New Look For Orange Party Blog

Four months after its birth, the Orange Party political blog has had a face-lift, to give it a cleaner look and uncluttered feel.  

Unlike some newspapers which have gone for all style over substance, the aim remains the same - to inject a dose of real clear political journalism without distractions or political interference.

While focussing on English politics, the brief has expanded since the blog launched in May of this year, to take in the US presidential campaign, because the outcome affects us all. 

What wasn't expected was the huge number of visitors from the US and outside the UK. But the core reporting remains England-centric.

Under the heading "A New Beginning?", posted in May, the observations are as true now as they were then - probably more so: 

The New Labour Project is dead. In 1997, the Gang of Four hijacked the Labour Party. It was kept going by the superb showmanship of Blair, the sinister spin of Campbell, the crafty accounting of Brown and the shifty skulduggery of Mandelson. 

Brown and New Labour just don't get it. The Project only worked with a smiley face up front. Now, after 11 years, people have finally woken up to the con and won't be taken in by any more spin and hype. Soon New Labour will be just a sad and embarrassing footnote in history.

New Labour and the Political Elite will try to hang on and relaunch (again). But with no viable front person to replace Brown, they are all doomed. Eventually they will have to give up and the Party will probably go back to its true Labour roots. 

The LibDems have blown it. By electing Clegg they missed the signs of the winds of change and went for a telegenic New Labour clone. 

The Conservative just don't know where to position themselves. Is Cameron still the heir to Blair? Now no one knows. The rise in popularity of the Tories is a vote against New Labour rather than a vote for the Tories.

In Scotland, the SNP is establishing itself as the party for the people of Scotland. In Wales, the Welsh Labour Party is putting water between itself and Westminster and will eventually join with Plaid Cymru in a reformed Welsh National Party. In Northern Ireland, politicians from all parties are trying to make a peaceful solution work - in the best interests of Northern Ireland.

So what of the future? Events, dear chap, events...