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January 08, 2007
Brown-spotting
Gordon Brown has been mapping out his "vision for an un-elected presidency" this weekend, and trying to hoodwink us all into believing he was only the hype man for the Blair-era. If it was up to him you know, he would have done it differently. He would have done it "new"…
"Responsible, active citizens" is the sound bite the BBC is running with, and in amongst all the rhetoric about "interventionist levers" (Brown) and "big grumpy Gordon" (not Brown, obviously…) there are a few tangible, positive threads that can be drawn together, macramé style, to weave a pretty citizen focussed, progressive democratic pattern. On the other hand, these positive threads, disparate and vague as they are, might end up fashioning a pretty noose, lasso or cat-o-nine-tails to abet the continued roughshod ride over our collective democratic back.
What is "a government of all the talents" for example? Is it an initial, ephemeral overture to the Lib-Dems for a post-general election accord? Or is it a call for the greater introduction of "expertise" into politics. If you consider the upcoming Statistics and Registration services bill, which proposes independence for the ONS you might think the latter. If you focus on the current Tory resurgence, you might think the former. It isn't normally difficult to see the flesh on Gordon's bones, but as his big day nears he's beginning to look trimmer in all sorts of "new" ways.
What would swing it for me, I mean what would really make me believe in all the talk of "empowered citizens" and a "new kind of politics" would, of course, be a renewed commitment to holding a referendum on electoral reform. There lies the route to real citizen choice: choice of parties and politicians, the choice for a rejuvenated legislature, and the choice for a government that represents a majority of voters.
In a twisted Trainspotting style flashback we're in danger of finding ourselves locked into a warped "choice" mantra: "choose schools, choose a hospital, choose paternity leave, choose your long-term care package for you and your kids, choose pensions, choose payment systems, choose post neo-classical endogenous growth theory, but please lord don't actively and accurately choose the government you really want…"
As soon as Ewan Macgregor comes out for Brown, its time to head for the hills.
Posted by stevenskelton on January 08, 2007
