I can only speak for myself as a long time, Liberal supporter but so far I think that Nick Clegg has done a good job serving the interests of both the country and the Liberal Democrat party, admittedly I don't currently get involved in Lib Dem party politics other than holding a membership card and volunteering during elections.
Therefore when I read and listen to the media whipping up, dissent stories, like Charles Kennedy's non-existent defection to Labour, and then wringing out additional negativity its difficult to not to form the opinion that Britain's journalists would not accept reality if it bit them on the bum, take this typical tosh from the Telegraph and Stephen Pollard referring to the Charles Kennedy "Story" "…. it doesn't matter if it's true or not. Because underneath the details of which whip Mr Kennedy chooses to take in the House of Commons lie some fundamental truths about the Lib Dems." Mr Pollard dismisses the truth, and I'm sure there are plenty of journalist like him, who just ignore facts and write what they were going too, anyway, side stepping, he suggests that Lib Dems natural home is alongside Labour, again I speak for myself and would like to point out I've no wish to be associated with the sanctimonious sleaze bags, crooks and chancers that make up the Labours upper echelons.
The press seem united against the coalitions efforts to rectify damaged done by Labours insane mismanagement of the economy, and it seems that journalists have for there own reasons zeroed in against Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems in a clearly biased way, journalists naturally have bills to pay like all the rest of us so its no surprise they write what please their masters, and since most of the press is owned by those who favour conservatives its no wonder they're not gunning for Cameron, equally the state sector journalists those employed by the BBC have a strong empathy for those also in the state sector, whose years of preferential treatment might just be about to end, so its a no brainer that they have a vested interest in attacking the Lib Dems.
It seems to me that few of Britains journalist will ever let truth and the public interest get in the way of their own agenda.
I agree with your point about journalists. They seem to take it upon themselves to try to set the news agenda rather than to report it. It often seems that they run the country - or would like to try to do so at any rate.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with your wider point about the Lib Dems though - ignore the irrelevant non-story about Charles Kennedy. The Coalition Government is pursuing several policies that did not feature in either the Tory or Lib Dem manifestoes. They freely admit that the pace is being set by the Coailition agreement, which does not have voter support - it was not put to them.
Much of the nation's economic difficulty is down to the internatinal banking crisis which has afflicted most other countries, many more seriously than the UK. Are their problems also the fault of the last Labour Government in the UK? Clearly not.
The cuts now being introduced by the Coalition are in significant part not associated with the UK's economic condition. They are aligned totally with the Tory drive for a smaller state, less state provision, and lessstate intervention. People who voted Tory voted for that ideologically driven approach.
That is not the Lib Dem agenda, and never has been. Yet they are supporting their Tory partners in introducing widespread cuts. People who voted Lib Dem did not vote for this approach. That is why the heat is on Clegg rather than Cameron. Cameron is delivering what his voters wanted. Clegg is turning away from those who voted for him.
It is why the Lib Dem ratings in the latest opinion polls are so dire and why the Party almost certainly faces a massive drubbing at the next national set of elections.
Its my view that Labour not only got us into the current mess but have consistently lied.
ReplyDeleteanon 12 14 don't you worry about what, the Lib Dems are getting out of the coalition, just ask yourself how, for more than ten years your own party followed, its own right wing agenda and still will, now the top knobs like Blair have hit the jackpot
Quite clearly the BBC, a real Labour love-in group if ever there was one, follow their own anti-coalition agenda and the media generally looks for cracks within the government, parties, marriages or even football clubs in their passion for creating the news.
ReplyDeleteOverall, however, Labour lost, and deservedly so, the Conservatives had the most support and the country needed a government. The present coalition is probably the best arrangement we could have hoped for and it softens the image of the Tories.
How the parties will fare long term, no one can really predict, but I think the Liberal Democrats are having an impact, are contributing to policy and could come out stronger for it.
Opinion polls are fickle things but, if current ones are to be believed, it would appear the Conservatives are up whilst the Lib/Dems are down. Hardly the massive desertions from Lib/Dems to Labour some journalists would have us believe.
Certainly, the alternative of the Lib/Dems keeping an unpopular and failed Labour government in office,
would have been far more damaging to the party. I for one would never have voted Lib/Dem again.
Equally, Anon, there are many who will never vote Lib Dem again given the actions of the Party since May. Interesting press coverage tonight of Clegg's comments about the virtual certainty of the Party taking a "drubbing" in next year's local elections. Even he can see the consequences of his taking his Party in a sharp twist to the right.
ReplyDeleteLabour did lose the election - no quarrel with that, but neither Party that now governs won it either. In assessing Lib Dem behaviour and actions, it is scarcely relevant to keep harping back to Labour. The Lib Dems have got into bed with the Tories; that is the current and future fact and it is on that that they will be judged.
Anon, 13:00 PM, sure you are right about the short term effects for the Liberal Democrat support but what alternative would you suggest. To have got into bed with Labour would have probably beem more disastrous and have had less validity as the Conservatives had more seats and votes.
ReplyDeleteWe needed a government and the electorate gave no one a clear mandate. A coalition became inevitable as it will become the norm if we go down the road of proportionate representation or even AV. In such circumstances the Lib/Dems could easily become the party perpetually holding the balance of power and seeking to work with the largest party whichever that may be.
The Lib/Dems, like both other main parties, have supporters on their right and left flanks. Some abhor the tie up with the Conservatives but others, like me, would equally found a coalition with Labour distasteful. Rest assured though, whichever way the Lib/Dems had gone, with the possible exception of some at 'Auntie', the media would have attacked them.
Your comment about harping back to Labour is invalid in the context of this debate. With no outright majority invested in any one party, all three major parties had to come into the equation when considering a way forward. I would contend that had the coalition been with Labour, given the current circumstances, the judgement of the electorate on the Lib/Dems would have been even more harsh.
Mind you, who really knows? Certainly not the sensation seeking media.
Anon, we may not agree on the political analysis, but seem to have common ground as far as the media are concerned. August has always been the "silly", "free for all" season, but it seems that the media have extended that to be a year round event. People will howl "press freedom", and that is important to safeguard, but there must be ways of curbing what are becoming their frequent and more extreme excesses.
ReplyDeleteCould not agree more. Even local news items on BBC South East or Meridian frequently have a 'what if' element introduced by the media. Invariably based on the flimsiest of evidence, if any exists at all for it is not an essential, they will wax lyrical about possibilities rather than simply reporting the facts.
ReplyDeleteMind you, it is an extension of our culture of blame society for nothing can happen anymore without someone being responsible. 'If his dentist had not made his appointment for that time he would not have had his road accident' so is the dentist culpable? Don't worry about the details of the accident but let's see how many other patients have had accidents on the way to visit that dentist.
For BBC and Channel 4 News journalists, even better if you can find out if the old tooth extractor is a Tory.
Silly but no more so than some of the rubbish that passes for news these days.