Wales Online have in the manner of Journalist has manged to describe the promotion of Stephen Crabb and the fact that he is now facing Owen Smith across the Dispatch Boxes with the headline.
It's not Batman v Superman but this tale of Welsh rivalry is an epic in the makingBy er making the comparison anyway
David Willamson writes that
Stephen Crabb and Owen Smith will now duel on welfare reform - is there a more important subject in politics today?
He goes on to write
Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Mr Crabb’s dramatic promotion to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in the wake of Iain Duncan Smith’s spectacular resignation means they will face each other once again.This time, the confrontations will be on some of the most contentious and important issues in modern politics. They will be locked in battles about how the state should use billions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash to care for the most vulnerable.Truly, these can be matters of life and death. If ever there was a subject to get passionate about, this is it.For Mr Crabb, welfare reform is highly personal. He grew up in a single-parent family “fully dependent on benefits” in a council house; he speaks of his mother’s journey into work with pride and wants to see others escape a “life of dependency”.
Mr Smith is also equipped with plutonium grade passion. He describes a world where disabled people are “worried sick” about cuts; when he goes on the attack he attempts to both demolish his opponent’s argument but also bring a moral energy to the argument.The people with the most at stake in the welfare debate are those who hope to break into the workforce or who are desperately concerned they will lose the resources they need to be fed and clothed.
The two have even been predicted to carry their rivalry all the way to one facing the other as Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.
Except of course since Cameron introduced English Votes for English Laws (EVEL) it seems very unlikely that either party would elect a leader who did not represent an English Constituency.
Both are however in thier current able to reflect an Unionist dream of giving the impression of Welsh influence in UK politics , without causing a backlsah in England.
We can expect Mr Smith to find some form of Faux Socialism as the Austerity Program which his party did not oppose finally goes to far for the general public to stomach . Whilst Mr Crabb will try to give the impression the he advocate the mythical Caring Conservatives , that his party some times alluded to.
But nowhere will the two call for a reverse to the cuts , but probably claim that what is done can not be undone.
The danger for Parties like Plaid however is that the Welsh Media will use the phony war between the two to divert interest away from the Assembly and reinforce the Unionist Agenda.
2 comments:
Hi Glyn, sorry not been on for a bit, shall I put it this way Windows 10 and an HP computer not making my life easy.
I was interested to read that Mr Crabbe is the product of a home with a Single Mother, why is HE a Tory, I have never seen a caring one in my entire life? As for Single Working Mothers, they never had it easy but boy the Tories have made just about every one below the stinking rich have a harder life than ever. He maybe should have seen the life my Gran had when she became a single mum in the 1930's. No welfare state then and we are surely heading that way with Mr Crabbe's government, no you had to approach the Parish who doled out assistance. Gran could only be helped if she divorced he erring husband. Gran was not out to make HIS life easier, she refused and went to work in the evenings cleaning railways carriages. She then brought up her remaining four kids and looked after her parents during the day. I can tell you she never voted Tory. My husband says he is probably a sociopath like all the rest. Helena
Can't wait to see Mr Smith and his 'plutonium grade passion' taking on Stephen Crabb (who writes that stuff?)
Myself, I haven't been at all impressed with the performances of Owen Smith - I reckon he's got less passion than that sheep I pass in Penycoedcae every day on my way to work in Pontypridd.
Post a Comment