Rob Wilson's Westminster Diary: April 14, 2011
Rob Wilson MP • Published 15 Apr 2011 09:30
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IT'S GOOD to be away from Westminster for a few weeks because the mood always gets a bit scratchy towards the end of a session. With the new financial year having just begun, it's a good point to take stock politically almost a year after the General Election.
Labour's performance has steadily become more unconvincing, despite its reasonable position in the polls. The public is more sophisticated than many think, and the constant opposition to cuts without attempting to offer an alternative is increasingly being ridiculed.
There are only tentative signs that the party is sorry for the economic mess it left, the latest being Gordon Brown acknowledging that he should have regulated the banks better. He is right, the banks didn't need more regulation but they did need better regulation. As yet Ed Miliband is not proving to be an effective leader. Indeed, he only appears to listen to the unions. He has potential to develop but needs to make a full apology to the British people to kick-start his leadership.
The political party that has probably suffered most is the Liberal Democrats. Its councillors face the electorate for the first time since the Coalition formed, and many are pessimistic. There is no doubt it will be a difficult election but the party will suffer more if it lets in-fighting get out of control. Let the 80s Labour Party and the 90s Conservatives be a lesson to all politics students. Clegg looks very unhappy and his appeal for public sympathy last week was misjudged - politicians looking for sympathy are likely to remain in trouble. He must reassure his party and give them a vision of where they are headed - after all it was he who delivered the first Liberals in Government for many decades.
We Conservatives also have to communicate our vision, but to the public. We are back in Government, taking decisions and in good heart, but are allowing others to present our policies - such as the NHS changes - in a very negative way. Many GPs support the new commissioning structure, but you wouldn't know it from what you see reported! We are braced for a difficult couple of years because the economy won't be easy to turn around, but David Cameron is proving he knows how to be an effective Prime Minister. The public is not yet tired of coalition government, although this could change quickly as the cuts bite harder.
In politics the next few months will be the most interesting for perhaps a generation. If you enjoy politics, either as an activist or from an armchair, this will probably be as exciting as it gets. Enjoy it!
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