordon Brown up. What's in for soft-Left? Not like they'll win any nomination, they hoping for some mish-mash "some policies from column A, some from column B" arrangement?
oh and@Letters from a Tory: all of the best mass healthcare systems in the world are state-run monopolies...
Quote
"Collins indicates that Blairites are becoming increasingly impressed by David Cameron, who attacks Labour for providing centralising "top down" solutions and who pledges instead to empower people."
Why dont they go and join Camerons Conservatives then? The transition wont be hard, like walking from a smoking to non smoking carriage on a train.
Jack R: perhaps Letters from a Tory isn't that interested in "mass healthcare systems" - instead he talks about the "best way to deliver healthcare". But for whom? Not for the masses, I suspect.
Letters from a Tory,
Do you have any experience of living in a nation with a private healthcare system and being treated by it?