One positive aspect to come from this expenses saga is letting us see what party leaders are really like by their response. In doing so it has highlighted for me just how much of a Blair streak Cameron has and that worries me. As there is so much politics at play here and Cameron really does have the talent of making the best of a situation, as hasn't this expenses saga really become his clause 4 moment?
It seems very likely that unless Nick Clegg can really position himself as more of a challenge, Cameron is a Prime Minster in waiting. He will inherit an incredible amount of power New Labour have built up for the state and police to exercise. That makes it so important that he's not a Tony Blair and why I'm not just going to jump on the Cameron is our saviour band wagon.
As I watched Cameron's speech with the so carefully chosen words and actions, while humming "things can only get better" to myself. I pondered his radical plans announced which "give power to the powerless". They do have some good points I don't discredit that, though what I find the most radical, is that we're meant to trust that once in power he'll give power back to us, he's assuming that people have trust left to give.
In some respects Cameron has got the mood right, what he hasn't got right is he's exploiting it, turning reform into an party political issue like this muddies the water and puts pressure on to reforming quickly. Yet it shouldn't be rushed nor should parties leaders be the only ones to have a say, particularly if the tag line is rebalancing power.
What's more important right now and the one thing I see little action on is getting the house in order. This expenses mess needs sorting out swiftly and decisively. Public anger will subside to non lynching levels if MPs were being held to account. After sorting out this chaos in parliament can we move on to the detail, but the public will not get the best deal reforming in this climate.
It seems very likely that unless Nick Clegg can really position himself as more of a challenge, Cameron is a Prime Minster in waiting. He will inherit an incredible amount of power New Labour have built up for the state and police to exercise. That makes it so important that he's not a Tony Blair and why I'm not just going to jump on the Cameron is our saviour band wagon.
As I watched Cameron's speech with the so carefully chosen words and actions, while humming "things can only get better" to myself. I pondered his radical plans announced which "give power to the powerless". They do have some good points I don't discredit that, though what I find the most radical, is that we're meant to trust that once in power he'll give power back to us, he's assuming that people have trust left to give.
In some respects Cameron has got the mood right, what he hasn't got right is he's exploiting it, turning reform into an party political issue like this muddies the water and puts pressure on to reforming quickly. Yet it shouldn't be rushed nor should parties leaders be the only ones to have a say, particularly if the tag line is rebalancing power.
What's more important right now and the one thing I see little action on is getting the house in order. This expenses mess needs sorting out swiftly and decisively. Public anger will subside to non lynching levels if MPs were being held to account. After sorting out this chaos in parliament can we move on to the detail, but the public will not get the best deal reforming in this climate.
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