Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Brown and Labour's Canutist fallacy

Labour have, yesterday with the Queens speech, confirmed their intention of campaigning for themselves and not governing up to the general election.

Amongst the most obscene tricks they are trying to pull off are the raft of "Canute Laws", which command reality to behave as they wish it to in the future.



  • A Law can guarantee cancer treatment in a short period of time, when 12 years of a Labour government can't.
  • A Law can abolish child poverty, when 12 years of a Labour government can't.
  • A Law will reduce green house gas emissions, when 12 years of a Labour government can't.
  • A Law can guarantee a good education, when 12 years of a Labour government can't.
  • A Law can guarantee a reduced deficit, when 12 years of a Labour government couldn't.
Now I have to agree with Labour that they have failed on all these points, but the way they are desperately trying to put them right reveals the reason for their failure.

Labour believes in the narrative. They think if they say so then it is so. ( And attitude that helps explain the gutless kowtowing of their membership and MPs to "the right thing to do" edicts from their unelected leadership cabal).

This worked well for them as an opposition and when they were trying to just campaign not govern in the early Blair years. But its now a handicap as reality can no longer be ignore, spun or bullied into silence.

Reality is just a mystery to them. They don't understand why things haven't got better because their delusions refuse to allow them to consider the reasons.

This would all be a cause for pity if they weren't hurting and ruining so many peoples lives due to their dysfunctions.

Canute couldn't stop the tide because he commanded it and Labour can't change the country because they command it to.

The difference is that Canute was trying to make this point, and Labour never learnt it.

PS I'm not saying these things can't be done. But because Labour refuse to accept the nature of reality they are unable to find the ways to do them, which is why we need a Conservative government.

Update: Jeff Randall on a similar theme for the Fiscal Responsibility act. ( Jeff I suspect the reason fro Brown's act is to try to copy the Conservatives Fiscal Responsibility office idea and to make sure it doesn't sound radical in the coming election. )

2 comments:

Lord Lindley said...

Agree with you right up to 'we need a conservative govt'. I don't think they are much better, just as frightened to speak the truth. Benefits brought in by Labour need cutting to force people back to work. Too scared to do that. Immigration needs really stopping, not just talked about. Too scared. I will have to vote for a more extreme party, in the hope that makes the Tory's more brave to face this Guardian reading, chav, selfish, breeding for benefits country we have finished up with.

James Higham said...

Labour are so amazingly inept that one wonders if we could do it better ourselves.