Recent Tory “splits” over Europe, over same sex marriage, over the future direction of fiscal policy and over the commitment to austerity have all been leapt on by the media and other political parties.
This morning we’re reporting that a local Tory councillor has retracted his withdrawal of support of one of the towns two Tory MPs. He’s done this apparently after the intervention by members of his constituency association and other councillors.
Yet we never see these public spats from the Labour Party. This can’t be because they don’t disagree with each other, or because they don’t disagree with central party policy. It is that they show more discipline in their public statements and keep their disagreements inside the movement.
One senior Ipswich politician suggested to us that this could be because Labour are more committed to winning. He suggests that, whilst Tory politicians believe they are elected personally, and could win just as easily as independents, Labour politicos know that they are elected because of the party.
Another senior figure in the town put the discipline down to a culture of fear within the Labour party, suggesting that the culture within the Tory and Lib Dem parties is much more open to debate. “A strong party, as is the case with strong people encourages debate and understands difference. Labour culture just isn’t like that and is particularly ‘top-down’.”
It’s as if the Tories commitment to defeating Labour is far less than Labour’s commitment to defeating the Tories. Sometimes the Tories underestimate how much they are despised by some Labour activists. They shouldn’t. Labour’s candidate in Eastleigh wrote about how he felt a surge of excitement when he heard of the assassination attempt on Margaret Thatcher by the IRA in 1984; an attempt that killed five people.
This sentiment isn’t uncommmon within the Labour movement. A quick search on Google finds several Labour councillors who have publicly stated they will celebrate when Mrs Thatcher dies. Not just Labour councillors, but council leaders too. I cannot imagine any Labour or Lib Dem politician whose death I would celebrate, past or present. Not even the man who took us into an illegal war, Blair, or the man who spent our Grandchildren’s future, Brown.
There are a number of very pleasant and personable Labour politicians in Ipswich. But there are also those whose politics is the politics of hate and envy. These people are much more committed to beating the Tories. It is a lesson the Tories should learn, otherwise they’ll become an endangered species here in Ipswich.
Filed under: Campaign Activity, General Tagged: | Conservatives, Eastleigh, Ipswich, John O'Farrell, Labour
I think only a few Tory politicians believe they are elected personally: those with little political nous. I could name one or two in the IBC Conservative Group.
But any Conservative councillor or MP with half a political brain realises they are elected because of their Party’s brand not because of who they are. Most voters have no idea who their council or Westminster candidate is and have never met them.
I very much agree with IS/BR that Labour are more disciplined but that is the side effect of Socialism where everyone should act and behave the same. Conservatives trumpet individualism so it is not surprising there are different views publicly debated: there is nothing wrong with that unless it causes a Party to lose sight of their reason for existance – i.e. to govern.
Personally, I believe Guy McGregor should have not rowed back on what he had said about Dr Dan Poultor MP. His second statement only makes Guy look weak. Many people agree with him in his own Party. The thing about Dr Dan is he will be elected again in 2015 even if Cameron loses the election (again). If Mr McGregor lived in the Ipswich consituency and said the same thing there would be a good chance it wouldn’t matter come 2015…
Very interesting article. I have to say quite categorically that I would rather lose my campaign to be re-elected than to be driven by some hatred of the opposition. I save hatred for evil despots, not MPs and councillors! This is the reason I have been vocal about how nasty the left can be because I find it unacceptable to judge people just by their politics. We are more than just a party! If I can’t be elected on how hard I work in my ward then that’s the way it will be. I agree with Gavin that Guy should not have retracted and that labour stick together even if individuals do not sign up to an idea, privately.they are like sheep and I find that scary and unauthentic. I am free to give my opinion and that’s the only way to live your life, carry out your duties and serve your community.
The councillors I know are giving up their spare time and working their butts of because they want to help people no one I know is motivated as a councillor because of hate. Also this whole supposed nastiness of the left thing I recall a councillor and a tory activists tweeting a blatant lie about me on my election night. A couple of local tories blogs have been full of hate and bile towards labour councillors are they not motivated by hatred of the left and anyone labour. I like to think I have shown respect and courtesy to local councillors and politicians and activists from all parties as do many of my colleagues.
Glen from those I speak to in the political community in Ipswich, your approach is widely admired. Unfortunately some of your colleagues do not have the same level of respect from other parties.
I certainly think that the tribalism of partisan politics is the least attractive aspect of our democratic process. “My party right or wrong” is an approach that has characteristics that bring out the worst in people. It is only a short step from “My party is the only one that can be right, therefore everyone else is wrong”. Intellectually everyone knows that is a ridiculous proposition. There is no monopoly on good ideas.
But think of the debate we had about language. I struggled to think of any policy proposed by the previous Government which the opposition parties had labelled incorrectly for partisan reasons. Ironically the only one I can think of was the “Death Tax” tied to the short lived proposals for a National Care Service. I say ironically because the Tories are now proposing exactly this in Government.
You do show courtesy towards people from all parties Glen, but unfortunately the same cannot be said of many on many sides of the political argument. There are some in the Tory group, and some in the Labour group, who genuinely need to learn some manners. I’d say the same of the Lib Dem group but there aren’t enough of them to have that impolite element.
I think when the Tories refer to those who have hatred in their hearts, they are referring to the numerous Labour activists who publicly state they will celebrate the death of Mrs Thatcher. I am sure you find it as offensive as I do that anyone would celebrate the death of anybody.
I don’t think that the Tory blogs could be described as full of hate and bile, anymore than Cllr Ross could be described as full of hate and bile. They may be misguided and blinkered in their views, in both directions, but I don’t think there is any hate there.
I have, however, been on the receiving end of a bitter hatred towards Tories from current Labour councillors; back in 2004 as a young Tory councillor I was subjected to constant vile abuse by one ex county councillor. This particular individual will remain nameless, but used to regularly suggest that I should kill myself because all Tories deserved to die. In 2003 as agent here in Ipswich I was told by another of your current colleagues that I could never understand what it was like to be homeless because I was a Tory. This as part of a debate about the building of executive housing at a public meeting.
At election after election I have seen Labour election material aimed at “stopping the Tories” rather than aimed at what Labour would propose to do in Government. It is much more unusual to see Tory election literature aimed at “stopping Labour”. You have to question the motivation of people who define themselves not by what they are, but by what they are not.
Glen – both you and I are respectful councillors, as are others and I’ve said before, we work well together despite our party differences. However i agree with IS/BR the same cannot be said of all Labour members. There are plenty of activists who act like a mob. I was being kind when i said ‘like sheep’. I would love to think that those who wish Mrs T dead were just a handful but you only have to look at twitter to see that it isn’t. The bile is totally unjustified and shows the Left in a most dangerous and hideous way. I honestly cannot think of any Tory who would talk of a previous labour PM in that way. We just have a bit more decorum and that’s one of the values I love about the Conservatives. And thats why I would rather not win in an election if it meant having the same hatred back. We can all get our message across and then let people decide which they like the sound of. National politics plays a big part in campaigning whatever is put on our leaflets. I prefer to just work hard in the ward and represent the residents.
If working hard doesn’t make them vote for us then that will be our fault for not communicating what we do enough.
You’ve missed out the fact that Labour members tend to be unthinking automatons.
I remember an ex miner saying that the only thing he could not forgive Thatcher and the Police for was “Teaching him to hate”. In recent years ex miners have told me they feel ashamed at not fighting and defeating the police in 84. Thinking only that passivity would safeguard their future redundancy payoff. They will go to their graves wishing they had fought back and inflicted a military style defeat upon the police. A police who, in the largest act of treason, offended against the people and obeyed the unlawful command of ACPO … merely a Limited Company.
East Anglia learned to hate under Henry 8th. Famine as the wealth of the wool trade was celebrated by the mocking spires of the churches.
In 84 I had left the Kent mines. Striking miners would not believe that they could petition the Queen to bring the offending police to order. In the absence of immediate remedy war against the police would have become lawful until HM the Q delivered remedy.
Strangely that has stuck in the minds of many miners who Thatcher taught to hate. And that is why it gets a mention to me now. Old fellas who would love to finish their time by sorting the police out so thoroughly the Queen would have to step in to restore the Law of the Realm that police broke en masse in 84.
I doubt political theorist cllrs understand hatred at all. I will raise a glass at Thatcher’s passing and I am even smiling at the prospect.
19th century liberal hijacking my tory party …..