The instruction to start clearing-out measures — dated August 28 — sets Lord Mandelson on a collision course with Harriet Harman and the unions, who are championing many of the new laws that he most wants to shelve.
In the letter, sent to other members of a Cabinet sub-committee, Lord Mandelson wrote: “I support the approach that where measures appear without a planned implementation date — and on the assumption they are not planned for the near future — we commit to not imposing these measures until after April 2011.”
A delay to the much-vaunted statutory crackdown on pubs and clubs will also be an embarrassment for Gordon Brown, who promised to bring in the code just five months ago.
“We are going to bring in a new mandatory code on the sale of alcohol,” he said on May 12. The code would “tackle binge drinking, targeting the kind of promotions like ‘drink all you can for a fiver’ which can turn some town centres into no-go areas.”
Unelected Lord Mandelson, it would seem, in the face of inevitable defeat at the next election, is trying to head off the prospect of Labour being remembered as the government which not only imposed a ludicrous smoking ban, but also banned 'Happy Hour'.
The party of misery would have a certain attraction to opposition parties, would it not?
Lord Mandelson has already succeeded in delaying the implementation of a ban on cigarette displays: supermarkets will not be forced to put tobacco products under the counter until 2011.
For delaying, read consigning to history, as the Tories (who will undoubtedly be in power by then) are already committed to killing the idea stone dead. That's if the lies and outrageous misleading of parliament don't result in the silly addition to the Health Bill being thrown out before that.
Have Labour finally realised that kicking the nation's working class in the nuts is not the way to gain approval amongst their core vote?
A couple of years too late, Mandy. A handbrake on illiberal crap is not enough. Try looking for reverse gear at full revs and you may be more successful.
8 comments:
Labour may well be getting the hint but can I offer you the following exhibits.
1. Smoking ban manifesto 2005, enough said
2. Indeed Mandelson said exactly the same thing about cigarette display bans but they are still going ahead.
3. Are you under the impression that ID cards have been scrapped? I spoke to the chairman of NO2ID the other day and it is a lie.
I think Labour have smelt the wind, but this is smoke an mirrors as previously discussed and more good PR for Mandelson.
Dave Atherton
Tragically I think the tories will be just as inept and gullible as nu-liebore when it comes to dealing with the health fascists and fake charities. What Great Britain needs is a government which listens to all of it's electorate (Masters) and accomodates everyone in a fair and reasonable way. I fear that the vast majority of top politicians of all parties are still too greedy for money and power to understand that quality politics is about treating people with respect rather than treating them as cash cows to pay for shit they don't want.
It may well turn out to be the case that measures kicked into the long grass will never be retrieved. But the Tories have been making worryingly illiberal noises on alcohol-related issues, for example their plan to triple duty on "high-strength" beers and ciders which would be a kick in the balls for independent brewers and cidermakers.
The revolution will only begin when Labour have been thrown out and the country accepts that it has been hood-winked by the conservatives.
I have yet to hear any noise from the conservatives that they will do anything to ensure that everyone is allowed to socialise and work in the environment that they choose.
Time will tell, but it will take another parliament before people realise. Then all havoc will break loose - unless the country's fallen to the EU Gestapo by then.
No doubt it will have - it's the master plan afterall.
Britain has a long hard struggle to claim back the freedoms she fought for and enjoyed, particularly with our weak government and opposition who are unprepared to stand up to these vested interest zealots and bogots.
I hold my head in shame to be a citizen of such a once proud country.
Sorry - typo.
Shoud have read 'bigots' in penultimate paragraph
Whoa there. I never said the Tories would be any better, in fact I have been on record saying the complete opposite.
It's just interesting that some of the 'anti-business' measures that Labour are ditching just happen to be those that are unpopular amongst working class voters.
One day, Labour will link a popular business with being supported by the masses, and Tories will link the masses being happy with a product produced by a popular entrepreneur.
Maybe not in my lifetime though.
Labour has always known that kicking its core voters in the nuts was not popular. They just thought they could get away with it because we can only vote once every 5 years.
Should Labour squeak in (very remote), they'll attempt to resurrect all these unpopular laws they're now trying to bury. All the more reason for us to bury them at the GE.
Dick - sorry if it read that way - it wasn't meant to.
I was trying to put across that even though labour will suffer a huge defeat at the next GE due to their undemocratic laws, that I don't think that the expected in-coming tory government will do anything to resolve the issue.
Only after our citizens have experienced that the next 'tory' government will do no better than our current one, will a revolution occur. It may only be a political revolution, but it will happen.
I feel that many are just 'putting up' with what's going on now because they feel that it will all be over at the next GE which isn't long off. I however don't believe that is the case. I don't believe the tories will retract on many of the PC correct laws that labour have implemented.
I have no evidence from them that they will allow any amendment to the smoking ban so that everyone can socialise and work in the environment that they choose. They are a weak opposition to a weak government, ignoring the wishes of their citizens and playing into the hands of zealots and bigots.
Like you say - it is too late for labour and I wouldn't trust a word that they stated anyway. They've told too many lies.
Spin-doctor Lord Mandelson isn't even elected to represent anyone and so can say what he likes to make labour appear acceptable. The whole system is one undemocratic farce.
I think it will be in your life-time that things will change. We British are expecting a lot after labour have been booted out. We'll not get it. Something will happen.
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