Britons see "culture of deceit" at heart of British government

[Nambe]

Agence France-Presse

More than two-thirds of British voters believe a culture of deceit exists at the heart of the Britain's government, according to a poll conducted following the presumed suicide of arms expert David Kelly.

As British Prime Minister Tony Blair battles to overcome his biggest crisis since coming to power in 1997 over Kelly's death, a YouGov poll in The Daily Telegraph revealed that 68 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that a culture of deceit and spin exists at the heart of the British government. ---

The latest YouGov poll also showed that only 23 percent of voters believe Blair can be trusted more than opposition leaders Iain Duncan Smith and Charles Kennedy, while 45 percent said Blair should be replaced as leader of the Labour party, the same proportion who said he should remain.

A total 47 percent agreed with the statement that one cannot believe a word Blair says while 61 percent said the government appeared to have lost control and to be at the mercy of events. ---

Britain's next general election is due by mid-2006 at the latest. ---

[VolcanoJen]

1. Kicking, with UK Reuters link

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/030725/80/e4wk9.html

Excerpt:

Prime Minister Tony Blair's popularity has plunged after a government scientist's apparent suicide, an opinion poll shows, amid intense media speculation that his closest aide will resign.

<snip>

The latest opinion poll in the Daily Telegraph showed that 61 per cent of voters felt the Labour government seemed to have lost control and was at the mercy of events.

Sixty-eight percent said there was a culture of deceit and spin at the heart of government, a damning condemnation of Blair's communications chief Alastair Campbell, his right-hand man who has been dubbed Britain's real deputy prime minister.

Nearly half of those canvassed for the poll said they could not believe a word Blair said as questions kept mounting over why the country went to war in Iraq.

emphasis added by VolcanoJen

[Democat]

2. Is Blair trying to destroy Labour?

Is this all part of some plan to destroy Labour or is he just an egomaniac? Either way, the party needs to get rid of him and put someone in who people have more faith in.

[wwwyearzeroorg]

3. labour party doesnt represent uk

the labour party is around 140,000 people out of 60m.

In the last election Blair got about 24% of the adult population eligible to vote. about 42% of the turnout.

he was never popular. ever. the oligarchy in the Uk is a more stringent one than the USA, yours is just a bit more stagnant if you get what i mean. in uk 24% of vote = 70% of seats in house in this case. wheras yours is just a big stagnant boardroom that varies from `liberals` who bomb (Clinton) to `neo cons` who bomb a bit harder.

[T_i_B]

7. Labour membership used to be a lot higher

But one of the odd things that has happened since Blair became Labour leader is that membership of "new" labour has fallen considerably, despite two massive landslides (which ought to show some degree of popularity).

Why is this? Well the bst answer can be found by looking at the attitudes of DUers to Blair in the time since mid-2001 when I first joined this fine discussion board. Blair used to be very popular on DU, now he is seen by many on here as standing for all that we despise.

Certainly at the time of the last general election in the UK Blair was seen by most DUers as a winner, a Clinton-esque statesman with the gift of eloquence who could take on conservatives to great effect. However, since then Blair has squandered this goodwill by choosing not to stand for the moderate left but to capitulate totally to the far right ideology of George Bush. Now we in Britian do not like Bush, even down here in toryland it is virtually impossible to find anyone who does not think of Bush as a complete idiot. We voted for a Labour government (albeit a very moderate one indeed) and not for the GOP.

Coupled with this surrender to the US junta has been a tendency to ignore towards arrogance and an increasing inability to listen to ordinary people. It is increasingly apparent that the dialogue is not between Westminster & Washington and not between government & people. Add to this a poisonous loathing displayed by "new" labour of its own core supporters and you have a nasty mix that is doing immense damage to the government.

[punpirate]

4. Blair is New Labour, not traditional Labour.

New Labour is the same as New Democrat--someone who's fiscally in favor of privatization, global trade dominated by multinational corporations, etc.

New Labour is anti-worker, anti-government. That's what's not said in his demise from popularity. He's pissed off a lot of his base by behaving like Margaret Thatcher behind their backs.

Cheers.

[WillyT]

5. Kick !!!

:kick:

[Spentastic]

6. This is what happens

When the left capitulates and tries to adopt the third way. This is a cautionary tale for all you centrists out there.

Where's AP when I need them? As much as it pains me to agree with AP's wild theorising they have a point that cannot be ignored. Tony Blair's government is in serious danger. If unseated it looks as if the Tories have a better than average chance of regaining power. This would be an absolute disaster for the U.K.

Balir and Campbell are advocates of the third way. Small focus groups define policy rather than vision or planning. Short termism and pandering to the lowest common denominator rule the roost. Big business is allowed to continue to pillage the country and redistribution of wealth is ignored as a frankly ridiculous communistic ideal.

However, Blair proved that he could get his party elected. Unfortunately in the process of doing so he effectively emasculated the left of the party. There are NO left wing figures close to Blair with any credibility. Straw, Hoon, Campbell, Reid, Blunkett sound at least as right wing and rabid as their conservative counterports.

I don't subscribe to the theory that this is a rightwing plot to unseat a progressive government. Rather it's the chickens coming home to roost. If you want a right wing government why not vote Tory? They have more expertise. If you want to vote for a progressive goverment what is your choice? There isn't one it's been taken away by pandering to a mythical centre.

[T_i_B]

8. Spinoccio!

All these polls are telling us is that "new" labour spins the arse off any issue it gets it's hands on. The trouble is that thanks to Blair's porkies on the key issue of peace and war people are losing any tolerance they might have once had for the exessive spin, lies & control freakery of "new" labour. War is not an issue where we can are inclined to tolerate blatant lies being used to push policies that are unjustifiable.

And let's be honest here, if we cannot trust Blair on the reasons he gives for war what can we trust him on?

[dolo amber]

9. DU brit styleeee?

Anyone know of the British equivalent to DU and where I can sign up??

:D

[T_i_B]

10. Guardian message boards

The Guardian is a notoriously liberal UK broadsheet and it's talkboards are frequented by quite a few DUer's. Of course they do have some huge flame wars on there as well, and if you see a chap by the name of themightysrc tell him that T_I_B says hello!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Personally I prefer a board called Liberty Watch UK, although not too many people frequent that board.

[dolo amber]

11. Thanks

or erm...cheers? :D