The Labour 'one nation' hypocrisy?

[Liketochat1]

Is anyone else getting a bit fed up of the Labour party's attempts to separate themselves from the Tories on the basis of their having a greater understanding of the ordinary man of the street?
Yes, David Cameron went to Eton but Ed Miliband (after his comprehensive school start) became the JCR president at Corpus Christi Oxford. His deputy, Harriet Harman attended the top girls private school in the country, St Pauls Girls. His chancellor, Ed Balls went to Nottingham private school. Tony Blair went to a prestigious Independent school in Edinburgh. Does their elite start suggest they are part of this one nation? Can they really claim to be more in touch with the less privileged sectors of society than the Tories?
After all, the previous Tory leaders, William Hague and John Major, attended state schools and David Cameron has talked of his 'big society' idea. Doesn't sound vastly different from the one nation slogan
Is one nation and the big society concepts so very different? Are the Labour leaders really any more in touch with the masses than the Tory leaders? Are both parties losing the battle to convince voters that they understand all their 'ordinary' problems?

[niceguy2]

It's almost like a class war isn't it? "Look at Cameron....he went to Eton....not me though. I went to a comp like most of you. Therefore I understand you."

That's the message he's sending isn't it?

Except aside from going to a comp like most of us, the rest of his life has been very different but in fact very similar to the private schoolboys he's lambasting.

Interestingly he is happy to attack Cameron for allegedly benefiting from the top rate tax cut to 45% but is avoiding publishing his own tax returns.

In fact he seems to be completely purposely confusing what a millionaire is. There is no magic £40k cheque being written. Millionaires are those with assets of over £1m. In fact according to HMRC, less than 2% of 'millionaires' actually earn over £1 million a year. Me thinks Ed is heavily bending the truth whilst conveniently ignoring the fact that if we use the defacto definition of what a millionaire is then he happens to be one too.

I guess the fact he's a millionaire wouldn't match the image he's trying to project of being a man of the people would it?

I smell a large dose of hypocrisy coming from Manchester.

[MrJudgeyPants]

Is this an 'Ed is crap' thread?

It is! Good. Let me be the first to say it then...

Ed is crap!

[pumpkinsweetie]

Whether he is crap or not, i bet he won't be nearly as crap as the Conservatives who's only aim is to make the poor poorer.

[AuntieStella]

As "One Nation" was coined by Disraeli and is one of the key Tory slogans, then no this doesn't separate them from traditional Conservative thinking in the slightest.

Like Blair, they are attempting to take Conservative values, and are also planning to continue cashing all the Tory cuts (Balls refusing to talk about any changes).

[Animation]

When he keeps saying One Nation - I want to sing - Under a Groove...

One Nation Under a Groove ... remember that song. [smile[

[Animation]

One nation under a groove getting down just for the funk of it....is by Funkadelic

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Ed's doing a passable imitation of someone who is playing the man not the ball. Trying to pass himself off as 'ordinary' is ridiculous. In the current global economy and with all the challenges we face as a nation, we need leaders that are extraordinary.

[CommunistMoon]

Ed is extraordinary. HTH.

Oh, and as for 'playing the man, not the ball' - good. The Tories and the scum in the press who support them never have any scruples about that, so why should Labour?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Extraterrestrial possibly, extraordinary no....

[CommunistMoon]

Well done for playing the ball there, eh Cogito?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Unlike Milliband, I'm not asking anyone to make me PM. If I wish to resort to cheap insults, it doesn't affect my job prospects on iota. :)

[ttosca]

It's almost like a class war isn't it? "Look at Cameron....he went to Eton....not me though. I went to a comp like most of you. Therefore I understand you."

The Tories have been engaging in class war since they came in to power. They are making the poor and middle-class poorer, the rich richer, and the infirm and disabled dead.

Either you support the poor and middle-class, or the you support the top 1%.

------

As for Ed Milliband or whatever being privileged - that's not surprising in the least. Compared with the general population, Parliament is a millionaires club.

The difference is merely a matter of degree. Cameron is actually descendent of royalty. You might find more members of the Labour party are less rich than the Tory scum, but the truth is, Parliament is in no way representative of the UK public at large.

The coalition of millionaires: 23 of the 29 member of the new cabinet are worth more than £1m... and the Lib Dems are just as wealthy as the Tories

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1280554/The-coalition-millionaires-23-29-member-new-cabinet-worth-1m--Lib-Dems-just-wealthy-Tories.html

[niceguy2]

No Ttosca. The difference is that Cameron isn't trying to pass himself off as 'joe average' when in fact he's nothing of the sort. I don't care if someone is rich or poor. Black or white. Short or tall. I do however care if they are lying to me. And this is what it feels like. Ed is trying to portray himself as something he's clearly not and trying to paint Cameron to be a rich toff when in actual fact he's not exactly short of a bob or two himself.

[Liketochat1]

I didn't know that Aunt Stella. Interesting. Poor Ed. He really is struggling. Pity he stabbed his big bro in the back or he might have come along to save him. I wonder if David will find a spot for Ed in his Cabinet?

[Liketochat1]

Joking aside, what does anyone else think? Did Ed 'stab David in the back'? Or do you think David was genuinely pleased for his brother when he won the Labour leadership? I don't know.

[UnimaginitiveDadThemedUsername]

No, I don't think Ed stabbed his brother in the back.

I know that politics is showbusiness for ugly people, but that doesn't mean it's the same as Eastenders or Corrie.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

I don't think Ed stabbed David but I don't think David was genuinely pleased with the outcome either. When Ed fails to win power back at the next election, however, Milliband Major will be perfectly placed to step into his barely-worn shoes.

[ttosca]

None of the parties are likely to win an outright majority- the Tory scum even less so, so don't get your hopes up Cogito.