Speaking the Truth
Frank Field - the maverick Labour MP - has called on his party to apologise for the debt legacy left behind by the last Labour government.
I like mavericks - I'm a bit of a maverick myself - and I admire Frank Field because he stoop up and opposed Gordon Brown's crazy decision in 2007 - to abolish the 10p tax rate.
Field isn't impressed by silly talk about having the right 'moral compass' - he's been around politics long enough to know that people's actions speak - much louder than words.
Nonetheless Frank is demanding that the new Labour leader - Ed Miliband - says sorry for the mess they left the country in - when they were finally thrown out of office after 13 years.
And to add to Mr Miliband troubles another former Labour heavyweight - Charles Clarke attacked Labour's economic policy as unconvincing.
So the problems are piling up for Labour - with little sign that the public is buying into the new leadership's argument - that the country should essentially spend and borrow the way out of our economic problems.
Yet even Alistair Darling doesn't buy that - and he's a former Labour Chancellor.
Frank Field said:
“We have got to become much clearer about our responsibilities in this. When we have, we will be surprised at how easy it was to give an apology that is not qualified in any way.”
Which they have been up to now - of course.
Charles Clarke - the former Labour home secretary - also got his tuppenceworth in:
“The economic proposition that Labour puts at the moment is unconvincing,” said Mr Clarke, noting: “I didn’t think there was coherence, let’s put it politely, in what Ed Miliband was saying.”
The problem with these Labour MPs speaking the truth - as they see it - is that they will be accused of disloyalty by their own side.
Since the Conservatives and Lib Dems will use the words of Frank Field and Charles Clarke - as clear evidence that Labour is divided - and lacks a coherent strategy.
But that is the reality of the situation - the truth as two senior Labour MPs see the situation - and you have to admire their courage is speaking out.
'Say what you mean - and mean what you say' - is an old Labour slogan - which some in the party are still trying to live up to - apparently.
I like mavericks - I'm a bit of a maverick myself - and I admire Frank Field because he stoop up and opposed Gordon Brown's crazy decision in 2007 - to abolish the 10p tax rate.
Field isn't impressed by silly talk about having the right 'moral compass' - he's been around politics long enough to know that people's actions speak - much louder than words.
Nonetheless Frank is demanding that the new Labour leader - Ed Miliband - says sorry for the mess they left the country in - when they were finally thrown out of office after 13 years.
And to add to Mr Miliband troubles another former Labour heavyweight - Charles Clarke attacked Labour's economic policy as unconvincing.
So the problems are piling up for Labour - with little sign that the public is buying into the new leadership's argument - that the country should essentially spend and borrow the way out of our economic problems.
Yet even Alistair Darling doesn't buy that - and he's a former Labour Chancellor.
Frank Field said:
“We have got to become much clearer about our responsibilities in this. When we have, we will be surprised at how easy it was to give an apology that is not qualified in any way.”
Which they have been up to now - of course.
Charles Clarke - the former Labour home secretary - also got his tuppenceworth in:
“The economic proposition that Labour puts at the moment is unconvincing,” said Mr Clarke, noting: “I didn’t think there was coherence, let’s put it politely, in what Ed Miliband was saying.”
The problem with these Labour MPs speaking the truth - as they see it - is that they will be accused of disloyalty by their own side.
Since the Conservatives and Lib Dems will use the words of Frank Field and Charles Clarke - as clear evidence that Labour is divided - and lacks a coherent strategy.
But that is the reality of the situation - the truth as two senior Labour MPs see the situation - and you have to admire their courage is speaking out.
'Say what you mean - and mean what you say' - is an old Labour slogan - which some in the party are still trying to live up to - apparently.
