New Labour broadband promise, say something, do nothing
Well the government is leading the way again, with a promise that we can all have broadband by 2012, with speeds up to a earth shattering 2mbps. Wow, this is likely to be news across the world, isn’t it? Well no, of course not.
But once again this government of spin is making promises way before the detail has been agreed. Such as, how it will be achieved, who will be responsible, who will pay etc. We are told it will be a combination of fibre optics, upgraded copper, mobile and satellite communications. So where is the big story then? Other than the fact that the government has demonstrated a lack of any real ambition. I mean 2mbps, the average in the UK is currently only a measly 3mbps, despite unrealistic promises from Internet service providers to the contrary. But really, everyone knows that technology moves apace, how can this government be taken seriously when all they can promise (as empty as their promises invariably are), is 2mbps by 2012. By then, it is highly probable that the majority of homes will already enjoy speeds of up to 50mbps, in spite of this governments promises, not because of them.
Now admittedly this is just an interim report, but please, what was the point in an announcement? It demonstrates either a complete lack of ambition and/or a failure to understand the subject matter. Reports like this should contain a strategy, numbers, justifications, challenges and so on. Instead, it has just been taken at face value by government ministers and turned into a bit of opportunistic political spin.
Gordon Brown and New Labour have demonstrated, if any further proof was necessary, that not only are they completely out of touch, but that New Labour is the say something, do nothing party when it comes to anything other than spending our money or attacking our civil liberties.
You make a bloody good point about Gordon Brown and his cronies that are New Labour. They are forever making promises, basking in the glory and then failing to deliver. So inevitably the idea gets quietly swept under the carpet.
Yes, they will spend taxpayers money, protect their lavish expense accounts and continually erode our civil liberties. But very little else.
Given Gordon Brown likes to mock Cameron with his claim that they are the “do nothing party”, I think he should be given a taste of his own medicine. Especially given his government is truly the ‘say something, do nothing party’. I think political bloggers should pick up on your term and use it in their posts, as a tag and as a (New Labour) category.
With your permission, I would like to complete a post on this issue.
UK Voter
30 January, 2009 at 6:15 pm
UK Voter: Excellent point, I would be more than happy for you to expand on my rhetoric and anyone else for that matter.
British Politics
30 January, 2009 at 6:48 pm
[...] an article on New Labours plan for broadband over on the British Politics blog I was taken by acomment included in the post, not directly [...]
New Labour, the say something, do nothing party | Power to the People! UK Politic's Blog, Commentary and Opinions
30 January, 2009 at 7:06 pm
This is fairly typical of the people in this country. Everyone forgets the state of this country, back in 79. Mass under-development in our infra-structure has brought all this about. There has been warnings harking back many years, that the data/comms backbone in Britain is less than fit for purpose and will not sustain a growing financial services industry, let alone a highway for Joe public to surf. Gordon Brown and his so called cronies maybe to blame for the underinvestment in the last few years but remember this goes back many generations. And what happened to all those corporate fat-cats in the industry itself, shouldn’t they be brought to book for their short-sightedness, as well.
Disgruntled Voter
30 January, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Disguntled Voter: I don’t deny that there are others that could be held accountable, but lets not forget, that New labour has been in power for nearly 12 years. In addition, they have had literally £billions to invest in infrastructure, but instead they have squandered much of it on simply paying more for the same.
British Politics
31 January, 2009 at 10:31 am