Blinking into the light

I have just been reading the second volume of Chris Mullin’s diaries, which spells out in some detail New Labour’s grisly record on never leaving a junior minister in place for more than abut five minutes. Of course we sort of knew that, but to see it set out starkly in this way really brings it home.

At one point Mullin records a colleague as saying that such changes result in too much power going to the civil servants. Although the odd ineffective minister may give this result, I doubt that this is true when it happens on such an industrial scale. It just leads to demoralisation & feels as if the Masters of the Universe are just making all too clear their disdain for minions like you lot.

It is no wonder that no new really heavyweight politician emerged during the thirteen years of Blair/Brown. But it is heartening that some are now showing every sigh [stet] of emerging from under the deadweight of spin & being briefed against.

I have heard Jacqui Smith give two very good radio interviews, though she of course decided that enough was enough at Westminster. Ann Treneman however – a very witty & amusing but not a soft judge– has said that both Caroline Flint & John Denham are turning in impressive performances in the House.

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Chris Mullin
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Labour blames the servants again