Keep Calm & Carry On

This morning it is raining. Nothing unusual in that. It is June after all. And the results of local elections are coming in showing Labour losing seats and Tories and Lib-Dems gaining. Nothing unusual in that either. But at this moment [2.25 pm] it does not seem to me that the Tories are doing all that well. Gordon Brown is constructing his new cabinet with Alan Johnson moving to be Home Secretary. Citywire News provided the information that in the Dept of Work & Pensions the departure of Purnell results in the 15th change of minister in this department in 12 years of Labour government. It is incredible. They do not take pensions seriously. It is hardly surprising that their performance has been so completely pathetic. But total incompetence is no excuse for stinting on bureaucracy. In these same 12 years of Labour misrule there have been more than 700 pieces of pensions legislation. What was it all for? What has been achieved? What has it all cost? With the diddy pixie Yvette Cooper [aka Mrs Balls] moving to Work & Pensions I am less than convinced that anything of any great moment will come from this department and it will continue puffing out smokescreens to hide the dearth of anything concrete. i would like to be proved wrong.

It does at least look as if there are some elements in the Labour Party that still have the sense to see that the priority for them and for the country is a strong and stable government concentrating on getting on with the main job of sorting out the economic mess, reforming parliament and planning for a real future. Not faffing about playing some political game, planning on a 3 month leadership election, like a bunch of bored students. They may not like Gordon Brown much but he is far and away the best they have got. The Guardian has now turned against him. Has Polly Toynbee lost her marbles?