'Control freak' Blair savaged

[emad]

By Andrew Gilligan, Evening Standard
9 December 2004

Lord Butler today launches a scathing attack on Tony Blair's "bad" style of governing.

The former Cabinet Secretary says the Prime Minister is too concerned with "selling, central control and headlines".

Lord Butler, who led the inquiry into Iraq intelligence, says Mr Blair's style allows too little "reasoned deliberation" and provides "insufficient opportunities for other people to debate, dissent and modify". The unusually strong criticism from a former head of the civil service comes in his first full interview since his report was published in July.

Lord Butler tells Boris Johnson, editor of The Spectator, that Parliament's "shameful" inability to control the executive left the Government "much too free to bring in a huge number of extremely bad Bills, a huge amount of regulation, and do really whatever it likes". He adds: "And whatever it likes is what will get the best headlines tomorrow. All that is part of what is bad government in this country."

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/15201399?source=Evening%20Standard

[htuttle]

1. Sounds like he's turning into Bush

htuttle's new Principle of De-evolving Government:

"Bad Governance Drives out Good Governance."

I don't think this happens without television -- at least not as efficiently. I don't often see the same dynamics in much smaller democratic institutions, such as coops and municipalities.

There's an old saying that 'None of us are as stupid as all of us'. Maybe there's a size limit to governing bodies where the collective stupidity of the electorate finally outweighs any practical or logical considerations about the candidates.

I was sort of kidding when I started writing this post, but I don't think I am kidding anymore.

[tanyev]

2. Maybe KKKarl

has been giving him some helpful tips.

[htuttle]

3. KKKarl is working for his opponent this election

KKKarl stabbed Blair in the back, and has been hired as a consultant by the Tories.

[tanyev]

4. I say.

Didn't know that. Interesting.

[SweetLeftFoot]

5. News to me

I work in politics over here and that's news to me. The Tories have hired Lynton Crosby, John Howard (Aussie PM's) evil genius. Crosby has been mightily effective in winning Howard four election using many of the divisive wedge issues that Bush and Rove also use.

Any link to the Rove claim? I would have thought he'd be too busy in the States and that the Tories behaviour during the US campaign meant there was bad blood between the Repubs and Tories.

[htuttle]

9. It was in the Nov. 28th Sunday Mirror

BUSH GURU GETS WORLD'S WORST JOB
http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/tm_objectid=14920100%26method=full%26siteid=106694%26headline=bush%2dguru%2dgets%2dworld%2ds%2dworst%2djob-name_page.html

FALTERING Tory leader Michael Howard has been thrown a political life-line - from the mastermind behind George Bush's victory in the US election.


The shock signing of Karl Rove is all the more amazing as President Bush's right-hand man banned Mr Howard from the White House just three months ago.


The highly-rated strategist discussed the Opposition leader's fading General Election hopes in a trans- atlantic phone call this week.


And during his talks with party chairman Liam Fox he agreed to bury differences over the Iraq war and draw up Mr Howard's masterplan for the May poll.
(much more at link)

But, since it's the Mirror, it may be a bit exaggerated, who knows.

[SweetLeftFoot]

11. Cheers for the link

Though I doubt Rove will be working on the minuatie of the campaign. You never know though.

[emad]

10. Yes but WHY? Because they have most to fear when Thatcher's

security/intelligence file is released along with Robert Maxwell's.

That will spell the big zero for Blair and his gorgon wife.

[SweetLeftFoot]

6. Butler

Butler obviously has his own axe to grind with Blair. The simple fact that this was published in The Spectator should raise suspcicion.

Lord Butler tells Boris Johnson, editor of The Spectator, that Parliament's "shameful" inability to control the executive left the Government "much too free to bring in a huge number of extremely bad Bills, a huge amount of regulation, and do really whatever it likes".

There is an aletrnative explanation - Blair has such a huge majority in the Commons that he can, as Prime Minister of a cabinet government, do what he wants.

[emad]

7. Good spin but: remember Blair telling Parliament in 2002

"There is NO Enron scandal in the UK"?

The heart of the Enron scandal lies exactly there, in London.

Why did Enron collapse? Because UK terrorists colluded with Lay and Skilling in the 1980s to steal a massive investment portfolio valued at $50 billion and laundered it via Midland Bank, now HSBC.

http://www.manager-magazin.de/img/0,1020,270643,00.jpg
John Bond HSBC CEO


Robert maxwell, RIP

Enron then used this portfolio as collateral to raise bank loans to finance their monstrous expansion aspirations.

The whole thing went belly-up when the portfolio's rightful owners sued and got their assets back.

Classic heist similar to Robert Maxwell's Mirror Group bankruptcy fiasco, Banco Ambrosiano's fall, BCCI etc.

That's why Poodle is now sh*****ing himself.

[SweetLeftFoot]

12. I wasnt trying to defend Blair

I was just saying that Paliaments inability to reign in Blair says more about his majority than anything else. And his backbench has revolted on a few issues.

[UTUSN]

8. So...If Poodle Looks Competent Standing Next to Shrub

and now Poodle is depicted this way, where does that leave Shrub?