Green Shoots Of An Early Election?

Beleaguered Brown is scurrying off to plot a New World Order with his pals at the sinister-sounding Davos but will the men in grey suits be waiting for him when he returns after Black Wednesday's mauling? 

The deluded prime minister was left battered and blubbering, with confidence draining away from both his Party and the country. 

Calling a general election is the gift of a prime minister only when thing are going well. When they are not - when there's a crisis of confidence from both within the Party, coupled with a crisis of confidence in what's best for the county - it's a double edged sword and the men in grey suits come from the back door and the front. 

If there was 'peace crimes' tribunal Brown would be in the dock. Time and again he repeated the mantra that the country was well placed to weather the storm. 

The IMF put paid to that, confirming the UK slump was the worst in the developed world, forecasting the country will suffer a worse recession than any other advanced economy. 

Brown is either suffering from blind incompetence or he's been telling porkies. He needs to spend more time with his family for the sake of his and the nation's health. Grey suits or white coats? It makes no difference in bankrupt Britain.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) waded in saying the country would be saddled with government debt for more than 20 years. The IMF and IFS warnings scupper Brown's plans to borrow billions more. 

Brown gets a mauling from Cameron over the despatch box. For once the soundbites are broadcast on TV evening news. None of them in Brown's favour.

It could only get worse. The Tory Heathrow rethink motion was defeated by just 19 votes, eight of them a bail-out from the DUP, in a rerun of the pork-barrel politics of the 42 days debacle. 

Backbench rebels were reportedly hauled in to be confronted with a blubbering Brown, yet 28 of them still had the courage to vote for the Tory motion. That's a sizeable revolt with the noble cause of Heathrow coupled with the fear of losing their marginal seats. 

Sky News Jon Craig claims a "tearful and dewy eyed" prime minister called the backbenchers into his office one by one and pleaded with them to back the government.

Claiming that losing the vote will be bad for the government and the Party is emotional blackmail. Once again the Heathrow issue was used as a test of Brown's leadership, putting cheap party politics above the best interests of the country.

Government spinners point out that the IMF forecast is just one indicator and anyone can cherry pick statistics. But this is the IMF - one of the big global finance institutions set up to monitor world markets and hand over cash with strings attached. The Heathrow vote too was spun as a government victory. It got very close to a humiliating defeat. 

Another day and another gloomy poll for the government, with the Tories increasing their lead and winning back the crucial C2 voters who deserted the Tories in their droves for the New Labour promised land.

The battle over the date of the next election is a battle between political strategists looking for damage limitation and politicians clinging onto power until the bitter end in the vain hope that things will get better come spring 2010. The economic forecasts have now put paid to that. 

Brown will try to cling on by his finger nails but he's taken a huge battering. Even his last hope to ride on the back of Obamamania with a London visit by the Great One in April is now uncertain. Brown may be forced to cut and run. 

The windows of opportunity for calling an election come and go. Call an election soon and there's a slim chance New Labour can hang on to some English seats with a hung parliament. 

Miss the boat and leave it too late - again - and there will be a wipe out, leaving the Tories to claim the prize of a sizeable majority and a national government. 

With a mixture of a lack of confidence and political self-interest, this time the decision may be out of Brown's hands. 

Picture: MarceloRuiz

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Heathrow Runway Will Never Take Off

Disheartened Heathrow opponents can take heart from the mass of opposition against the £9 billion third runway, as a pig-headed government, bent on getting its own way, bulldozes through the sop to its big businesses pals with a powerful Heathrow lobby pushing behind the scenes. 

Government spin has gone into overdrive, as plans for a third runway at Heathrow were given the go ahead, with the 'promise' of new jobs and strict noise and pollution controls, neither of which stand up to close scrutiny and a new fast rail link to Heathrow as a sweetener. 

The Orange Party warned in November that it was a case of when, not if, the expansion would be announced, as it became clear Heathrow was a runaway runway sham. 

The government is singing from the old boom years hymn sheet. Now the bubble has burst, it should be time to rethink the Heathrow monster. But that won't get in the way of a powerful lobby and short-sighted government.

Brown switched New Labour's greybeard, Geoff Hoon, to transport to steer through the plan, backed by Adonis in the Lords. What the government wants, Hoon will make sure the government gets, regardless of the arguments stacked up against them. 

But on the political front alone the plan will face hurdles at every stage with overwhelming opposition from Tories, LibDems, the London mayor, dozens of Labour MPs and a cabinet rebellion led by environment secretary, Hilary Benn. Benn must now consider his position in cabinet if he's to salvage any credibility. 

Even MPs, brow-beaten by the business spin, cannot stomach the way the green lobby has been ignored and can do without a Heathrow battle in their marginal constituencies.

But Brown's deputy Mandelson and powerful lobby forces are at work here. For BAA's Spanish owners, Ferrovial, Heathrow is a lucrative jewel in the crown. Its main customer, British Airways is trying to sew up transatlantic trade. 

Both environmental and political protesters do face an uphill struggle as the whole issue of environmental impact has been spun away and buried. 

Brown told MPs yesterday there wouldn't be a commons vote on the expansion, when he rejected a Tory demand and caved in to the powerful lobby, saying it would go to a planning inquiry.

The government has tried its damnest to stitch it up. A planned unelected and unaccountable planning quango stuffed with New Labour lackeys, was designed for exactly this kind of confrontation to side-step objections. 

Heathrow isn't just huge, it's grotesque. A third runway will only add to the problems. 

Heathrow is being developed purely for the lucrative transatlantic trade and business traffic in particular. But in a few years time, that could be a road to nowhere as the world's financial centres continue to switch to the Far East. 

The Orange Party doesn't believe any further Heathrow expansion is necessary. High speed rail links in and out of the Capital would be a better, realistic solution. If there's an argument for a big London-based European hub, then Heathrow is not the answer. 

Business leaders say thousands of jobs rely on Heathrow expansion. Jobs sure, but they don't need to be created at Heathrow. 

But the arguments pale into insignificance with a general election looming. The government is out of touch with voters who are becoming increasingly angry and frustrated. Time and again the government gets away with doing just what it wants, regardless of public opinion. 

Heathrow expansion is another nail in its coffin. When New Labour's stranglehold on government bites the dust, the expansion plan will be booted out. 

Heathrow and its further expansion is just one of the crippling legacies of Brown's deluded blooming booming years. Once again we are being forced to live with that legacy until a new government sees sense and catches up with the times. 

UPDATE: Backbench true Labour MP, John McDonnell, has been suspended from the commons for five days. His crime? Running off with the sacred mace and attacking Hoon over the Heathrow runway with the words: "You are a disgrace to democracy." Thank god there are still Labour MPs with the guts to stand up to these morons.

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Headless Chickens Leave Voters Cold

Ministers are floundering around sending out a staggering array of mixed messages to capture headlines and bewitch voters. But running around like headless chickens leaves voters bothered and bewildered. 

Hardly a day goes by without more spin and confusion. The Orange Party is starting to get a headache. God knows what the public must be thinking. 

A couple of treats over the last few days bring all the spin into sharp focus. 

First up slippery Jack Straw who, having failed to get secret inquests in his anti-terror bill, to rounds of applause from anyone concerned about civil liberties, suddenly pops up with the same cunning plan to allow inquests behind closed doors with the pathetic excuse of “national security”. Everyone knows this is just a way of avoiding coroners' stinging criticism over troop weapons shortages. So why the confusing flannel?

Yesterday's prize went to Mandelson's junior minister, Baroness Vadera with her ludicrous headline grabbing statement that she saw "green shoots of recovery". Hastily retracted, Vadera eats shoots and leaves. It grabbed the headlines but not in the way either she or Mandy intended. 

Today it's the Heathrow runway sham. At a stroke blowing the government's pretence of any green credentials out of the window and forcing backbench Labour MPs, particularly in the marginals, to write their election suicide notes. 

Today also it's Blair-boy Miliband whose suddenly woken up, smelt the coffee and decided the 'war of terror'  wasn't such a good idea after all. Where on earth has he been all these years? Seven years of New Labour foreign policy thrown out of the window. Where was the weasel-worded wonder boy's conscience then?

And if that's not all, the public has to suffer the ridiculous sham of the school league tables, now a totally meaningless yearly farce.

Meanwhile back in Brown's deluded world, he's running around like a headless chicken trying to look busy doing nothing, as the economy crashes around his ears, creating false hopes on the jobs front as every new announcement is swiftly rounded on and exposed as a sham. 

Still to come is Mandy's plan to sell off Royal Mail. He's sticking to his guns but faces a full-scale backbench rebellion, throwing the whole mess into a confusing spotlight. 

So much of the spin has Mandelson's paw prints over them and its starting to get up the nose of backbench MPs. 

Did Brown really know what he was letting himself in for when he allowed Mandelson to flee from the clutches of the EU and run for cover in his government? It seemed like such a good idea at the time and for a while the master of spin did his job, managing to head off any coup against Brown and paint the supreme leader in a good light. 

But, as the Orange Party warned at the time, Mandelson always came with a health warning. Too much spin is bad for the government's health. Tories, LibDems and SNP will be laughing all the way to the ballot box.

UPDATE: Backbench true Labour MP, John McDonnell, has been suspended from the commons for five days. His crime? Running off with the sacred mace and attacking Hoon over the Heathrow runway with the words: "You are a disgrace to democracy." Thank god there are still Labour MPs with the guts to stand up to these morons.

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Well-Stuffed MPs Return To Palace Of Plenty

Well-fed MPs drift back to Parliament today after a record-breaking 24-day festive holiday at the taxpayer expense, as people suffer the worst slump for nigh on 30 years. Meanwhile home secretary, Jacqui Smith, has a lot of explaining to do about her bogus figures. 

While shops go to the wall, UK manufacturing falls at its fastest since 1981, numbers on the dole the highest since 1997, MPs have lost their conscience and connection with ordinary folk.

Job losses seem to have escaped the public sector fat cats with meaningless job titles, now part of a long overdue crusade by many national newspapers. At the top of the public sector food chain stand the country's MPs, ring fenced and cushioned from the recession and the growing band of 'payroll MPs' flushed with promoted egos and self-importance. 

What a difference a job makes. On the one hand, the government offers top whack wages, generous benefits and gold-plated pensions to its card carrying Common Purpose quango lackeys, while in the real world of real dwindling jobs, it's all wage cuts, unpaid overtime and short-time working.

The grotesque contrast between the harsh world of struggling ordinary folk in the economic crisis and the cosy comfort of the political elite, is most evident in the closeted world of MPs and their lifestyles, as they look set to continue to squander our money. 

While occupational pension schemes are being closed down, MPs' pensions remain protected. Hard-pressed families struggle with debt, but MPs have their mortgages paid for them by the taxpayer. People are tightening their belts but MPs' generous expenses system allows them to squander taxpayers' cash on furniture and home improvements. 

Peter Oborne, writing in the Mail last week, put his finger on what he called a national disgrace: "MPs who put private profit above public interest are treating voters with contempt as they milk their expenses system." Yet still nothing on MPs' expenses has been published.

Top of the dishonesty pile must come home secretary, Jacqui Smith, who seems to have put on a bit of weight over Christmas, according to the picture above, to face questions over more bogus figures and face accusations of becoming a bit of a big fat liar. 

Last year, she was forced to admit that immigration numbers were made up. Letters to newspapers sucking up to her while attacking the Tories were actually written by friends or relations.

That's on top of the revelation that the home secretary misled MPs over knife crime statistics. And there's the not so very small matter of Tory opposition spokesman Damian Green, who looks set to be cleared over trumped-up home office leak allegations.

Meanwhile Brown faces his first real test of the New Year as he tries to look busy doing nothing and prepares to spin his way around the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow with a decision on the controversial scheme, opposed by environmentalists and west Londoners, expected in the next few days.

More than 50 Labour MPs are opposed to it, along with the Conservatives. But Brown is behind the scheme and, backed by deputy prime minister Mandelson and a very powerful Heathrow lobby and advertising campaign, the government is set to wriggle its way around the pollution and noise with the promise of a new high-speed rail link on top of another runway.

The high point on the horizon? Some political commentators are bending over backwards to toe the Downing Street line that Brown has ruled out holding a spring election. He's done nothing of the sort. He lives and breathes election strategy and how to wrong-foot the Tories. 

Last week team Brown spent around £200,000 of taxpayers' money on a pre-election tour of the north. Mandelson's minion, Derek Draper, who has set up a New Labour propaganda blog, with contributions from, er, Mandy and Brown's bully Charlie Whelan, is already in a pickle over 'moderation'. Brown's personal Downing Street website a flagrant breach of the civil service code, would not look out of place in North Korea. 

If that's not all blatant electioneering, the Orange Party is at a loss to know what is.

Photo: Tractor Stats

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Heathrow, A Runaway Runway Sham

Expect some delays but no cancellations as plans to further expand Heathrow come under the Commons spotlight. The government is still singing from the old boom years hymn sheet. Now the bubble has burst it's time to rethink the Heathrow monster. But that won't get in the way of a powerful lobby and short-sighted government.

Cheaper transatlantic air travel and the unhealthy emphasis on the City as the savour of the economy led the way for a huge European airport hub based at Heathrow. 

Expansion continued at a pace with a motorway infrastructure and new T5 as the government put all its eggs in the one basket, despite real environmental concerns. 

Heathrow isn't just huge, it's grotesque. Full to the brim and running on such a tight schedule, the slightest problem throws an huge spanner in the works and the whole beast grinds to a halt. A third runway will only add to the problem. 

A report commissioned by the City of London Authority claimed without more flights to reduce airport problems that could threaten the City. 

But in a few years time, that could be a road to nowhere as the world's financial centres continue to switch to the Far East. 

Heathrow is being developed purely for the lucrative transatlantic trade and business traffic in particular. An expanded Heathrow will require the huge Cross Rail investment direct to the City. And that requires billions of pounds more to be spent on dodgy financial deals.

The Orange Party doesn't believe any further Heathrow expansion is necessary at all. High speed rail links in and out of the Capital would be a better, realistic solution. 

But if there's an argument for a big London based European hub - then Heathrow is not the answer. 

Business leaders say thousands of jobs rely on Heathrow expansion. Jobs sure, but they don't need to be created at Heathrow. 

Heathrow is indeed "deeply unpopular" and many are fed up with delays, airport traffic and heavy security. But that doesn't mean a third runway is the "obvious" solution. 

The way forward is the credible Thames Gateway, argued so well by London Mayor, Boris Johnson, and with a mighty crusading effort by the Sunday Times. Apparently there's a proven working off the shelf model just waiting to be dropped in the Thames estuary at a fraction of the cost. 

But powerful lobby forces are at work here. BAA's Spanish owners, Ferrovial, may be trying to shed other airports but Heathrow is the overcrowded and lucrative jewel in the crown. It's main customer, British Airways is trying to sew up transatlantic trade. The whole issue of environmental impact has been spun away and buried. 

Conservatives, LibDems, many true Labour MPs and the London mayor all oppose plans for a third runway. 

MPs have a chance to voice their opposition today with a refreshingly alliance of often opposing political views. But that won't sway a pigheaded government bent on getting its own way with a powerful Heathrow lobby pushing behind the scenes. Conservatives have branded talk of consultation "a complete sham".

Transport secretary, Geoff Hoon, is expected to overrule MPs and say Heathrow should get a third runway. And what the government wants, Hoon will make sure the government gets, regardless of the arguments stacked up against them. 

Already expansion at Heathrow seems to be a foregone conclusion. The government's proposed new planning laws and planning quango will see to that and neatly side-step any objections. 

Heathrow and its further expansion is just one of the crippling legacies of those blooming booming years. Once again we are being forced to live with that legacy until the government catches up with the times.

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Kelly Nails Miliband Colours To Her Mast

The mystery whether transport secretary, Ruth Kelly, jumped ship or was thrown overboard soon after Brown's conference speech, is clearer today, in a frank interview in which she fears a "drift to the Left" and heaped praise on Blair-boy Miliband. The "family reasons" excuse doesn't hold water. 

Kelly told the London Evening Standard: "The danger is very clear. The centre ground was forged for Labour by Blair and Brown in the run-up to 1997. Now there are people who see an opportunity to row back on that."

With a leadership challenge to Brown from the selfish opportunists in the Blairite Progress group, Kelly is in no doubt that heir-to-Blair Miliband is the best man for the job.

"He is one of the great talents the Cabinet - a star of the future, a real asset and a good friend," she said. 

It seems that Blairite challenge is still alive and the Brownites did indeed claim their first scalp as indicted here. Kelly hinted that more may follow in a cabinet reshuffle.

The expected true Labour challenge to the leadership didn't materialise over the summer. Instead it seems the trade unions have wrung some serious concessions out of Brown in return for party funding. 

Top of that list would have been action over the City fat cats who have helped to cause the current financial crisis. But Kelly said it was essential that the goverment remained "pro-aspiration, probusiness and pro-market".

"There are those in the party who want us to raise draconian regulation and restrict City bonuses. I don't agree," she said.

Kelly, who has lent a willing ear to government lobbyists in the Heathrow expansion plan and a number of high profile government lobbies, could be carving herself out a career move in the City. 

"Of course bonuses should not be for irresponsible short-term behaviour. But it's easy to have a knee-jerk reaction and as a party, we have to be very wary. If you go down that road, you can end up drawing the wrong policy conclusions, " she said.

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Psst Brown, Wanna Buy An Airport?

Without so much as a by-your-leave, Gatwick's Spanish owners put a For Sale sign up at the airport. It's now going to the highest bidder. 

The crafty move by Ferrovial will side-step competition fears from the competition commission. 

A major part of the country's infrastructure has just been put up for sale, with no one even bothering to look at what this means for passengers or the UK airport industry and no comment from government.

Businesses are sold off to foreign firms who raise billions on the global money market to finance the deal, to make a fast profit and then the government can wash their hands of them.

Airports should not be something that can be sold and resold like a used car. No one cares about passengers or the airport workers - it's all driven by profit with a supermarket pack 'em in and pile 'em high philosophy. 

But airports are not like supermarkets - the more you pack 'em in and run to very tight schedules, the more the Heathrow effect kicks in, where even the slightest disruption can have a chaotic knock-on effect down the line. 

The competition commission was right to call for the break up of BAA's monopoly. But how was this one company allowed to own so many airports in the first place? 

Gatwick is one of seven owned by the Spanish company, going by the cosy sounding name of the British Airports Authority (BAA). But the money-spinning Heathrow, with its huge retail revenue and lucrative transatlantic business traffic, apparently is not up for grabs.

Gatwick is clearly one of the easiest ones to off-load, without a thought for "putting the needs of customers first".

Now, the hope is another foreign firm will take it over, borrowing the cash from global investment banks and it will be sold on again. Only these days, no one wants to lend the money.

Airports and railways, are an integral and strategic part of the country's infrastructure and, as such, there's a case for public ownership without an eye on profits or shareholders. 

Maybe the government should 'listen to those customers' and create a not-for-profit airport model. If they can spend billions on wars and waste billions on useless IT systems, why not a few bob on an airport?  Or is that too much Labour and not enough New Labour? 

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Green Gordon Is Still Brown

Brown doesn't do green. He does deals with his pals in big business. So his 'green' speech at a low carbon economy summit today, probably went down well with greedy business. You can read it here if you must! Green is just the new Brown.

After blaming everything (again) on the world  price of this and global that,  he says he wants to create a cleaner, greener economy with the least cost to consumers and a new generation of green collar jobs.

So can the new green Brown deliver?

What's 'green' about pushng through plans to make it easier for yet more expansion and another runway at Heathrow airport creating more noise and air pollution? 

What's 'green' about building thousands of new homes in the open country side and sticking an 'eco' label in front of them? 

What's 'green' about forcing us to use biofuels in our cars instead of using the fields for food? 

What's 'green' about allowing the big supermarkets to build anywhere and sell anything from anywhere in the world?

What's 'green' about spending billions of pounds on thousands of new wind farms when they'll be twice as expensive to build and maintain as coal or nuclear?

It's all not very 'green', is it?

Just put the word 'greed' in place of 'green' and there you have it. Don't be fooled. Green is the new Brown.

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Heathrow Expansion Just Got Easier

A third runway at Heathrow is back on the cards, after MPs voted for a new unelected and unaccountable quango to push through the expansion plans and New Labour's other pet projects. 

MPs finally had a chance yesterday to vote on whether they wanted to replace accountable public inquiries, with an unelected Planning Commission. 

In the end, just 17 True Labour MPs had the courage and sense to vote against the Bill - they at least can hold their heads up high. 

The Planning Bill had been delayed twice and was rewritten with a few concessions to try to push it through. 

The result was a watered down Bill making the new Planning Commission just a bit more accountable. 

But the idea still is to scrap lengthy and accountable public enquires for massive building projects ranging from nuclear power stations, wind farms and incinerators, airports, new towns, roads and reservoirs. In fact anything that could be unpopular. 

Even with the concessions, the new Commission is just a smoke-screen to fast-track the developments and by-pass the planning process in quangoland.

Brown faced a parliamentary revolt, with this new Planning Commission coming under fire from MPs outraged at yet another hugely expensive, unaccountable and unelected bureaucratic quango.

The back-bench revolt from his own party was stronger than ever and even the cabinet was split on the issue. 

But in the end, the wheeling and dealing over concessions saved Brown's skin, again.

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Cabinet Split Over Planning Quango

Buried deep in Blears' missing laptop and buried in a BBC report on the alleged theft, was a file giving just a small glimmer of hope to the growing campaign against the ridiculous expansion of Heathrow airport and Brown's 'eco-towns' con. 

According to the BBC, the laptop files, "also contained information that shows cabinet members disagree over the government's proposed planning laws."

Those 'proposed planning laws' are New Labour's cunning plan to by-pass the planning process with a new expensive, unelected and unaccountable planning quango.

This latest bureaucratic quango would be stuffed with New Labour cronies on fat salaries whose brief is to fast-track and nod-through pet projects. 

The proposed new planning law was due to be discussed by MPs in parliament only last week but with the increasing chance of a defeat for Brown, it was quietly shelved for the time being. 

Faced with stiff opposition from Conservatives, LibDems and back-bench Labour MPs, this didn't stand a change of getting through parliament. With the reported cabinet split on the issue, it now looks as if Brown couldn't even carry some of the New Labour faithful.

Heathrow expansion, has been exposed as just a money-making wheeze for big business, a disaster for the people who have to live nearby and it doesn't stand a chance of getting past tough new EU air quality rules. 

'Eco-towns', one of Brown's Big Ideas, have been exposed as a sham, a sneaky way of just building thousands of new houses in rural areas and  branded as 'eco-towns' as part of the spin. In the face of a huge and growing backlash, a short list of 57 was whittled down to 15, then 10.

One of the key proposals of the new planning laws is replacing accountable public inquiries with an unelected planning commission. 

This would cover massive building projects ranging from nuclear power stations, wind farms and incinerators, airports, new towns, roads and reservoirs. In fact anything that's unpopular.

But without a fast-track to ignore the planning process, these schemes could be on the back-burner for a while.

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A Dream Ticket For A General Election?

Two MPs from different political parties have come together in a common cause. Vincent Cable and John McDonnell united by the Heathrow expansion protest and Boris Johnson there - by proxy. Not a New Labour MP in sight.

Apart from Heathrow, they are against New Labour's plans to set up another huge expensive, unaccountable and unelected quango, this one to nod through its big planning projects.

It was Brown who promised a "bonfire of the quangos" way back in the 90s. New Labour hit on a cunning quangoland plan. Simply changed the name so they don't appear on the statistics and hey presto - a bonfire!!

The political trio have different ideologies but something unites them. They are honest, not part of the ruling Political Class. People you can trust. And they speak with English accents.

Johnson has yet to prove himself as London mayor, but as the Yorkshire saying goes: "he's not as daft as he's pudding looking". Cable is a real economist and not one of the LibDem New Labour wannabes. McDonnell is a rare breed, a Labour MP who used to work for a living.

These three give to their respective Parties what has been sadly lacking in recent years. It's what all Parties need. Conservative - with a caring complexion, LibDem - with a dose of economic reality and Labour - freed from the sham and shackles of New Labour. A general election with Johnson, Cable and McDonnell - now that would be a good, clean, honest fight.

Meanwhile Steve Hilton leaves as Cameron's spin master. No surprise here. Hilton's job was to make Cameron's Conservatives 'electable', not to get them 'elected'. He's done his job, well. The Party certainly will use different people for different times.

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