Thursday, August 03, 2006
Cameron v Blair - Same problem, different sides
The Times reports here on problems David Cameron and his shadow cabinet are facing from their own party (Consevatives) after they criticised Israel's actions as "disproportionate".
The Daily Mail reports here that Tony Blair is facing a similar crises from his own party for refusing "to budge".
This difference whislt amusing, illustrates the problems with our political thinking and the state of our main political parties. At the end of the day, Hezbollah are cynically using civilians to shelter them (via the "world community") from the military might of Israel. If they are allowed to get away with it, every terrorist in the future will know to position themselves amongst civilians for automatic immunity. For once, Blair was acting correctly in refusing to call for a ceasefire, and he faces possibly his worst cabinet crises over it. Labour should be looking to the longer view and backing their leader on this, especially considering how they've backed him, when with "the bit between his teeth" he's ridden roughshod over so many of our own liberties.
David Cameron meanwhile, instead of criticising Blair and trying to score "cheap points" should be using the opportunity to point out why we must back Israel and should be giving Blair support. Instead he's allowing himself to be ruled by public opinion thereby missing a good opportunity to show himself as a statesman and a leader, rather he's proving he's a follower. Cameron should be criticising Hezbollah for using civilians as shelter and taking the mature approach of backing Blair here.
I hope this shows the Conservative party starting to "wake up", but I somehow doubt it. Nevertheless on this issue I believe we must stand firm, if we don't then we can expect to see more and more terrorists use civilians both as shelter and as targets.
Blair possibly realises this, unfortunately his party can't seem to grasp it. With the Conservatives, the party seems to have grasped the issue, but the leadership seems intent on "spinning for popularity", perhaps Blair and Cameron should swap parties.
The Daily Mail reports here that Tony Blair is facing a similar crises from his own party for refusing "to budge".
This difference whislt amusing, illustrates the problems with our political thinking and the state of our main political parties. At the end of the day, Hezbollah are cynically using civilians to shelter them (via the "world community") from the military might of Israel. If they are allowed to get away with it, every terrorist in the future will know to position themselves amongst civilians for automatic immunity. For once, Blair was acting correctly in refusing to call for a ceasefire, and he faces possibly his worst cabinet crises over it. Labour should be looking to the longer view and backing their leader on this, especially considering how they've backed him, when with "the bit between his teeth" he's ridden roughshod over so many of our own liberties.
David Cameron meanwhile, instead of criticising Blair and trying to score "cheap points" should be using the opportunity to point out why we must back Israel and should be giving Blair support. Instead he's allowing himself to be ruled by public opinion thereby missing a good opportunity to show himself as a statesman and a leader, rather he's proving he's a follower. Cameron should be criticising Hezbollah for using civilians as shelter and taking the mature approach of backing Blair here.
I hope this shows the Conservative party starting to "wake up", but I somehow doubt it. Nevertheless on this issue I believe we must stand firm, if we don't then we can expect to see more and more terrorists use civilians both as shelter and as targets.
Blair possibly realises this, unfortunately his party can't seem to grasp it. With the Conservatives, the party seems to have grasped the issue, but the leadership seems intent on "spinning for popularity", perhaps Blair and Cameron should swap parties.
