Party politics in the UK feels like car insurance.
Originally published in Computing magazine © Matt Buck Hack Cartoons
© Matthew Buck Hack Cartoons for Channel 4 News
It is good to see this plan is apparently being withdrawn despite the unhappiness of some parts of eastern europe about Russia. Here is an archive drawing I made for ITN. (Click the picture for the detail).
The genius of Scott Joplin and his Maple Leaf Rag.
The TUC conference is on. The Prime Minister spoke to Union leaders at Chequers just ahead of conference, and the Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Brendan Barber, had his public reply today. However, the really significant piece of talking in the short term appears to have Lord Mandelson’s non-conference speech in London which is being spun as ‘compassionate’ government spending reductions* to come. Take a look at who’s talking too.
This cartoon was drawn in July of this year.
* (not cuts)
I’ll be working for the Campaign for Drawing at The Big Draw event on Saturday 12th September. There will be many cartoonists at the Idea Generation Gallery and the afternoon is always good fun. I’m taking part in the Battle of the Cartoonists and if you are in the area come on down.
Nice.
Yesterday saw the official start of the 2010 general election campaign as both major parties unveiled the ground where they will fight for control of the UK’s government. The ground is covered by the results of unregulated private sector* financial extravagance and the resulting bust under Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The choice seems to be how soon to start cutting public expenditure in real terms. David Cameron and the Conservatives say now, and Labour, who interestingly used Chancellor Alastair Darling as the front man, say later. Of course, all this posturing revolves around the election which is probably coming next May. It is going to be a long and repetitive argument during a period of rising mass unemployment, even if stock market valuations continue to recover. (This tends to account for the famous green shoots we keep hearing about).
Widely regarded as frontrunner, the Conservative party leader David Cameron won’t want to commit himself to anything controversial before voting day – and it is hard to see how Labour, especially under Gordon Brown, can recover from the economic mess they are presently in charge of. Thus, the cartoon.
Another thing to read: Paul Mason of the BBC has a good piece here.
* It has enabled a lot of off-balance sheet public spending too.
The story of Jaycee Lee Dugard prompts thought of other long-term captives.
