Saturday, April 29, 2006
Weekly Review
Worrying Wednesday, Troublesome Thursday, Fearful Friday, Sombre Saturday.
When will the Prime Minister's worries come to an end?
Yes, it's been a busy week, certainly for the newspapers, and also at the Corner Shop, where customers have been arriving in droves as we move towards the busiest Bank Holiday of the year, some indication of the British public's change in habits and attitudes over the past ten years. Instead of travelling to the coast or the countryside, it seems many people would prefer to travel to the nearest DIY "shed" and invest in a new bar-be-cue, patio furniture set, bales of compost, or a myriad collection of plants! What a way to spend a holiday weekend, oh well it keeps myself and my staff super busy and gives us the prospect of bonus payments for over achieving targets. We are not sure if this a blossoming love affair with DIY or if there is a change towards GIS (get someone in), unlike "two shags" Prescott who had definately got someone in after getting fed up with DIY.
During the course of the past week (as I attempt to make progress on the new version of Curly's Corner Shop) we have seen the Health Secretary booed and jeered by the Royal College of Nursing after she had described the NHS as having had a great year, which was rather unamusing in the same week as various Health Authorities were announcing further job cuts amongst nurses, but were we bothered in South Shields? It appears not, hardly a murmur was heard.
The Home Secretary faced calls for his resignation after it was revealed that over a thousand foreign prisoners had been granted early release, and yet deportation orders were not sought. Charles Clarke had become aware of this ten months ago, the Prime Minister was also made aware of this "error" some weeks ago, yet until yesterday no positive action had been taken by the Home Office to find these murderers, rapists and other felons. Amazingly, Mr. Clarke is still in his job declaring that he is the best man to sort the situation out, but Shadow Home Secretary David Davis said: "His massive failure is an exact reversal of his job — to protect the safety of the public. His position is untenable."
Were we bothered in South Shields? It appears not, hardly a murmer was heard.
Finally Mr. "two jags, two shags, two pads" Prescott admitted that he had enjoyed an illicit liaison with his diary secretary over a two year period, and there is some disquiet that Civil Service and Ministerial rules may have been breached. The Mail on Sunday will be publishing further revelations tomorrow following a handsome deal made with the arch publicist Max Clifford.
Oh, and on top of all that cannabis has been found at John Reid's home.
Were we bothered in South Shields? It appears not, hardly a murmer was heard.
Yet we will be going to the polls in a few days time, along with thousands of others around the country to vote for new councillors, perhaps when the results are analysed we will see if the people of South Shields were really that uninterested in the affairs of the Labour Party. This will likely be the biggest test of Tony Blair's premiership and explains the widespread press briefings of the last month that give expectations and acceptance of a poor result for the party, if they lose less than two hundred seats they will claim that David Cameron's "reborn" Tory campaign has been an abject failure. If they lose over two hundred seats they will claim it was expected, and a "normal" mid-term result.
This general acceptance that "things are as they are" is not healthy, and it illustrates a certain complacency in the Prime Minister's make up. He has accepted the rough ride given to Patricia Hewitt while blandly stating that Health Authorities must work within their budgets (a la Thatcher), he has accepted Charles Clarke's failures to control the Home Office and accepted the gross negilgence there, that has put the public at an unacceptable risk; he has accepted John Prescott's dalliance as a personal matter without reference to breaches of rules or protocols, indeed without thought to the likely kick back from the electorate. What he has failed to accept is that elected politicians have certain responsibilities and are to be held accountable for the manner in which they pursue their ministerial briefs (pardon the pun). Perhaps the Prime Minister has also refused to accept his own error of judgement in failing to accept his Deputy's resignation, surely Prescott knows himself that he is now a liability to the party. Perhaps, too, it is an error of judgement to leave the Home Secretary in his present office when we now know that a number of the released prisoners have re-offended.
It is this general acceptance of a lack of responsibility which will inevitably make Tony Blair a liability for New Labour.
Links
Home Pride
Prescott to face further revelations
Pressure mounts on Clarke
A nurse's story
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