A British Political Time Line

Fox - "Conservatives will back sensible Education reforms"

Nick Robinson, BBC

"Today it has been announced that Liam Fox will order a whip on the Conservative MPs when the vote on the second reading of the Education And Free Schools Bill returns to Parliament.

With the Conservatives backing this bill its means the bill will pass unless the whole Labour Party revolts which is extremely unlikely. The price of the Conservative backing seems as of yet to be unclear but this has been a key issue Blair has wanted to tackle and it seems he has got his way.

Reports are already circling that Brown and Ed Balls are preparing to meet with Blair to try and bring him around to a more leftist reform but many people believe that Ruth Kelly (Education Secretary) and Blair are delighted with the Bill as it is.
 
December 18th

Kennedy Announces Lib Dem Opposition Education Reforms

Mark D'Arcy, BBC

Charles Kennedy has announced a radically different education reform plan putting more focus and more money into the state education budget and radically reducing the money given to state funded religious schools and private schools.

This proposal has been praised by many commentators on the left as what Labour should be doing but hammered by David Cameron as "Big Government trying to ensure that it doesn't lose control of its tyrannical hold over the people".

Many are calling this speech and presentation as Kennedy showing his alcoholism isn't going to be a factor in him being an affective political leader. Whether this will work out or not is a different matter
 
Mark Oaten has said that Gordon Brown's stance on Blair's "right wing education reforms" is a courageous defence of the left and clearly becoming the only defender of the Left in the Blue Labour Government.

Blue Labour as a term didn't really get noticed until after 2010, plus aligning Blair with Lord Glasman is wrong. If either faction in the Cabinet are 'Blue Labour' its the Brownites.
 
Blue Labour as a term didn't really get noticed until after 2010, plus aligning Blair with Lord Glasman is wrong. If either faction in the Cabinet are 'Blue Labour' its the Brownites.

Blue Labour was coined by the SNP in 2004 when Salmond ran for leader, Dianne Abbot used it criticizing Blair before the 2005 elections and he was accused of it when he tried to reform the Labour Constitution. And you must be mistaking what Blue Labour means if you thought Brown was Blue Labour (maybe moved that way once he became PM but not when Chancellor)
 
Cabinet divided on education reforms

Andrew Neil, BBC Daily Politics

"So total its been pretty well leaked that Cabinet is completely split over these education reforms. Gordon Brown is determined to see them scaled back, Blair is determined to seem them pushed through and he seems to have Liam Fox on board with him."

Nick Robinson, BBC

"Yes Andrew he does but what you have to remember is Tony Blair can't really afford not to have Gordon Brown on side at the moment, with him wanting money for the Olympics, wanting money for more foreign aid and wanting to push through more reforms to the healthcare we believe, Blair really needs his chancellor on side. He might get these reforms through via Tory votes but he can't get his whole Agenda through with the tories, he needs to take his party with him.

Andrew Neil, BBC

"What do you make of the rumours of a Government reshuffle following Fox's election?"

Nick Robinson, BBC

"Oh without a doubt once he has got these education reforms out of the way one way or another he'll make some changes to the cabinet, how big a chance it will be in my opinion will be based on who is backing these reforms and who isn't."
 
Ieuan Wyn Jones announces "Wales Wide Initiative"


Betsan Powys, BBC Wales

Today the Leader of Plaid Cymru announces the "Wales Wide Initiative" which is about Local communities and businesses working within the party to develop their manifesto for the 2006 local elections and 2007 National Elections. This policy has already been received very positively by people say that this is returning power back to the people of Wales.

Polls are showing, as they have been for months, that First Minister Rhodri Morgan approval ratings are quite low whereas the Welsh Labour Party is doing well. Mr Jones of Plaid Cymru and Mr Bourne of the Welsh Conservatives seem to be doing well publicly however with Mr Jones 2 points ahead in popular opinions polls and Mr Bourne only 6 points behind.
 
Lets just give it a chance. This seems interesting.

Don't write off legitimate criticisms by implying rudeness or irrationality. Seems rather counter productive.

I see what you mean about Blue Labour, Walken. You're aware presumably that the term has taken on a different meaning IOTL, hence people's confusion? It remaining a stick to bash Blair from the left with is quite nicely different, and I always like subtle changes in vocabulary in TLs. Not convinced that Blair would ever invite an opposition leader to discuss what he wanted, especially not with a majority of 60 or so. I'm intrigued though.
 
Don't write off legitimate criticisms by implying rudeness or irrationality. Seems rather counter productive.

I see what you mean about Blue Labour, Walken. You're aware presumably that the term has taken on a different meaning IOTL, hence people's confusion? It remaining a stick to bash Blair from the left with is quite nicely different, and I always like subtle changes in vocabulary in TLs. Not convinced that Blair would ever invite an opposition leader to discuss what he wanted, especially not with a majority of 60 or so. I'm intrigued though.

Just to clear this up with everyone, Blair actually did invite Cameron to Downing Street to discussed Education reforms with him following his election as leader, as Brown point blank refused to back them meaning that if the tories voted against or abstained they would have lost the vote. As the Lib Dems were against the reforms from the start (Bar Nick Clegg and David Laws it would later turn out)

Only with Cameron's backing and the very last minute change of heart by Gordon Brown (to this day no one is exactly sure why although many attribute it to Ed Balls) did the reforms pass and the Labour rebellion that was expected to be in the mid 100s was only at 52.
 
18th December

Parliament breaks for Christmas Holidays

Adam Bolton, Sky News

Parliament has officially closed from December 18th to January 12th, this will give the Prime Minister alot of time to think over the course of his education reforms and the talk of a possible cabinet reshuffle.

The Scottish Parliament has also taken its break at the same time as Westminster but First Minister Jack McConnell has said that Holyrood will reconvene on the 5th of January, one week earlier. The reason being the Scottish Parliament's justice committee will have to meet to discuss the decision of the courts on the legal challenge to the smoking ban in Scotland.
 
Tony Blair: Northern Ireland Forum to meet in St Andrews

Adam Bolton, Sky News

"The Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced that he will meet with the leadership of the DUP, UUP, Sinn Fein, SDLP and Alliance Party to discuss the return of Northern Ireland's assembly and the devolution of justice powers to the assembly."

Polls in Northern Ireland

Sinn Fein - 24%
Democratic Unionist Party - 23%
Ulster Unionist Party - 21%
Social Democratic Labour Party - 17%
Alliance Party - 6%
Green Party - 1%
Other - 8%
 
January 3rd, 2006

SNP 8 points ahead of Labour in the Polls

Brian Taylor, BBC

"The Official New Year polls today showed that Alex Salmond and the SNP are roaring ahead of the Labour Party in the Polls and if this were to be repeated in an election it would see the SNP come out of it with around 53 Seats and Labour only on 49 Seats. This would be the first time in the History of the UK that a Nationalist party would win an election with the most seats and percentage of the vote.

There are rumors within the Labour Party in Scotland that First Minister Jack McConnell may need to stand down to offer something different to Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, who both have approval ratings higher than his. The interesting statistic in all of this though is that when asked about Jack McConnell as First Minister over 69% rate him as being fairly competent even though they are considering voting for another party.
 
January 12th

Government moves to Guillotine Debate

The Prime Minister has moved on the first day of the new session of Parliament to Guillotine the debate over his proposed Education reforms. It is expected these reforms will pass due to the support of the Conservatives however it is believed a large faction within the Labour Party are going to revolt.

Nick Robinson, BBC

"Today it is believed that Gordon Brown has held a private meeting with some of the leaders of this proposed revolt, John McDommell and Tom Watson. However where he is positioning himself on this issue it is unclear.

Before the recess he seemed clearly to be against it but over the holidays he has retraced alot of his steps and has attempted to almost make it seem like he is ambivlant to this idea."
 
Blue Labour was coined by the SNP in 2004 when Salmond ran for leader, Dianne Abbot used it criticizing Blair before the 2005 elections and he was accused of it when he tried to reform the Labour Constitution. And you must be mistaking what Blue Labour means if you thought Brown was Blue Labour (maybe moved that way once he became PM but not when Chancellor)

Apologies I was talking about the present social conservative faction in the Labour Party, didn't realise it was a pre-existing insult.
 
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