Brown Strikes Football and PR

A bit of a random post this- a far from inclusive summary of things that have been on my mind since my last post.

Firstly just a cursory message of support for those public sector workers on the picket lines last week. If the prospect of being laid off in these grim times (still grim even if not still an official recession) were not bad enough- the prospect of being laid off for considerably less than was previously agreed contractually is even more grim. I would like to know what the governments official stance is on large employers trying to renegotiate redundancy terms before cutbacks? It is a bit like offering workers an umbrella on a rainy day then, as it clouds over, replacing it with a cocktail stick parasol. (albeit a cocktail parasol worth up to £60,000 or the equivalent of three years service whatever is lower).

The principle issue of the strike however is not really the detail of the redundancy package- but the fact that the government should make such explicit preparations to lay off so many public sector workers. bakers create the crisis, the public carry the cost, and public servants pay off the debt. It is hardly fair, and fairness is what we should demand of our politicians. Besides, in order for the government's fresh redundancy proposals to be necessary a significant proportion of public sector works face the prospect of the dole queue. With that in mind the strike deserves our support.

Secondly Brown. Poor old Gordon Brown. No sooner has he finished his tete a tete with Piers Morgan than he tries to elbow in next to Adrian Chiles onMatch of the Day. One would hope Brown had more significant things on his mind than Theo Walcott's disappointing form in world cup year. Although his take on Portsmouth's current financial woes would be genuinely interesting.

Brown's PR problems are well documented. It seems the paparazzi cannot resist snapping his face in midst contortion. Brown initially tried to improve his public image by taking smiling classes, and wearing a maniacal grin as false a Tony Blair's. He overlooked the fact the public did not take to Blair's grin- we always knew it was false. We were subdued by the inscrutable control of his emotions- Blair only ever had/has two expressions. Manic false smile or mock grave concern. As false as these expressions are they were somehow more convincing than Brown's tutored emoting. No matter how many prime time shows Brown appears on he just lacks the charm to play the part of man of the people. And charm just can't be learned on the lap of PR gurus.

This is the principle difference between the Brown and Blair. Charm. And there ability to sound and look plausible and likeable when falsifying. There was never a gaping ideological gulf between them. Put simply Blair was just a more convincing liar than Brown. He tricked more voters (this one back in 1997) with his lies and media-spun truths than Brown can and will. It was merely a flagrant abuse of his talent for partial truths/lies which led to Blair's political demise. Brown's will most probably come as result of being a less convincing liar at than either Blair or Cameron.

This is the soul of cynicism at the heart of my political engagement. Overall it is probably healthier to assume our politicians are misleading us and to let them prove otherwise. To do this requires that the electorate demonstrate greater faith in the political process than we currently have (not trust in the politicians but faith in the process!). And with that faith comes greater expectation, and subsequent accountability on the side of those elected. We need to expect more from our leaders- and they need to be held up to account more rigourously. This requires a level of dialogue and engagement that can't be attained through PR channels- MoTd, This Morning, the Piers Morgan show, or any tabloid newspaper. We do not need our leaders to have greater visibility- we do not need to feel that we 'know' them. Power itself needs to be disseminated from the centre to the people, and in order for this to be meaningful we need a devolved government with proper powers. Hence Plaid in Wales innit.

Review Of the Year

It is that time of the year again. A time of taking stock of all that you have, or more likely would like to have. A time when we turn to family, tinsel, and maybe the idea of the innocent baby Jesus, to stave off the yawing emptiness at the edge of our lives.

It has been a funny old year. On a personal level I am grateful for my partner's much improved health, the new flat, and the handful of poems, articles, and essays I've had published. And the few songs I've manged to write and perform with the aid of my trusty acoustic guitar.

This world is bigger than me however, at least the world feels bigger than me, which is why I joined a political party. The most openly democratic, and leftist party, in Wales that is. As Ron Davies once said "devolution is a process not an event." I am pleased with my tiny contributions to this event- an event which could, with time and luck, see a dynamic Wales and Welsh people, institutionally ready to face the numerous challenges ahead, and an example of democracy and co-operation in practice. Such heady aspirations are of course flavoured with cynicism.

This year, for example, we have seen:

The Iraqi government start selling off www.handsoffiraqioil.org The Iraqi people's oil reserves. Such a moves render the invasion and occupation a total commercial success while cementing the legacy of humanitarian disaster.

The world watched on with a face somewhere between horror and disapprobation as Burmese rulers sat upon their hands after the country was hit by acyclone and aid failed to be distributed.

The collapse of the Western Financial sector. Our liberal capitalist system was only saved by state intervention on an unprecedented scale. The coffers of central treasuries around the world have been ransacked in order to ensure the continued lack of integrity in the global capital markets and the restoration of the appearance of liquidity. All in all it is a vindication of Lenin's maxim 'that capitalists will always have the funds to prevent any crisis, as long as it is the workers that foot the bill.'

There were no palpable human rights improvements in China as a result of the OlympicGames. Any cynicism from the Welsh people is largely drowned out by cheers as Nicole Cooke brings home the first British Gold medal.

Bolivia faces an internal crisis as the country's wealthy elite make the most self interested claims for autonomy ever. The media, and the left in general, is weirdly silent in its support for the Evo Morales government (even if Tony Benn et al did eventually send out an excellent letter to the broadsheets)

Civilians suffer as Russia is engaged in a game of geo-political chess in Georgia

Italy elect Silvio Berlusconi (again). He forms a coalition with the far right and Italy is given a de facto fascist government (again).

The US electorate defy prejudice and a somewhat dicey electoral system to elect Barrack Obama. He'll take the reins of this imperial looking democracy in the New Year.

There is no real development in the fight against Climate Change, just the familiar prevarication.

Closer to home

Gordon Brown doubles the income tax burden on the poorest in society by imposing a 100% income tax increase on the lowest earners, he then has to backtrack (a little bit). Tax rises for the richest are postponed until after the next election.

Benefits are to be reformed. It seems the sick and incapacitated might be forced to work for free at Tescos or the suchlike in order to keep benefits.

Wales sees a 25% increase in unemployment in three months. Public sector jobs are still cut in Wales.

New Labour first want to shut 1000s of post offices, then want to keep them open. Now it seems they wish to part privatise them.

Key Plaid policies like the Welsh Language Act, and the reversal of the right to buy, are given a hard time by New Labour MPs as they come before them in the form of LCOs. Some talk (correctly) of a constitutional crisis. Most people are unaware of this as they don't know what LCO stands for.

Everyone's favourite droll mopheaded bumbling reactionary closet racist Boris Johnson is elected as mayor of London.

An open verdict is returned on the John Charles De Menezes shooting. The jury were prohibited from returning the verdict of unlawful killing.

Gwent Ambulance response times are among the worst in the UK. (a post on this subject is forthcoming)

On the plus side

Plaid make some gains and new Labour suffer massive defeats in the local elections. Even Kier Hardie's old stomping ground of Blaenau Gwent is lost by New Labour.

SNP make key gains in Scotland- even taking Glasgow East.

There is a special fund for sub-post offices.

Train lines are finally being improved and extended in Wales.

There is a special mortgage relief fund in Wales.

It looks like the devastatingly awful idea of an M4 relief road is all set not to happen (as the Welsh transport budget has been syphoned off to pay for the London Olympics, apparently)

OK- that concludes my review of the year- if there anything that I've missed (there must be) please fill me in...

8 Reasons to Dislike the PBR

OK- I've just noticed Adam Price has beaten me to it with a PBR reaction. I haven't read his yet and hopefully I'm not just reiterating what he has already observed. (I expect his observations are acuter than mine. He was there live after all :-) )

My main take on it, as a layperson, is that despite welcome fiscal stimulations and interventions the report neglects and fails the needs of Wales and of
the vast majority of taxpayers across the UK in key areas.

This is a bit suprising. We were led to believe through the numerous leaks beforehand that radical things were afoot. But what we have is a report that offers only crumbs to working people. The mainstream media of course paints it differently. They seem to think that Brown and Darling have embarked on a gamble just short of the sort of radicalism exhibited in early revolution Cuba, even if the CBI themselves welcomed the report this morning. Don't be fooled though-

Spin aside these are the key facts:

1. Growth in public spending is actually set to slow from 1.8% to 1.2 %
2. VAT decreases have grabbed headlines. But the effects of this in the pocket are negligible, crucially there is no need for retailers to pass the decrease onto consumers. Even the lowly 2% decreases may not be reflected in prices. Re-instating the 10% tax band for lowest earners would have had a much more tangible benefit. This, however, is not on the cards.
3. The increase in income tax for highest earners, which should have happened back in 1997, is dated to after the next election. So if Labour lose the next general election the increase will be postponed or reversed by the likely Tory victors.
4. The planned increases in national insurance contributions will hit middle income earners and small businesses hard.
5. Of the £3 billion set aside for public works only £100 million is set aside for green projects. This is a massive missed opportunity. If there was any good side to this recession it was the opportunity to substantially 'green' our economy. It is likely more money will be set aside to increase motorway capacity than for green energy
projects.
6. Big business sees almost immediate benefits with a tax holiday for foreign dividends planned from 2009. Basically there is no tax reduction or exemption for the poorest, but for the rich who spend outside our economy.
7. There is no mortgage relief fund. The 3 month delay before repossession proceedings is good- but any homeowner who finds themselves long term unemployed, or under long term financial pressure, will still be at risk from repossession.

Last but by no means least-

8. There is no new money for Wales. Despite Welsh unemployment rates rising and house prices falling among the fastest in the UK there is no additional help earmarked specifically for Wales. We must instead restructure, if deemed necessary, under the unjust confines of the Barnet formula.

New Labour may have broken fiscal rules, and this was totally necessary under the circumstances. But as ever they are short of innovation. This is because Brown and Darling don't have a genuine social democratic bone to rub between them, let alone a socialist one.

When the first increase in income tax for the highest earners is postponed for at least another 3 years, and we are told that is re-distribution, it sums up the full extent of the neo-liberal crisis we are still in the midst of. New Labour seem to be stage managing the financial crisis by making overtures to the left- while making no meaningful ideological break with the past.

The Tories response to the current crisis meanwhile: Do Nothing.

Right- I'm off to read Adam Price's more immediate reactions. I suggest, if you have not already done so- to do the same....