Thursday 1 November 2012

Cameron's Real Weakness

Benefits that are paid to disabled people are not going up in line with inflation. Workers wages are not going up in line with inflation. Why should contributions to the EU go up in line with inflation? They should not. The majority of MPs have voted against increasing contributions. This is how our democracy works; most people in their constituencies would not want to give more money to the EU at a time when the Government are cutting council budgets and local services are under threat. MPs are elected to represent the views of their constituents and this is what they have done.

David Cameron is isolated. He has lost control of his own Party and that is why he lost the Europe vote. Tories have no sense of collective action so the Tory whips have a difficult job. Ex-Whip Andrew Mitchell made the mistake of trying to talk to police in the same bullying manner as he would a rebellious MP, telling them to "know their F***ing place." The whips have been unable to deliver the wishes of the leadership and that is a problem for the Government.

Cameron is also isolated in Europe. His only weapon is the veto, which is a very blunt instrument in the EU negotiations where rapier-like political skills are needed. 'He is weak at home and weak abroad' and unfortunately for our country 'It's like John Major all over again'

The Tories have always been obsessed with Europe, they don't like the idea of it much but they can't stop talking about it. The government are being distracted by an internal squabble that has rumbled on for years. They are also distracting the public; diverting attention from ideologically driven austerity measures which are hitting the vulnerable and increasing rather than reducing government borrowing. Even Heseltine agrees, economic policy is the real weakness of the coalition government.

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