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Original poster

OK, so we all hate Blair. Election tomorrow - who would you vote for and why?

118 replies

Tinker · 29/01/2004 10:34

I find this a really tricky one atm.

Blair lacks credibility, has let down the name of the Labour party. It's inconceivable that I could vote tory so that leaves Charles Kennedy. Have the Lib Dems got any real chance of ever gaining a majority.

Not voting not an option for me, get too emotional about the 'women died for my right to vote' argument.

Anyone want to discuss?

OP posts:
Northerner · 29/01/2004 11:59

I'm not sure how that would work Blu. As a member, I was able to vote for who I wanted as leader but this was before they came to power. If you go to their website there is a section where you can post questions.

SenoraPostrophe · 29/01/2004 12:08

I think there has to be a vote of no confidence by the parlimentary labour party and that would trigger a leadership election.

So we're stuck with him until then really.

But you are right Blu - a party belongs to its members (or should do), but all the members seem to be leaving the Labour party. It's a vicious circle really - don't want to join in case a sudden rush in membership applications is seen as a vindication of the govt.

Mumsnet Party anyone?

bossykate · 29/01/2004 12:15

twinkie, i do not believe in the concept of a wasted vote.

Marina · 29/01/2004 12:16

Twinkie, I don't think the LD candidate for our neck of the woods (you might just be a different constituency to us) even turned up to canvass at the last election. I am a lifelong LD voter with added Green tendencies but at the moment we have rather a good "old-Labour" MP who was anti-Iraq etc and always replies to my letters very informatively. I might vote for him rather than the party. Anything to stop the bonkers Tory Boy who has just been selected to fight the next election.

bossykate · 29/01/2004 12:18

i wouldn't vote libdem because of their ill thought out policies to increase tax.

Enid · 29/01/2004 12:26

Am I the only person on the planet (apart from George Bush) who still likes Tony Blair?

Original poster
Tinker · 29/01/2004 12:27

Enid - please explain.

OP posts:
oliveoil · 29/01/2004 12:27

YES!

turnupthebass · 29/01/2004 12:28

Sressyhead - I'm a bit confused. He was disrupting an "Anti-Nazi party" rally?

On the subject of Blair, did anyone read about his 'alternative' plans for getting the top-up fees policy through if the Commons vote had failed?
He was going to call a confidence vote in the government (used to be called 'no-confidence' which I think was much more apt!) which was going to include a proviso that a positive vote meant they agreed with the top-up fees policy. And because he thinks the party would be scared of an early General Election they would all vote yes.

Made me so annoyed that he was so determined to get this thing through no matter that people disagreed.

StressyHead · 29/01/2004 12:31

message withdrawn

bossykate · 29/01/2004 12:31

no, enid, loads of americans still think he's great, plus my dh who is practically in love with him

Enid · 29/01/2004 12:33

Oh I don't know. I just do. And lots of people are much better off in this country than they ever have been before...cue lots of examples of how we aren't, I know, I know. I just think that we'll look back on Tony Blair's leadership with fondness, actually.

Why is everything worse under Blair? How is one person responsible? How will a change of PM make any difference? Why are people obsessed with him being a liar? Why on earth will Gordon Brown make a better PM? Tuition fees were a good old-fashioned political debate that went to the wire - that's how I see it, rather than Tony Blair being some kind of Machiavellian figure with sinister intent.

turnupthebass · 29/01/2004 12:34

Ah - that sounds a bit more like it!

wondered why nobody else had asked!

Enid · 29/01/2004 12:35

I still think he'd win a General Election if there were one tomorrow.

Enid · 29/01/2004 12:36

turnupthebass, how do you know what his 'alternative plans' were?

Original poster
Tinker · 29/01/2004 12:37

Oh, I agree some things are better now. Children's tax credits (WFTC before) made a HUGE difference to me. But then that was an GB initiative.

OP posts:
turnupthebass · 29/01/2004 12:40

Article in yesterdays Independent -admittedly the source wasn't revealed though.

Reportedly referred to as the 'Nuclear' option!

I must admit that initally I was very optimistic of the change that a Labour govt could bring, and yes you are right that it isnt down to just one man. But Blair does seem to be getting worse now and I really dont think that the party would be voted in again with him as leader.

I think its been very dangerous to be so closely allied with Bush.

SenoraPostrophe · 29/01/2004 12:43

Enid - I do agree on many counts. It does annoy me when the tories whinge about government spin as if they have never lied/tinkered with statistics/embellished etc.

Many policies - like the minmum wage, family tax credit and merging IR and NI - are policies to be proud of (even if the tax office is having a few problems with the new system).

But I still don't like Blair - he is too autocratic. I don't hate him with a passion either though.

motherinferior · 29/01/2004 12:47

I would feel very, very odd voting anything but Labour but even at the last election found it a strain. Especially for my MP, who is a Yes Man of the most disappointing type.

Am I the only person who feels that New Labour despises them for being too much of a shabby old lefty?

Marina · 29/01/2004 12:55

I think you've hit the nail on the head, turnupthebass. We all had such rose-tinted hopes of a Labour administration after the miseries of the Tories that we were bound to look for someone to blame when things still didn't turn out right. I don't mind T Blair either, really. I'd like to see anyone else, especially Gordon Brown, make a better job of unpicking years of deeply crap government. It's not really that long ago that our elected leader was saying "There is no such thing as society". For me the bogyman is always going to wear a blue rosette - irrational I know.

Enid · 29/01/2004 12:56

I WAS a shabby lefty but was relieved to jump on the Blairite wagon when it came along in 1997. Says a lot about me I suppose.

Also we live in such a Tory stronghold (our MP is Oliver Letwin for gawds sake) that I need desperately to cling on to my 'Blair is good' mentality.

Marina · 29/01/2004 12:57

Bogies don't come much bigger than Oliver Letwin do they Enid...

Enid · 29/01/2004 13:11

I think he is utterly shaming. Unfortunately in my village he is spoken of in hushed tones as if he were a true demi-god.

bossykate · 29/01/2004 13:12

think ol is one my clapham "neighbours" - i'm sure many of them think the same way!

ok specific reasons why i don't like blair:

  • treated london labour party members like monkeys over the london mayoral elections/ken livingston debacle. has of course done a hypocritical about face now that it looks like kl would stomp all over the official labour candidate again.

  • took us to war with iraq for the flimsiest of reasons, where are those wmd ffs?

  • despite taking us to war with iraq and thereby increasing the terrorist threat to this country, has done a negligible amount to increase the protection available to the population. i travel to work in a high risk area every day and feel tb has let me and my family down personally on this.

  • tuition fees - should have been prepared to be more radical in his approach and warned the public that we are in danger of getting the HE sector we deserve.

  • hutton whitewash, is he made of teflon, ffs?

eddm · 29/01/2004 13:31

As far as I can see, TB put desperately-needed money into an NHS that had been starved of resources for 30 years (we spent something like 3 or 4 per cent of GDP less than other EU countries). And made museums free again. BUT agree his leadership is dictatorial, full of policies dreamt up by his 'advisers' ? who include some v. dodgy people esp. on health ? and bounced onto the party and the public. I opposed the war and tuition fees make my blood boil, both as betrayal of manifesto and as downright wrong for a civilised country (4th largest economy in the world and we can't afford to educate ourselves. Yeah, right). Am moving from Labour seat to to safe Tory nutter (even if you are a Tory, he's mad) so will probably vote Lib Dem... My late godfather, a historian and word-renowned expert on the history of the labour movement across the world, was convinced we'd have a facist government within 50 years. Really scares me...