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	<title>Comments on: The government is getting its message across</title>
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	<description>Incisive and topical campaigns and commentary on today&#039;s issues and tomorrow&#039;s problems</description>
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		<title>By: Javelin</title>
		<link>http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/03/the-government-is-getting-its-message-across/#comment-15419</link>
		<dc:creator>Javelin</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2009 15:17:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3573#comment-15419</guid>
		<description>I think a thought experiment is helpful.

Suppose Labour crash to the worst defeat ever in the Euro elections,  led by a Prime Minister who has never been held accountable in the polls. A PM who was soley responsible for the dominant issue, the economic mess. A PM who was never elected by his party.

Now he may have a very flimsy mandate. But it would be necessary that a vote of confidence is held by either his party, parliament or the country, if he looses the Euro elections to a record level. I think that unless his position is actually put to the ltest, as opposed to his party, then he has stepped ouside his constitutional right to govern. I think that a loss is a loss, but a record loss means he will have to face a real vote of confidence. His circumstances are unique, the economic circumstances are unique and his right to govern will be unconstitutional.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I think a thought experiment is helpful.</p>
<p>Suppose Labour crash to the worst defeat ever in the Euro elections,  led by a Prime Minister who has never been held accountable in the polls. A PM who was soley responsible for the dominant issue, the economic mess. A PM who was never elected by his party.</p>
<p>Now he may have a very flimsy mandate. But it would be necessary that a vote of confidence is held by either his party, parliament or the country, if he looses the Euro elections to a record level. I think that unless his position is actually put to the ltest, as opposed to his party, then he has stepped ouside his constitutional right to govern. I think that a loss is a loss, but a record loss means he will have to face a real vote of confidence. His circumstances are unique, the economic circumstances are unique and his right to govern will be unconstitutional.</p>
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		<title>By: Chuck Unsworth</title>
		<link>http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/03/the-government-is-getting-its-message-across/#comment-15418</link>
		<dc:creator>Chuck Unsworth</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2009 17:36:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3573#comment-15418</guid>
		<description>Let&#039;s not confuse &#039;the message&#039; with the realities.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Let&#8217;s not confuse &#8216;the message&#8217; with the realities.</p>
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		<title>By: charles</title>
		<link>http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/03/the-government-is-getting-its-message-across/#comment-15417</link>
		<dc:creator>charles</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2009 17:17:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3573#comment-15417</guid>
		<description>Hello John

I know that most people think that Labour has now lost all hope for the next election - but I think that they are wrong.

There are millions of government employees who will vote Labour, and - just as important - who will use their influence to propagandise on behalf of Labour.

These people nowadays represent a truly mighty, exceedingly well-funded, organised force.

Then, of course, there are all those claiming benefits from the state. They, too, will tend to vote Labour.

So, how on Earth can the Tories ever win when it comes to the next election?

There are millions of people who, at the outset, will be completely set against Tory ideals.

Well, in my view, there is only one hope.

The Tories must take on the state!

The Tories have to *show* the people that the state is not, in fact, their friend.

But the Tories are not doing this. They continue pandering to the notion that the state is &#039;good&#039; for people.

For example, in essence, most of the public believes that &quot;Public spending is good&quot;.

And unless the Tories can reverse this notion - i.e. by showing the people that public spending is *bad* - then how on Earth can the Tories ever win - unless they, too, fall in line with the current ethos, and also proclaim that we need a lot of public spending?

It seems to me that the Tories have to agree that public spending is &#039;good&#039; in order to stand any chance at all at the next election ...

... UNLESS, that is, they can convince the public that public spending is bad!

But this is going to require some bravery on behalf of the Tories because, to begin with, the notion that public spending is bad will not go down well with the public.

But, RIGHT NOW, there seems to be a golden window of opportunity to *launch* a full attack on public spending and the size of the state apparatus.

And yet, David Cameron is just not doing this.

In fact, I do not think that David Cameron ever will.

As such, he is really letting the side down, in my view.

Charles</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Hello John</p>
<p>I know that most people think that Labour has now lost all hope for the next election &#8211; but I think that they are wrong.</p>
<p>There are millions of government employees who will vote Labour, and &#8211; just as important &#8211; who will use their influence to propagandise on behalf of Labour.</p>
<p>These people nowadays represent a truly mighty, exceedingly well-funded, organised force.</p>
<p>Then, of course, there are all those claiming benefits from the state. They, too, will tend to vote Labour.</p>
<p>So, how on Earth can the Tories ever win when it comes to the next election?</p>
<p>There are millions of people who, at the outset, will be completely set against Tory ideals.</p>
<p>Well, in my view, there is only one hope.</p>
<p>The Tories must take on the state!</p>
<p>The Tories have to *show* the people that the state is not, in fact, their friend.</p>
<p>But the Tories are not doing this. They continue pandering to the notion that the state is &#8216;good&#8217; for people.</p>
<p>For example, in essence, most of the public believes that &#8220;Public spending is good&#8221;.</p>
<p>And unless the Tories can reverse this notion &#8211; i.e. by showing the people that public spending is *bad* &#8211; then how on Earth can the Tories ever win &#8211; unless they, too, fall in line with the current ethos, and also proclaim that we need a lot of public spending?</p>
<p>It seems to me that the Tories have to agree that public spending is &#8216;good&#8217; in order to stand any chance at all at the next election &#8230;</p>
<p>&#8230; UNLESS, that is, they can convince the public that public spending is bad!</p>
<p>But this is going to require some bravery on behalf of the Tories because, to begin with, the notion that public spending is bad will not go down well with the public.</p>
<p>But, RIGHT NOW, there seems to be a golden window of opportunity to *launch* a full attack on public spending and the size of the state apparatus.</p>
<p>And yet, David Cameron is just not doing this.</p>
<p>In fact, I do not think that David Cameron ever will.</p>
<p>As such, he is really letting the side down, in my view.</p>
<p>Charles</p>
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		<title>By: APL</title>
		<link>http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/03/the-government-is-getting-its-message-across/#comment-15416</link>
		<dc:creator>APL</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2009 17:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3573#comment-15416</guid>
		<description>Blunkett: “I am entirely committed to the whole programme and, specifically, the database.”

Well, he would be. Bought and paid for by Entrust.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Blunkett: “I am entirely committed to the whole programme and, specifically, the database.”</p>
<p>Well, he would be. Bought and paid for by Entrust.</p>
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		<title>By: APL</title>
		<link>http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/03/the-government-is-getting-its-message-across/#comment-15415</link>
		<dc:creator>APL</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2009 16:58:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3573#comment-15415</guid>
		<description>Simon D: &quot;Why does the Director General of the BBC need to be paid over £700,000 a year which includes a hefty “performance bonus”.&quot;

It&#039;s the public sector ethos: &quot;Because I can&quot;. As to the performance bonus, let&#039;s privatize the BBC and then, perhaps, we can better judge its performance, having done so use that knowledge to decide the size of the bonus.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Simon D: &#8220;Why does the Director General of the BBC need to be paid over £700,000 a year which includes a hefty “performance bonus”.&#8221;</p>
<p>It&#8217;s the public sector ethos: &#8220;Because I can&#8221;. As to the performance bonus, let&#8217;s privatize the BBC and then, perhaps, we can better judge its performance, having done so use that knowledge to decide the size of the bonus.</p>
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		<title>By: mikestallard</title>
		<link>http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/03/the-government-is-getting-its-message-across/#comment-15414</link>
		<dc:creator>mikestallard</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2009 16:15:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3573#comment-15414</guid>
		<description>We all know that this awful, corrupt and extravagant government is doomed, probably much more quickly than we think.
It is rapidly becoming very clear that Mr Brown is much more suited to local Scottish politics where Knox would &quot;ding the pulpit in blads and fly out of it&quot;. Losing your temper regularly and terrifying people is not how London politics should work.
The huge question is this:
Two years go the Conservatives were a really exciting party. Education, Police, Immigration, Taxation and proposals for much smaller government, and especially Civil Liberties were among the many fascinating ideas being discussed.
So where are all these ideas now?
Margaret Thatcher was electrifying at this stage.
What a challenge!</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We all know that this awful, corrupt and extravagant government is doomed, probably much more quickly than we think.<br />
It is rapidly becoming very clear that Mr Brown is much more suited to local Scottish politics where Knox would &#8220;ding the pulpit in blads and fly out of it&#8221;. Losing your temper regularly and terrifying people is not how London politics should work.<br />
The huge question is this:<br />
Two years go the Conservatives were a really exciting party. Education, Police, Immigration, Taxation and proposals for much smaller government, and especially Civil Liberties were among the many fascinating ideas being discussed.<br />
So where are all these ideas now?<br />
Margaret Thatcher was electrifying at this stage.<br />
What a challenge!</p>
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		<title>By: Derek W. Buxton</title>
		<link>http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/03/the-government-is-getting-its-message-across/#comment-15413</link>
		<dc:creator>Derek W. Buxton</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2009 14:26:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3573#comment-15413</guid>
		<description>Alan,

Brown has already put his country before the UK, Scotland of course.  Devolution was developed by the EU and the Scottish maffia used that plan to destroy England, in that at least it has been succesful.  All socialist parties since the war, WWll that is, have run down the economy and had to be bailed out once by the IMF and again by hard work on the part of the incoming conservative administration.  The worry now is that the situation is so much worse than on previous occasions and I do wonder whether Cameron and Osborne have the nous and backbone to do what is clearly essential.

Derek</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Alan,</p>
<p>Brown has already put his country before the UK, Scotland of course.  Devolution was developed by the EU and the Scottish maffia used that plan to destroy England, in that at least it has been succesful.  All socialist parties since the war, WWll that is, have run down the economy and had to be bailed out once by the IMF and again by hard work on the part of the incoming conservative administration.  The worry now is that the situation is so much worse than on previous occasions and I do wonder whether Cameron and Osborne have the nous and backbone to do what is clearly essential.</p>
<p>Derek</p>
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		<title>By: Mike Spilligan</title>
		<link>http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/03/the-government-is-getting-its-message-across/#comment-15412</link>
		<dc:creator>Mike Spilligan</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2009 13:59:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3573#comment-15412</guid>
		<description>It wouldn&#039;t surprise me if the next photo we see of Hazel Blears shows signs of the accident she had this morning - or tomorrow morning, perhaps.
.. and Simon D: The BBC DG gets over £800K pa, and when the Ross scandal was at its height just couldn&#039;t be bothered to get on a plane from Sicily. So much for standards of accountability.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It wouldn&#8217;t surprise me if the next photo we see of Hazel Blears shows signs of the accident she had this morning &#8211; or tomorrow morning, perhaps.<br />
.. and Simon D: The BBC DG gets over £800K pa, and when the Ross scandal was at its height just couldn&#8217;t be bothered to get on a plane from Sicily. So much for standards of accountability.</p>
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		<title>By: Javelin</title>
		<link>http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/03/the-government-is-getting-its-message-across/#comment-15411</link>
		<dc:creator>Javelin</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2009 13:43:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3573#comment-15411</guid>
		<description>Great song at the end of the Hannah Montanna film called &quot;it&#039;s about the climb&quot;. Should be used as the next Conservatives conference. The Tories need to campaign on health. Healthy body (NHS), healthy minds (education) and healthy finances etc.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Great song at the end of the Hannah Montanna film called &#8220;it&#8217;s about the climb&#8221;. Should be used as the next Conservatives conference. The Tories need to campaign on health. Healthy body (NHS), healthy minds (education) and healthy finances etc.</p>
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		<title>By: Javelin</title>
		<link>http://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2009/05/03/the-government-is-getting-its-message-across/#comment-15410</link>
		<dc:creator>Javelin</dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2009 13:27:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=3573#comment-15410</guid>
		<description>Just read an interesting article in sciencedaily.com (well I am in Hannah montanna movie with 4 girls/daughters and an iPhone). Anyway there&#039;s an article on self control in the brain. There is an area in Pre Frontal Cortex (vmPFC) that controls decisions so it decides if you want to eat healthy or tasty food. It also effects whether you go into debt to gain immediate consumption  The vmPFC is the pre conscious area and subtly controls our mind.

So these researchers have also found another area in the PFC (the dlPFC) that modulates the vmPFC. There are a couple of things that this research could tell us. First that the Tories should campaign offer the healthy option on the menu. That the Labour party is just cake. Spending spluges taste nice but a nation cannot live off cake indefinately. Tories are not the cake party, but we will never be the nasty party. The Tories are the healthy party. The Labour party are the tasty party, but in the long run they are the nasty, obese party.

Conservaties are the healthy party - especially for those who have poor self control. If the Tories want to win those voters they need to look at what persuades people to change their lifestyle and eat properly. I suppose the 5 a day is the best thing I can think of.</description>
		<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Just read an interesting article in sciencedaily.com (well I am in Hannah montanna movie with 4 girls/daughters and an iPhone). Anyway there&#8217;s an article on self control in the brain. There is an area in Pre Frontal Cortex (vmPFC) that controls decisions so it decides if you want to eat healthy or tasty food. It also effects whether you go into debt to gain immediate consumption  The vmPFC is the pre conscious area and subtly controls our mind.</p>
<p>So these researchers have also found another area in the PFC (the dlPFC) that modulates the vmPFC. There are a couple of things that this research could tell us. First that the Tories should campaign offer the healthy option on the menu. That the Labour party is just cake. Spending spluges taste nice but a nation cannot live off cake indefinately. Tories are not the cake party, but we will never be the nasty party. The Tories are the healthy party. The Labour party are the tasty party, but in the long run they are the nasty, obese party.</p>
<p>Conservaties are the healthy party &#8211; especially for those who have poor self control. If the Tories want to win those voters they need to look at what persuades people to change their lifestyle and eat properly. I suppose the 5 a day is the best thing I can think of.</p>
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