Mirror toadies in action

Remember the Daily Mirror? It used to be a campaigning newspaper that supported the ordinary man over the powerful, a voice for reform and a constant thorn in the side of the establishment. Now, it is a desperate rag that is joined at the hip to a failing Labour government that has ceased to even try and argue its case save to rubbish its opponents with bitter personal attacks. So, we have seen a succession of assaults on David Cameron because he went to Eton, as if it is his fault that he was born into a successful family. Now they have run a story where they secretly following David Cameron on his bicycle to see if he obeyed the highway code. No, I am not making this up. Anyway here it is reported by the Telegraph, which can at least claim to be a newspaper instead of a government propaganda sheet.

With the government at its lowest poll ratings in recent times and with many of the British people facing hard times this is the best that they can come up with? Pathetic.

Polly Toynbee and reality

Interesting commentary from Polly Toynbee in today's Guardian. What made it interesting was less the article and more the reader's comments. Remember, this is the Guardian, which fulfils much the same purpose for the Left as the Telegraph does for the Right. Her pro-government stance is trashed by so many of her readers that for a moment I thought I had was on the Daily Mail site instead. The political dynamic for the last decade has been dominated by the superficial success of the economy, which has supported Labour through all of their other tribulations. It is now clear that the economy is in bad trouble, and that Labour's management of it has left Britain poorly placed to deal with a downturn. Darling's budget was the last straw for many people: contrast the attitude of the US government and institutions, which their proactive measures to help their people with Darling hoping for the best and, incredibly, putting up taxes. That was the point where many people, amid rising bills for petrol, food and heating their homes, finally gave up this government. Now we face the democratic death rattle of a party heading for opposition, with successive local elections leading up to the final act of a General Election. Even Polly's spin won't save them.