Using the Tories for our own, slightly warped, enjoyment: Politics Decoded with Garbo

Time to sharpen the knifes?

With just a couple of days to go until the next disaster to hit Gordon Brown’s leadership, even the most ardent of Brownites has to start thinking how much more can we take of this? If the polls are right, the Tories aren’t just going to win a Labour safe seat on Thursday, they are going to romp it. If that is the case, then I think the Frank Fields of this world can put away their sharp tongues and they can start to sharpen their knives.

If the local elections were the turning point for new Labour, then the Crewe & Nantwich election could well be the tipping point: the point of no return.

Something in the air

You see, there is something in the air right now. A whiff if blood. And the electorate want to see that blood. There is an almost unpleasant sense of joy in watching New Labour unravel – even though we are the victims of a faltering government, every time Brown and his men mess up there is sense that we are a secretly pleased it seems.

The electorate want blood so much that they are egging the Tories on to win, and win big. Not so much because we all suddenly love the Tories – far from it. The Tories are still only popular in the south in any large numbers. Many people are still sceptical of David Cameron and what he stands for, including some Tories. There are still plenty of people who are yet to get over the Thatcher years even. But right now it is the Tories who can be the weapon for the people’s want and need to give Brown and New Labour a good kicking.

A joy in self harming

I would even go as far as to say that deep down in a very dark and misty cove of our inner selves we want the economy to slip a little; we want the government to make some mistakes that will affect real people; we are secretly pleased when the government announces another tax increase or poorly thought out piece of legislation that resonates with the electorate like a rather painful club round the head.

Don’t get me wrong – I do not think that people are enjoying have their pay packets diminish before their very eyes. Far from it; but it seems the only way to give Brown and new Labour a good kicking is for this to happen. And we are all getting a bit of joy out of watching this dour man’s lifelong dream fall apart before his very eyes – even it does mean we are the real losers in all this in the short term.

Rational and logical thinking is irrelevant

There is no rational and no logic to this thinking, but we are not always rational or logical beings. It is something, not uniquely but very definitely British about watching a man who has struggled all his life to make it to a position that was denied to him for so long only to laugh and enjoy it when he fails. It has always struck me as slightly ironic that there is no word in the English language for schandenfraude despite it being a most English of concepts. And right now, that British love for schandenfraude has rarely been greater. Gordon Brown is the You’ve Been Framed of politicians – no one wants someone to get hurt, but it is still bloody funny when you see it.

Using the Tories for our own enjoyment

So against all the logic and reason it seems that Labour will get a good pasting on Thursday. This despite the fact that this is a safe Labour seat that is going to by-election as a result of a very popular Labour MP passing away. By all rights the Tories should stand no chance.

After all, they have promised to continue with Labour spending plans when they get in to power, never backed the 10p tax rate in the first place and would have as much control over the economy as the current government do right now, i.e. very little. But that is missing the point entirely – when the electorate get a whiff of blood they want to see it and the Tories are best place to deliver.

Article Series - Politics Decoded 2008-9 by Garbo

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  2. Should he stay or should he go?: Politics Decoded with Garbo
  3. Time for a change: Politics Decoded with Garbo
  4. Europe in Ireland’s hands: Politics Decoded with Garbo
  5. The Gambler’s Gamble Update: Politics Decoded with Garbo
  6. How Stalin became Mr Bean… Happy Anniversary Gordon: Politics Decoded with Garbo
  7. The FAQ of Great Britain: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  8. Politics Decoded Extra: MEPs
  9. MPs and their expenses: A Politics Decoded weekend special with Garbo
  10. David Davis has failed: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  11. Glasgow East - One last banana skin: Politics Decoded with Garbo
  12. Summer Loving: Politics Decoded with Garbo
  13. What should Labour do next? Politics Decoded with Garbo
  14. If Gordon goes, then Labour must call a general election: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  15. Labour needs to start governing and there is only one way to do that: Politics Decoded with Garbo
  16. In defence of the USA: by Garbo
  17. Boris Johnson and CCHQ - a match made in hell? Politics Decoded by Garbo
  18. Two nations divided by lame duck leaders: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  19. It is time for Brown to end this farce: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  20. JK Rowling and THAT donation: Politics Decoded Conference Special by Garbo
  21. Brown’s speech - The turning point? Politics Decoded Conference Special by Garbo
  22. This wouldn’t have happened under Campbell: Politics Decoded Conference Special with Garbo
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  24. The end of the world as we know it? - Politics Decoded with Garbo
  25. Mandelson is back: Politics decoded by Garbo
  26. George Osborne does it again: Politics Decoded conference special by Garbo
  27. Reports of Labour’s decline are exaggerated: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  28. Two forgotten men making very different comebacks: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  29. The Story of Lance Corporal Jack Mizon: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  30. Changing George Bush for Barack Obama? Yes. We. Can. Poltics Decoded by Garbo
  31. Barack Obama’s Generation & the legacy we should be looking for - Politics Decoded by Garbo
  32. It’s time David Cameron’s Conservatives made a move: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  33. It is time the Good Men did something about Robert Mugabe: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  34. The Class of 2008 End of Term Reports - Grading Clegg, Brown, Cameron and all: Politics Decoded by Garbo
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  37. Obama, Barack to the Future: A New Hope - Politics Decoded by Garbo
  38. British jobs for British workers: Gordon Brown’s rivers of blood - Politics Decoded by Garbo
  39. New Labour - where did it all go wrong? By Garbo
  40. Some MPs give the rest a good name, Norman Baker I salute you: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  41. Barack Obama’s brush with failure: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  42. Europe, Lisbon, the economy, opportunity and opportunists: Politics decoded by Garbo
  43. Enough with the blame game, what would you do? Politics Decoded by Garbo
  44. It’s not sleazy if no rules were broken. Well, the rules ARE broken: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  45. Smeargate: Much ado about nothing - Politics Decoded by Garbo
  46. Labour’s last chance to save itself: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  47. The real race to No.10 starts tomorrow: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  48. Brown makes another expenses mistake: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  49. Brown should have gone a year ago and the whole party knows it: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  50. Cameron to become the moral judge? Politics Decoded by Garbo
  51. Time to get invloved in politics: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  52. Knee jerk reactions, European elections, scandals, politics and all that: Politics decoded by Garbo
  53. How to solve a problem like Europe Part One: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  54. How to solve a problem like Europe Part Two: Politics Decoded by Garbo
  55. Tories and Labour have a miserable week and yet end up winners (of sorts): Politics Decoded by Garbo

About the Author

Garbo

Garbo is The Wardman Wire's Political Editor and works in the politics industry in Westminster. He can be contacted directly on poliblogsAThotmail.co.uk for all queries including media and blogging inquiries.

5 Responses to “Using the Tories for our own, slightly warped, enjoyment: Politics Decoded with Garbo”

  1. I think you’re spot on. When it comes to politics, most of us are neutrals, and the thing a neutral most enjoys is a comeback.

    England beating Australia in the 2005 Ashes was so much more fun than stuffing the West Indies last year because it was close, there was a real contest. For a decade we’ve not had a contest in politics, and if Brown loses another wicket on Thursday then it’s all nicely set up. Like Rocky (who he increasingly resembles - Rocky V I think), we’ll then want Brown to pick himself up off the canvas and level things with a couple of haymakers. (Sorry, mixing my sporting metaphors. )

    Cameron should be wise enough to know that it won’t last, by this time next year the parties will be level again.

    David Keens last blog post..Is God Outside Time?

  2. Thanks David - I like your analogies!

    I have written a post that that goes up at 4pm tomorrow on the Wardman Wire that touches on what you have said…

    On your last point - I am not sure it is inevitable that the parties will be neck and neck, but there is every chance. I certain see it narrowing as we approach an election, and with the electoral system heavily stacked in Labour’s favour there could still be a come back on the cards…

  3. >schandenfraude

    If there was we wouldn’t make it so complicated that Germans spelt it incorrectly.

    Or perhaps we would.

    I refer you to Google ;-).

  4. PS I *may* have 2 tickets for Day 5 at Trent Bridge for a competition - still trying to prize them from a friend’s sticky mitts.

  5. [...] Yesterday I wrote about how the electorate are looking for Labour blood and to inflict that they are using the Tories. Well, just suppose the Tories fail to inflict the wounds that we so desperately want to see upon Brown’s leadership? [...]

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