Someone posed the question on LuBBs Alumni of whether the current round of cock-ups spells the end for the Labour government. Here is my response (originally posted on LA)

It really could be the beginning of the end not for Labour, but for Blair^[1].

Some of us really do care about affairs, because if someone can lie to their spouse day in day out for two years (I think that was how long the affair lasted) then they can certainly lie to the electorate, probably with even less of a conscience-prick.

The Clarke scenario is a real blunder. Let's ignore the fact that people who don't have a British passport are treated unfairly and differently to UK citizens (and see also this story in yesterday's Guardian, along with this letter from the letters page) and skip to the fact that the Home Office, which everyone knows is a nightmare to run because it covers such a diversity of areas, was unable to put 2 and 2 together and figure that when the law says that foreign nationals commit certain crimes they are to be considered for deportation^[2] on their release. In terms of what the law says should happen, it is undoubtedly a resigning matter, but Blair won't accept his resignation (at least, not yet) because it would leave him even more isolated than he already is.

As for the NHS, well, if I was Pat Hewitt I'd be very glad of Clarke right now. To say that it's having its best year ever while at the same time laying off thousands of care staff, struggling to justify the fact that PCTs across the country are failing to break-even^[3] and admitting that whole hospitals may have to close is hubris to say the least. To say the most it is out and out lieing (or spin as we also call it) and she should go.

The big problem in both these cases is who would replace either Clarke or Hewitt.

The big problem if this were to prove to be the end of Labour is who would replace them? Unfortunately, the Lib Dems cannot be considered a realistic government after the next General Election, which only leaves Cameron's New Tories. That just makes me shudder.

^[1] Yes, I know in one sense the beginning of the end for Blair was when he announced he won't contest the next GE, but I mean the real beginning of the end.
^[2] Note: considered for deportation, but actually deported.
^[3] Since when did profitability and breaking even matter more than the health of the nation's citizens?

Well, yesterday was the first Wednesday of the new term. Not normally something of significance except that this term we have no lectures on Wednesday and this early in the term I can't really use that time to write the assignments. So, other than work out, what did I do with myself?

Well, I helped Jenny and Dan with their home networking and had a pub lunch before spending most of the afternoon in the kitchen cooking for Andrew and Elaine who recently had their first kid.