The final part of Shaun Ley's The World This Weekend was a report from Canada, considering what lessons the crushing of Kim Campbell's Progressive Conservatives in the 1993 election might have for our Labour government.
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This extraordinary piece, though interesting in letting us hear what the ill-fated Kim Campbell herself had to say about that fascinating moment in history, pushed the idea that a change of leader close to an election would not be a good thing.
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The British angle came from BBC mainstay Professor Anthony King, who said that it would be nearly impossible for Labour to suffer anywhere near the crushing defeat the Canadian Prog Cons received all those years ago (good news for Gordon), and from the programme's third Labour MP, Rob Marris. Marris is a loyalist and agreed with the piece's central thesis - that it's not time for a change at the top of the Labour Party (good news for Gordon). Ley kept referring to David Miliband and Alan Johnson, and suggested that the Canadian example should be a warning to them. (I can imagine Gordon Brown liking that too!). Marris also got a chance to slag off David Cameron: "If there (is a lesson from 1993) I think it's that in economically uncertain times, the electorate have a tendency to go for an experienced centre-left government , not for a right, centre-right government led by a novice." How on-message can you get!! (Good news for Gordon.) Despite 1970, 1979, 1983, 1992 (when the Conservatives won here "in economically uncertain times") and despite the popularity, in these uncertain economic times, of the centre-right in France, Germany and Italy!!!
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If all this wasn't bad enough, Ley ended the segment with these ominous words: "And next week I'll be examining what the Conservatives are hoping to learn from Canada's..."
...can you guess what? Election-winning Conservative Party? No,...
"from Canada's spending cuts."
Aha, Tory spending cuts! Versus, you might say, Labour investment! Gordon will doubtless be tuning in, grinning.
*
This extraordinary piece, though interesting in letting us hear what the ill-fated Kim Campbell herself had to say about that fascinating moment in history, pushed the idea that a change of leader close to an election would not be a good thing.
*
The British angle came from BBC mainstay Professor Anthony King, who said that it would be nearly impossible for Labour to suffer anywhere near the crushing defeat the Canadian Prog Cons received all those years ago (good news for Gordon), and from the programme's third Labour MP, Rob Marris. Marris is a loyalist and agreed with the piece's central thesis - that it's not time for a change at the top of the Labour Party (good news for Gordon). Ley kept referring to David Miliband and Alan Johnson, and suggested that the Canadian example should be a warning to them. (I can imagine Gordon Brown liking that too!). Marris also got a chance to slag off David Cameron: "If there (is a lesson from 1993) I think it's that in economically uncertain times, the electorate have a tendency to go for an experienced centre-left government , not for a right, centre-right government led by a novice." How on-message can you get!! (Good news for Gordon.) Despite 1970, 1979, 1983, 1992 (when the Conservatives won here "in economically uncertain times") and despite the popularity, in these uncertain economic times, of the centre-right in France, Germany and Italy!!!
*
If all this wasn't bad enough, Ley ended the segment with these ominous words: "And next week I'll be examining what the Conservatives are hoping to learn from Canada's..."
...can you guess what? Election-winning Conservative Party? No,...
"from Canada's spending cuts."
Aha, Tory spending cuts! Versus, you might say, Labour investment! Gordon will doubtless be tuning in, grinning.
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