Howard criticised by own party and CBI (Tories race-baiting)

[Anarcho-Socialist]

Blair hits back over migrants

· PM accuses Tories of scaremongering
· Howard criticised by own party and CBI

Michael White, political editor
Saturday April 23, 2005
The Guardian

Tony Blair and Michael Howard moved towards a decisive election showdown on immigration and asylum yesterday when the prime minister defended Labour's record, accusing Mr Howard of an "incoherent babble" of divisive scare tactics.

(snip)

The attack coincided with growing discontent with the tone of the Conservative campaign from within the party's ranks. Michael Portillo, the former leadership contender who is leaving politics, said the emphasis on immigration repeated William Hague's error in 2001. Steve Norris, another former minister, weighed in against the "vaguely distasteful" emphasis on the issue.

(snip)

The Confederation of British Industry also voiced its disapproval. Sir Digby Jones, the head of the CBI, told Channel 4 News he was disappointed that "immigration, which can be ... for the benefit of everyone in Britain, is becoming such a party political issue". He said that a cap on immigration would leave companies unable to recruit skilled workers

(snip)

Last night, the Tory shadow immigration minister, Humfrey Malins, was accused of duplicity for issuing campaign leaflets with different messages for white and non-white constituents. Leaflets in Urdu to Muslim areas in Woking, Surrey praised his work in resolving immigration issues. But leaflets to mainly white areas in English trumpeted the party's national tough line on immigration. The Muslim Council of Britain condemned it as "crude electioneering".

More at: http://politics.guardian.co.uk/election/story/0,15803,1468587,00.html

[autorank]

1. Well, all righty then...EVERYBODY VOTE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT!!!

I don't care if your damn MP, a fine Labour fellow, opposed Blair. He/she still was part of the political faction that put him in and kept him in power...after his lies, deceptions, and crimes were revealed.

SCREW BLAIR, SCREW LABOUR

VOTE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS. And please, no responses about how good Gordon Brown has been for the economy and how much more progressive Labour is. Labour enabled the greatest political crime since WWII, no question about it...invading a nation preemptively based on what the leaders of the invasion knew were lies.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

2. Are you talking about the Liberal Party or the Liberal Democrats?

Either way, the British electoral system makes it improbable for the Lib Dems or Liberals to win power. (e.g. it would require a 30% swing to the Lib Dems)

Unless you're in a Labour/Lib Dem marginal constituency, the only effect would be a Conservative government on May 6th.

[autorank]

3. Liberal Dem...it's late.

Doesn't sound like the Liberal Dems can win outright. What I'm hoping for is a hung Parliament with Kennedy as the 'king maker.' That would allow a coalition government, I believe, and part of the deal would be siding with Labour with no Blair.

Of course, Blair could lose but not likely.

I can always hope. I just despise Blair and think Labour is a disgrace. After all, Harold Wilson stood up on Viet Nam, took the heavy hits, and survives in many minds as one of the most courageous politicians of his era.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

4. If Labour's majority were to be wiped out, it would mean

that Blair would have to resign.

I think Labour with a slim majority or a minority government (Hung Parliament) would be a satisfactory outcome. Parties with large majorities in Parliament are never good for democracy.

Whether Blair leaves power at this election, soon after or in a couple of years time - he'll be thought of as a big liar (that's his legacy). In contrast, if the Iraq War had never happened, he would have been considered one of the better Prime Ministers of recent years. He's only got himself to blame.

[T_i_B]

5. Digby Jones is right...to a point.

British business does need migrant workers. Britain does need immigration and Tory policies on this matter would be bad news for our economy.

However, those migrant workers do tend to be cheaper and less well regulated. As a result of which the "controlled migration" policies of Labour and the Tories are more about getting immigrants over here and then keeping them in their place at the bottom of the ladder.

[non sociopath skin]

6. I haven't much time for Digby Jones but his intervention is helpful ...

... in indicating how far the Party of the Night have moved from the "centre right."

The Skin