Long time no chat!

Yes, I know … you’re absolutely right. No-one’s indispensable. And Blair is now where he rightfully belongs – on the world stage. But don’t you miss him? And doesn’t Labour now realise that none of this – “how long will Brown last” stuff need have happened? If only they’d hung onto their winner.

As soon as the election never happened, I assumed Brown would try to hang on until 2010 – in the hope that things can only get better! Don’t know if they’ll try to replace him though. There’s no decent alternative, after all. A lightweight cabinet.

I think, to be fair, the Lib Dems also ascribe to social justice and equality. But they are a lost cause, as usual, mainly because they’ve got a duff leader in Clegg. Should have been Cable. At least he is competent economically as well as sharp with the repartee. Still, I am not with them in their Iraq policy.

And Cameron – well, early Blair charm, but lacking Blair’s promise.

What do you think about the vision thing and Gordon? I’ve yet to spot it. But perhaps I’m missing something.

All the best.

Unlike you I am Labour Party member, and have been for 25 years. In football there is a saying “No player is bigger than the club” and that applies to politics too. I felt sad when Spurs dumped Martin Jol, but look at them now! Not just in the Carling Cup Final – they trashed the Gooners 5-1 to get there. So I still believe in miracles, and I am still a Labour Party member and probably always will be. I support Labour because I feel it’s the only party which pays more than lip service to issues such as social justice and equality.

Blair is now long gone from British politics but he has been warmly welcomed to the world stage, where he gets the recognition he deserves for being the most outstanding political leader of his generation. He is contributing to the Middle East peace process and if anyone can make progress there, he can. And it would be great to see him lead Europe.

There is plenty of derisive and dismissive talk about Blair’s “legacy” but today’s Britain is a more liberal, tolerant society, and a consensus on public service standards and funding which opposition parties cannot ignore.

It may have taken too long to achieve, and there were many mistakes along the way, but Iraq is now a safer, better place to live than it was under the genocidal tyranny of Saddam Hussein and his Ba’athist death squads. Of course, opponents of the Iraq war will never accept it, but the “surge” has worked – it is plain for all to see.

It is interesting that Brown is now finding out just what a difficult job Blair did with such consummate ease for so long. Despite ten years as Chancellor, he was clearly unprepared for the top job but as a Labour supporter I hope he can develop and improve. It clearly doesn’t help that he is surrounded by acolytes who have spent ten years (and more) planning the demise of the party leader.

I’m pretty sure that there will be no election now until 2010. Can Brown hang on to the leadership that long? I’m not sure I would put money on it.

Look out Gordon, your mates with the sharp knives are behind you all the way.

Yep I must admit to an error earlier re Comical Ali. I also admit the post you refer to is a little confusing. It’s all down to having a life, stuff to do, been a difficult day…trying to post in between it all.

What I meant was, one post from MarkGreen0 is worth at least five times anything this columnist, who attracts a small weekly crowd of baying, slavering support, can ever command. Even though I must admit she has done well for herself, starting off as an English graduate secretarial trainee at the Sun.

I suppose it helps to catch the eye of the editor, even if he is, you know, that chap who got done for dodgy share dealing. Typical socialist household. Anyway, this post will no doubt censored by the Guardian so I’ve posted it to you via your website as you may not see it before it gets chopped.

Anyway, in other words, I would rather read MarkGreen0 – or indeed you – any day.

Sorry for the confusion.

John Rentoul in today’s Independent also makes some very good points.

I detect a growing sympathy and support for Blair thanks to Yates of the Yard’s posturing. The Tories did themselves no favours with the “Government in paralysis” spin which doesn’t really cut the mustard when there is so much going on. The media’s bubble was burst when they realised it was Yates and not Blair who called for the media blackout of Blair’s second interview (as a witness, not a suspect).

All in all, a very good week!

The website is looking really good! You’re not after a peerage are you…!?

Please pass the word to anyone you know who’d like to leave a positive message here.

Many thanks.

I think your mention on CiF was in the thread “And the nominations are…” Georgina Henry, 21 December.

I posted the list of 50 achievements on the Compass website (Peter Hain’s thread, 15 November 06), and added the following achievements myself:

51. Lowered the service requirement from 2 years to 1 year in unfair dismissal cases.
52. Right to recognition for trade unions after CAC ballot.
53. Strengthening the disability discrimination laws.
54. Changing the burden of proof in sex, race, disability discrimination cases in favour of the claimant.
55. Rights for part-time workers, temporary workers, working time directive.
56. Civil partnerships
57. Partner pension rights for gay workers in public sector pension schemes.
59. £9m union learning fund.

I’m sure there are a lot more…

I have also posted them on CiF, under “In the spirit of Christmas”, Georgina Henry, 21 December. It drew the usual negative responses.

You might also have a look at Polly Toynbee’s thread 22 December “The Indignation Deficit” on CiF, to which I have added a couple of comments.

I wouldn’t bother posting this up on your website to reply to me – you can always contact me through pier.pressure@yahoo.co.uk.

Cheers, and keep up the good work, I have really enjoyed your interventions on CiF, they just can’t make you out!

Cheers.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,1975777,00.html

Why don’t you go there and add your above list? If you don’t get around to it, perhaps you won’t mind if I add it?

All the best, and have a great Christmas too.

1. Longest period of sustained low inflation since the 60s
2. Low mortgage rates
3. Introduced the National Minimum Wage and raised it to £5.35
4. Record police numbers in England, Scotland and Wales
5. Cut overall crime by 35 per cent
6. Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools
7. Best-ever primary school results
8. Funding for every pupil in England to double by 2008
9. Employment is at its highest level ever
10. Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest countries
11. 85,000 more nurses
12. 32,000 more doctors
13. Brought back matrons to hospital wards
14. Devolved power to the Scottish Parliament
15. Devolved power to Welsh Assembly
16. Dads now get paternity leave of 2 weeks for the first time
17. NHS Direct offering free convenient patient advice
18. Gift aid was worth £625 million to charities last year
19. Restored city-wide government to London
20. Record number of students in higher education
21. Child benefit up 25 per cent since 1997
22. Created Sure Start to help children from low income households
23. Introduced the Disability Rights Commission
24. £200 winter fuel payment to pensioners & extra £100 for over-80s
25. On course to exceed the Kyoto target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2010
26. Negotiated the historic Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland
27. Over 30,000 more teachers in England schools
28. All workers now have a right to 4 weeks’ paid holiday
29. A million pensioners lifted out of relative poverty
30. 800,000 children lifted out of relative poverty
31. Introduced child tax credit giving more money to parents
32. Scrapped Section 28 and introduced Civil Partnerships
33. Brought over 1 million social homes up to standard
34. Free school milk for five, six and seven-year-olds in Wales
35. Banned fox hunting
36. Cleanest rivers, beaches, drinking water and air since the industrial revolution
37. Free TV licences for over-75s
38. Banned fur farming and the testing of cosmetics on animals
39. Waiting times for operations halved
40. Free local bus travel for over-60s
41. New Deal – helped over a million people into work
42. Over 1.5 million child trust funds have been started
43. Free eye test for over 60s
44. Five, six and seven year olds in class sizes of 30 or less
45. Free entry to national museums and galleries
46. Overseas aid budget more than doubled
47. Cancer death rates down by 12 per cent, saving 43,000 lives
48. Cut long-term youth unemployment by 75 per cent
49. Free nursery places for three and four-year-olds in England, Scotland and Wales
50. Free fruit for all four to six-year-olds at school
51. Lowered the service requirement from 2 years to 1 year in unfair dismissal cases.
52. Right to recognition for trade unions after CAC ballot.
53. Strengthening the disability discrimination laws.
54. Changing the burden of proof in sex, race, disability discrimination cases in favour of the claimant.
55. Rights for part-time workers, temporary workers, working time directive.
56. Civil partnerships
57. Partner pension rights for gay workers in public sector pension schemes.
59. £9m union learning fund.

Of course, there are too many achievements to list really – particularly in my field – employment rights, which has been utterly transformed. And there’s a lot more to come next year too to keep me busy.

I see you got a mention for your sheer tenacity on the CiF awards thread! Well done.

Best wishes to you and yours.

The facade was breached for most people several years ago and the speeches that seemed so honest and ernest became seen as one giant act typical of regimes where the reality of life is painted over by propeganda and massaged statistics.

We don’t need Blair any longer, we dont need the labour government any longer, get them out and lets try and get back to the basics of governing, problem solving. You know what the first step to solving a problem is? It is admitting the problem exists, something labour never ever do.

That is the reason they are increasingly out of touch, Blair will look a voter in the face and tell them the problems they are experiencing in the NHS, or in their childrens education, the problems in their neighbourhoods don’t exist. Even someone speaking from first hand experiences will be told point blank “I’m sorry i just don’t agree!”

How is that any way to manage a country? We are not asking him whether he agrees but to fix the problems that abound in the NHS and Education, you can’t make them disappear because you don’t acknowledge them, the voters can’t ignore them and hope they go away, the only thing doing a disappearing act is this government.