If you go to labour.org.uk you can email Tony a question. It seems a good opportunity to ask the PM about Labour policies. Last night I watched the last Labour political broacast, which featured Tony and Gordon having a late night chat on their achievements and their dreams. Very clever, I thought. But I remained unswayed. I've had a look at the different policies put out by the parties and currently the Liberal Democrats do seem have the kind of policies I would like to see initiated.
Tony and Gordon frustrate me. I think both of them are natural gifted leaders (just compare a Blair speech with a Michael Howard speech) and I instictively warm to them, but both - Blair especially - are prone to using their gifts to twist and avoid the truth. I find their policies on childcare to suggest that professionals do a better job than parents, which may be true in some cases, but the government should support parents and allow them to be at home with their children, instead of pushing mothers (and in some cases fathers) back into the world of work. I find Blair's unwillingness to apologise annoying - I don't want an infalliable Prime Minister (if there ever could be one), so why do they act as if they are.
Well that's some of my thoughts on Labour, but as I said above, policy wise the Lib Dems have got my vote. On education they would give an 'equal emphasis on vocational learning' and to 'reform inspection system'. On tax they would 'introduce a 50% rate on tax on incomes over £100,000 a year' - a bigger tax on the very rich - something Labour fail to do. On pensions they would 'introduce a citizen's pension guaranterring £105 per week for single pensioners and £160 for couples.' On the environment they would 'cut tax on vehicles that pollute the least, funded by increased tax on those that pollute more.' On the same issue Labour say they would 'enable at least 25% of household waste to be recycled or composted by 2006, with further improvements by 2008' - this I think is extremely important.
I've stuck my neck out this year with some propaganda thingies on my websites for the Lib Dems. Like you, they impress me.
Posted by: -ash | April 12, 2005 at 05:57 PM
It would be interesting to see what Labour would be like under Gordon Brown's leadership - but I guess we'll never know.
Like yourself and Ash I think I'll be voting Lib Dem this year.
Posted by: Brodie | April 13, 2005 at 10:10 AM