Is it the end of era for the Labour Party?

[Kitila Mkumbo]

A You Gov survey for the Sunday Times has issued a damning verdict for the Labour Party following this week's Allistar Darling budget speech. The support for Labour is lowest in almost three decades; 43% for the Conservatives vs 27% for Labour. It would appear that Nick Clerg's new leadership is yet to show any impact as their Lib Dem support remains as low as ever at only 16%!

Meanwhile, Ken Livingstone trails Boris Johnson for the London mayorship bid at 24 points.

Well, though I consider myself to be more to the centre left than to the right, I am prety happy with Conservatives performance as I have always admired Cameron's talented leadership. Indeed, I have always admired and supported intelligent, hard working and committed politicians and David Cameron well fits in my characterisation of a good leader.

Could this be the beginning of the end of Labour's era, I guess yes, unless Gordon Brown starts to give what people need rather than what he has! Whay do you think.

PS: MoDs: Hii inaweza kwenda kule kwenye international politics kama mtakuabliana na wazo langu la kuanzisha thread kama hii. Then ya Barack Obama. Kenya, ziwe huko.

 

[YNIM]

interesting.....kuna watu hapa walikuwa wanaongolea juu ya experience, sasa Brown alikuwa right handman wa Blair, lakini vyombo vya habari vya US vinasema jamaa hamna kitu(ref: BO experience smears back in US)!! je hii ni kweli? kuna weza kukawa na uhusiano kati ya leadership mbovu ya Brown, mahusiano yake na Blair na ile ya Blair ku-support Iraq invasion kwa kutumia sexed up intel na haya matatizo ya popularity ya labour party??

kama alivyojisemeaga Thomas 'Tipper' O'neal, "all politics are local......" Je ni nini kinaendelea domestically in the UK? nani kati ya Labour na Cons wenye tuff stance against immigration!!?? how is the economy?jobs? taxes? na maswali mengi kwikwikwi sorry, unajua US news mostly ni local, kwahiyo sipo deep kabisa juu ya politics za upande wa pili wa pond!!

Happy Sunday na nadhani mods watalifanyia kazi pendekezo lako!!.

 

[Dua]

Brown alikuwa anafanya fitna kwa Blair ili aukwae lakini mambo yanamwendea kombo na sidhani kama atashinda uchaguzi ujao.

 

[YNIM]

.....upo wapi msee, nimeuliza maswali hapo juu lakini naona kimyaaa, Dua kajibu moja....sasa nasubiri majibu zaidi ili tuweze kuendelea na mjadala!! Waziri wa mambo ya nje wa sasa Milbank or something naona anasifiwa na US media, je na huko anapendwa au!!??

 

[Kitila Mkumbo]

.....upo wapi msee, nimeuliza maswali hapo juu lakini naona kimyaaa, Dua kajibu moja....sasa nasubiri majibu zaidi ili tuweze kuendelea na mjadala!! Waziri wa mambo ya nje wa sasa Milbank or something naona anasifiwa na US media, je na huko anapendwa au!!??

Nipo, wala sikujua hii mada imeenda wapi, tatizo hivi vitu vinahamishwa kwa hiyo wakati mwingine hata huwezi kujua vimekwenda wapi.

Kilichonipo ni kwamba Labour wametamba na economic stability for 10 years. Sasa hivi mambo yanabadilika kutokana na ukweli kwamba uchumi duniani kote hasa US umeyumba. Sasa Labour wanalaumiwa kwa kutumia vibaya miaka 10 ya neema kwa kushindwa kufanya saving na wakaendekeza matumizi makubwa pasipo ufanisi mkubwa. Matokeo yake kwa kipindi hiki ambacho uchumi unaelekea kuyumba wamelazimika kuongeza kodi katika bidhaa mbalimbali ikiwemo kodi za dhambi (eg sigara, pombe, etc) pamoja na za magari. Sasa hili limewauma sana roho watu na Conservatives wanaonekana kuwakuna watu kutokana na dira yao chanya ya uchumi.

Sasa kuhusu immigration, ukweli ni kwamba sasa hivi vyama hivi viwili havina tofauti kubwa, vinafanana sana kutokana na ukweli kwamba wanalazimika wote hata hao Labour wenyewe ambao kwa muda mrefu wamekuwa friendly kwa wahamiaji, kukaza kamba. Vilevile katika uchumi, vyama hivi sasa hini ni kama havina tofauti kwa sababu hata Conservatives wanaonekana kuachana na sera yao maarufu ya kukata kodi na wanasema hawataweza kukata kodi katika kipindi chao cha awamu ya kwanza wakishinda uchaguzi.

Kwa hiyo, kwa sasa hivi tofauti kubwa kati ya Labour na COnservatives sio sera bali ni style ya leadership. Sasa katika hili bwana mdogo David Cameron anamuacha mbali sana ndugu yetu Gordon Brown kwa: sura, ucheshi, charisma, uwezo wa kujenga hoja na uwezo wa kuongea na emekuwa akimnyanyasa sana bungeni tangu Tony Blair aondoke. Ni kwa sababu hizi basi sasa hivi Conservatives wanaongoza kwa mbali sana katika kura za maoni na wakiendelea hivi wana nafasi kubwa ya kushinda uchaguzi utakaofanyika mwakani au 2010.

Hilo la Milband, hata hapa anapendwa na anaheshimika sana. Kijana ana kichwa na anajua kujenga hoja. In fact, mambo yakienda vibaya kwa Gordon Brown naamini atakuwa ndiye next Leader wa Labour. Hata hivyo mdogo wake ambaye alikuwa Health Secretary kwenye serikali ya Tony Blair anaonekana kuwa critical sana na serikali ya Gordon Brown; jana, kwa mfano, alikuwa na article kali sana kwenye Sunday Times ambayo ilikuwa quite scathing kwa Gordon Brown. Sasa sijui hii itamuharibia au kumjenga kiasi gani kaka yake David Milband. Time will tell.

Kwa hiyo mzee siasa za UK zipo moto sana sasa hivi. Uzuri wa siasa za hapa hazisubiri uchaguzi kama za US. Wenyewe ni mchakamchaka kila siku, which I kind of like maana inaleta efficieny kubwa sana katika utendaji wa serikali.

 

[Kitila Mkumbo]

Jamani moderators, tunaombeni basi na sisi mtusikilize kidogo. Huku siko. Tunasema anzishe jukwa la international politics (tena iwe kwa kiingereza hivihivi). Sasa huku mnachanganya na mambi mengine ambayo sio siasa, kuna mdundiko, I dont what, sio sawa.

Tumeomba kuwa anzishe section ya International Politics. In it, put Kenya politics, Obama, Our relations with Zimbabwe, hii mada, etc. Why is this so difficult? Please give us your customers what we need not what you have!

 

[Masanja]

Wakuu, mi nadhani kinachotokea US na UK, clearly shows what informed citizens can and should do for their countries as a civic responsibility.

Tofauti kubwa ninayoiona kati yetu na wenzetu huko ni kwamba, linapokuja swala la maslahi ya nchi na uwajibikaji watu hawana mzaha. Blair alivyoingia alijitahidi sana kiuchumi na ni kipindi hicho US was at the peak katika global economy. But with events in Iraq and Afghanistan, watu wanashtuka,,,for how long are we going to pay the price by spending?

Ukiangalia hata US kwa sasa wanajua kabisa, hawawezi kujisustain Iraq na kwingineko kwa mwendo huo wa kuspend tuu.

As Kitila said, Conservatives naturally lazima watakuwa na edge when it comes kwenye uchumi kwa sababu sasa dunia imebadilika mno.

Na what I see, september 11 changed the world forever. Haitatokea tena US iwe na ule uchumi usiokuwa na mpinzani kama before kwa sababu kwa sasa global instabilities na insecurity imekuwa kubwa sana na investments in defence will always be up. Dont forget China, inawapumulia wakubwa kooni. So Iam really worried miaka ijayo nchi kama US democrats who have been bastion of economy as their platform will have to adjust, maana ukweli ni kwamba security is taking its rightful place. N wananchi wengi sasa wameshaona kabisa kwamba terrorism is real! So here the need to balance your economy and security becomes important.

But all in all China upcoming is real and whether US and Europe likes it, China is coming and the international funds which has long been conduit of US economy will have to adjust. Things are changing.

Na ugaidi hautaisha leo wala kesho. But as always informed citizens know what they want and when! So they will vote for the right leader when time comes-ohhhh do they?

 

[BAK]

PM isolated as ministers decide: 'Brown can't win' Cabinet losing confidence in leader following massive Tory byelection victory

Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent The Guardian, Saturday May 24 2008 Article history

Gordon Brown is losing the confidence of his cabinet as an increasing number of ministers voice the fear that Labour cannot win the general election under the prime minister's leadership, authoritative sources told the Guardian yesterday.

Labour's disastrous performance in Crewe and Nantwich in the early hours of Friday - leading to the Tories' first byelection gain in a quarter of a century - has persuaded cabinet ministers that the prime minister's position is fast becoming irretrievable.

"People are not far away from thinking that we cannot win under Gordon Brown," a senior Labour figure said last night. "We wish it was different from what it is. But it is hard to avoid looking at the facts."

The growing collapse in confidence in Brown's leadership became clear yesterday in the wake of Labour's poor byelection performance as the Tories won on a swing of 17.6% - the sort of figure that would place David Cameron in Downing Street with a susbstantial majority.

Had the byelection happened on its own, Brown would probably face no more than a whispering campaign, senior sources say. But two factors are convincing cabinet ministers that Labour's poor performance is directly linked to the prime minister: the local election reverses earlier this month, and Brown's decision to give away £2.7bn in tax cuts in an emergency mini-budget designed to solve the crisis provoked by the abolition of the 10p starting rate of tax in his last budget as chancellor last year.

The mini-budget was intended to wrongfoot the Tories and avoid a parliamentary crisis that would have been provoked if Labour rebels had voted down the finance bill. "Gordon threw £2.7bn at this and the result in Crewe and Nantwich was worse than we feared," the senior party figure said.

Brown insisted yesterday that he was determined to carry on. "The task that I have set for myself is that we take this economy through difficult times into a future where we have both fairness for all and prosperity for the British people," he said. "That is the challenge I am going to meet for the British people."

Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, and Ed Miliband, the Cabinet Office minister and one of Brown's closest allies, rallied to the prime minister's defence. Harman acknowledged that there were "discordant voices" within the party, but she dismissed suggestions of a move against Brown: "I don't think that will happen."

Miliband spoke up for the prime minister. "We have got the right leader, we elected the right leader unopposed last year, and we have got the right leader to take us into the general election," he said.

Labour figures said it was significant that the only cabinet ministers to appear on the high-profile broadcasting programmes were key allies. "Where was the rest of the cabinet?" one senior party figure asked.

The unease about Brown surfaced after a meeting of the political cabinet on Tuesday. "People did not come out thinking they had seen a brilliant masterplan that was going to get Labour out of this," said one senior figure. Another source said: "The political cabinet was awful. The tank is empty."

The main criticism is that Brown appears unable to go beyond saying he is the best man to deal with challenging economic times, a message that failed to sway voters in the local elections and in Crewe and Nantwich. Labour source stress there is no appetite for a direct challenge against the prime minister. Cabinet ministers are said to be discussing what to do. The most they are planning at the moment is to persuade Brown that he needs to "change his script"."The cabinet is not revolting against Gordon Brown," one infuential figure said. "It does wish that he could work it out. The first stage is to move out of denial."

 

[Dua]

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's leadership remains under extreme pressure as Labour MPs digest the party's crushing defeat by the Tories in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election. The result, on a massive 17.6% swing, was described by a jubilant Conservative leader David Cameron as "the end of New Labour" and sparked one backbencher to call for a leadership challenge.

A defiant Mr Brown vowed to fight on, but there appeared to be a mood of panic among some Labour MPs. Former Government whip Graham Stringer called openly for Cabinet ministers to come out and challenge for the leadership, while others called for a reshuffle. Even loyalists admitted they were facing a "fight for our political lives".

Senior ministers publicly rallied round the Prime Minister, insisting the defeat was the result of the turmoil in the international economy which has sent food and fuel prices soaring. But he was reported to be under intense pressure behind the scenes to act quickly to defuse public concerns over tax and the cost of living. Mr Brown brushed aside questions about his leadership. He said: "The task that I have set for myself is that we take this economy through difficult times into a future where we have both fairness for all and prosperity for the British people."

Mr Stringer said there was now a "real debate" within the party as to whether it was better to get rid of Mr Brown or to hope their fortunes would pick up before the next General Election. "If the party is to renew itself and get its policies in line with what the people we represent want, then it is the responsibility of senior members of the Cabinet to say 'We're going in the wrong direction, it's impossible to change the situation that we are in at the moment' and to say to Gordon that they intend to stand for election," he said. "Without that, we are heading for electoral disaster at the next General Election."

Well we have seen it before what next?

 

[Dua]

Brown hit by Crewe mutiny

Cameron and new MP Timpson


From The Times
May 24, 2008

Labour must ditch Gordon Brown now
The Conservatives will revel in a lame duck Prime Minister hanging on for two more years

 

[DAR si LAMU]

..kwa wale mlio uk,hivi siasa za uingereza zina effect gani kwetu na duniani?

..kuna thread ya obama kule,hii inachangiwa sana. i think it's high time tuichambue na siasa ya uingereza!

..kitila?

 

[Pezzonovante]

Brown alikuwa anafanya fitna kwa Blair ili aukwae lakini mambo yanamwendea kombo na sidhani kama atashinda uchaguzi ujao.

ALIUPENA SANA U-PM WEWE HADI ALIKUWA HAAMINI JAMAA KAMA ATAACHIA,LAKINI KUMEKUWA NA HISTORIA INAYO ONYESHA HAWA WATU WANAO ACHIWA TU BILA KUTOKA NJE NA KUGOMBEA KAUMAALUFU HUPWAYA UNA KUMBUKA JONH MOJOR MAGGIE LIPO MWACHIA NDIPO CONCE. WALIMWAGA

 

[Dua]

interesting.....kuna watu hapa walikuwa wanaongolea juu ya experience, sasa Brown alikuwa right handman wa Blair, lakini vyombo vya habari vya US vinasema jamaa hamna kitu(ref: BO experience smears back in US)!! je hii ni kweli? kuna weza kukawa na uhusiano kati ya leadership mbovu ya Brown, mahusiano yake na Blair na ile ya Blair ku-support Iraq invasion kwa kutumia sexed up intel na haya matatizo ya popularity ya labour party??

kama alivyojisemeaga Thomas 'Tipper' O'neal, "all politics are local......" Je ni nini kinaendelea domestically in the UK? nani kati ya Labour na Cons wenye tuff stance against immigration!!?? how is the economy?jobs? taxes? na maswali mengi kwikwikwi sorry, unajua US news mostly ni local, kwahiyo sipo deep kabisa juu ya politics za upande wa pili wa pond!!

Happy Sunday na nadhani mods watalifanyia kazi pendekezo lako!!.

Brown hakuwa right handman wa Blair (Unaweza kusoma serialization ya Cherie Blair kuna mengi mle) bali alikuwa ni waziri wa pesa wenyewe wanamuita Chancellor of The Exchequer. Mawaziri wanaitwa Secretary na chini yake kunakuwa na ministers kwenye Nyanja mbali mbali kwa mfano Home Ofice kuna mawaziri kama watatu au wanne anayeshughulikia uhamiaji, magereza etc etc.

Blair rafiki yake mkuu alikuwa spin doctor aliyejiuzulu Alistar Campbell ambaye kutokana na ujuaji wake alikuwa anawawekea mkwara mzito yoyote ambaye alikuwa anataka kuchafua hali ya hewa kwa Blair including secretaries na ndiko chimbuko la utawala wake kuwa katika msemo wa kutawaliwa na spin doctors. Unaweza kukumbuka Director wa BBC aliyejiuzulu ilikuwa enzi ya Alistar ambaye bado Labour wanaendelea kumtumia kwenye kampeni zao ni jamaa makini sana kwa mikakati. (Alikuwa Director of communivation wakati wa Blair kabla ya kuwa forced ku-resign) Mwingine alikuwa ni ******* nitaweka jina hapa limenitoka alipewa kazi kwenye makao makuu ya EU ambaye alijiuzulu mara mbili kutokana na skendo mbali mbali. Ni kweli huyu jamaa kichwani hamna kitu katika politics za kileo lakini amesoma degree nzuri tu lakini ni mbinafsi sana na haambiliki ukimsikiliza kuongea ni kama chura mtoni anakoroma.

Conservative hawawataki Immigrants lakini cha ajabu wote wameajiri wafanyakazi wa kuwalea wazazi wao kutoka nje. (Social workers) Hii ni kero kubwa sana kwani wazungu wenyewe hawapendi kuwatunza baba zao na mama zao wakizeeka hivyo wanawaweka kwenye homes na wafanyakazi wengi wa kwenye hizo homes wengi wao ndio kutoka nchi masikini duniani Afrika Phillipines Jamaica n.k. kama unakumbuka Jamaicans waliletwa UK in 1950,s or 60's kuwasaidia na ndio wengi hapa bila kusahau Indians ambao mwanzo waliletwa kwenye sekta ya National Healthy service (NHS) hawa wengi utawakuta Slough na Southhall ambako ukienda hakuna tofauti sana na Bombay kwani ni wao tu ambao ndio wengi hizo sehemu na hivi sasa wanajenga servant Quarters kama kwao na kupangisha kwa eastern European kwa bei poa zaidi. Wengine wako nje ya UK kama unakumbuka kulitokea fujo wakati Fulani kati ya Indians origin waliofanya fujo kali sana. Wengi wao hivi sasa ni matajiri kama Mital ambaye anawafadhili Labour huyu ni kibosile wa mambo ya vyuma huenda umemsoma habari zake na wengine wengi hivi sasa wanakwenda kuwekeza kwao India , call centre nyingi zinafunguliwa India kwa kiasi three to four years back.

Labour kutokana na kasheshe wanayopewa kuwa soft hivi sasa ndio wabaya zaidi kwa wahamiaji. Sijui tusubiri kwani wataanza kutoa vitambulisho rasmi kwa wageni.

Bila shaka unamuomgelea David Miliband ambaye ni Foreign Secreatary huyu kijana ni machachari na aliambiwa agombee wakati Brown anataka kutawazwa bila kura lakini alikataa. Probably atakuwa future leader wa Labour na anakubalika na kuuzika kuliko huo mzoga. Bila kusahau kaka yake ambaye nae ni wazir na dada yake ambaye ana cheo kule Scotland lakini alikuwa anasakamwa na skendo moja hivi kuhusu pesa ………. Hiyo family all are politicians.

Economy ya UK hadi Blair anaacha ilikuwa nzuri kuliko any European country ndio sababu mojawapo walikataa kujiunga na EURO .................

Kazi kibao uwe na qualification nzuri tu na uingie kihalali unaweza kufanya as contractor for all your time na kodi hapo ni poa sana wewe unakula dividends tu, inategemea na profession yako . Kwa wastani unaweza kulamba kiasi cha £5000 hadi £10,000 kwa mwezi, lakini ukiwa permanent employed unakula kitu kama £2000 hadi £4000 kwa mwezi. (Ndio sababu ukiwa UK kuna opt out ya EU rules ya kufanya kazi kwa masaa 37.5 kwa wiki ambapo unaweza kufanya hadi saa 50). Kama uko kwenye finance usije hivi sasa wanafukuza wengi sana kwenye square mile baada ya gharika. Natumaini kidogo nimekujibu. Na wengine wataongezea.

 

[BAK]

Huyu jamaa alitakiwa afanye mabadiliko haraka sana yatakayoungwa mkono na wananchi wengi baada ya kumrithi Blair lakini aliendelea na sera za Blair ikiwamo vita vya Iraq ambavyo support yake imeshuka mno. Halafu akaja na sera zake kama vile kutaka kuongeza kodi nayo ikapigwa vita vibaya sana. Utaongezaje kodi wakati uchumi wa dunia unayumba, bei ya petroli haishikiki na bei ya vyakula haishikiki. Sasa Labour ili kujinusuru katika uchaguzi ujao inabidi wamteme Brown.

 

[DAR si LAMU]

Mwingine alikuwa ni ******* nitaweka jina hapa limenitoka alipewa kazi kwenye makao makuu ya EU ambaye alijiuzulu mara mbili kutokana na skendo mbali mbali. Ni kweli huyu jamaa kichwani hamna kitu katika politics za kileo lakini amesoma degree nzuri tu lakini ni mbinafsi sana na haambiliki ukimsikiliza kuongea ni kama chura mtoni anakoroma.
.

..peter mandelson.

..ni kamishna wa biashara wa kamisheni ya ulaya!

..jamaa ni kichwa haswa,other things aside!