Labour's going the way of Tories

September 2005

Recent weeks have seen the unfortunate early deaths of two Labour politicians. Both Robin Cook and Mo Mowlam thought for themselves and were not afraid to speak out against Blair when they thought he was wrong as for example Cook did when he resigned from the Government over his opposition to the Iraq War.

Both Mowlam and Cook knew that the Conservatives had paid the electoral price for becoming out of touch with ordinary people. Now Labour seem to be going the same way. To avoid the Tories’ fate, they must now deliver on public services and abolish unfair charges and taxes.

After years of delay Labour finally agreed with the Lib Dems for the need for more money for the NHS. They need now to ensure the cash is directly benefiting frontline services, reduce the hidden “waiting lists” of often long delays for vital scans and dramatically increase the number of NHS dentists.

And take the Council Tax. How many Labour MPs really believe that it is right that a millionaire in an average property pays 0.1% of his income in council tax and someone on £13,000 nearly 8%? Rightly the Lib Dems are arguing for a fairer system based on the ability to pay.

Labour also now wants the average family to fork out hundreds of pounds for ID cards which would as the Home Secretary has admitted have none nothing to stop the London bombings. Yet just ten years ago, Tony Blair told the Labour party conference: “Instead of wasting hundreds of millions of pounds on compulsory ID cards as the Tory Right demand, let that money provide thousands of extra police officers on the beat in our local communities.” We agree with what he said then!

And there is the “poll tax on learning”, with from next year people having to pay up to £9000 in fees to got to university. We would abolish tuition fees.

And the Government needs to give councils more power to deal with travellers. Even if most Labour MPs won’t like Mowlam and Cook tell Blair where he’s going wrong the Lib Dems in this Parliament certainly will!