Grand Coalition of Tories and 'Labour' - No Chance !

Sorry James of the usually excellent quaequamblog! The Tories are SOUNDING more centrist, but all they are doing thus far is ditching the more unpopular policies and replacing them with nothing at all. Whilst this might eventually translate into policies that ape Blair a coalition will NEVER happen in my view, no matter how close the parties come in policy terms.

As the 'Brian Sedgemore' of Torquay with 15 years' experience of membership of the Labour Party I can tell you the tribal antipathy that activists have for the Tories would never allow for a FORMAL coalition. Whatever Labour people disagree on, the spectre of, and contempt for, Ramsay Macdonald is widely shared. No Labour leader will want to become the 'new' Ramsay Macdonald !

Certainly the one example of coalition at a local level between Labour and the Tories, in Rochdale, has generated real hostility there. More recently you'll recall Labour activists shared our distaste for the closer co-operation between Lib Dems and Labour that characterised the Ashdown years. Although, of course, this is countered by power sharing in Scotland and Wales.

For my part I changed my politics to a degree, but Labour changed there's even more. I used to be portrayed as ' hard left' in my Labour days, but this was a crude stereotype. Whilst I shared with the left a commitment to social justice and a bias to the poor in terms of policy priorities, I did not and do not adhere to top-down centralism. I never will be told what to think or act politically !

Other issues where I depart from 'New Labour' othodoxy can be summed up as such :

commitment to green issues and inclusive grassroots co-operative practice with power devolved to the lowest practicable level (eg credit unions, time banks, mutuals, town/parish councils, community associations)

firm believer in electoral reform (STV)

opposed to the state 'policing' of families (asbo/parental orders)

believe in free university tuition (as experienced by most of the Labour cabinet)

entirely believe in upholding individuals' civil liberties (anti-terror legislation, trial by jury, 'house arrest',equality before the law). I distrust the potential power of private monopolies and the state equally.

internationalist in outlook (pro reformed and more democratic EU and UN)

Accept that open and COMPETITIVE markets usually provide well the consumer goods and services we expect, but am less convinced about private engagement in public service provision such as schools, hospitals, probation service et al. New Labour has a dogmatic private good, public bad philosophy.

It could be that I am just a contrarian, but these days I feel much more in tune with the Lib Dems nationally than Blair's Labour. In reality I have more in common with instincts of social liberals, be they in the Lib Dems, Labour or Greens. I still see myself as being firmly left-of-centre, albeit in an unorthodox collection of ideas and influences. Maybe others don't see me as being very Liberal who knows ?!

I am, however, alarmed at the influence at the top of the party that the Orange Bookers' have. There isn't room for a third right-of-centre party ! Let Labour and Tories become indistinguishable. Let's hold our nerve and resist a lurch rightwards. Most of all I still despise the Tories, at least in the Thatcherite-like form I have politically grown up with. Unlike some in our party I'd find it hard to accept any post-election deal with an unreformed Tory party.