I decided to look up William Hague’s ‘foreign land’ speech which he gave at the Conservative Spring Forum in Harrogate in 2001. Remember it provoked much outrage at the time, with some even alleging racism. Here is the relevant extract:
Just imagine four more years of Labour. Try to picture what our country would look like. Let me take you on a journey to a foreign land - to Britain after a second term of Tony Blair. The Royal Mint melting down pound coins as the euro notes start to circulate. Our currency gone forever.
The Chancellor returning from Brussels carrying instructions to raise taxes still further. Control over our own economy given away. The jail doors opening as thousands more serious criminals walk out early to offend again. Police morale at a new low. The price gauge on the petrol pump spinning ever faster as fuel taxes rise still further. Letters arriving on doorsteps cancelling yet another round of hospital operations under a Government that is all spin and no delivery.
That’s Labour’s Britain four years from now.
Six years later, and apart from the currency point, every other prophecy has come true. Remind me, why all the outrage about the speech back then?
April 4th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
I hate to say it Bel.
You are right.
And I admit to being uncomfortable back then.
Thanks for the fresh perspective.
April 4th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
You’re welcome, Joe.
April 5th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Maybe because the media still bought Labour’s misrepresentation of the facts? They blindly believed Labour was honest and anyone who exposed the truth was supposedly a conspiracy theorist.
The turning point I think was the defeat of Labour’s multiculturalism argument. Things the Tories had been saying for years were suddenly seen to be reasonable and measured after all. Even Labour started looking again at what the Tories had been saying to remedy the problems Blairism had created. Naturally that has failed due to endemic incompetence.
As people awoke from the great Blair/Brown induced sleep, the thought that ‘Hey, maybe the Tories are on to something here’ by some journos actually got them scratching beneath the surface - and then Labour’s house of cards started to fall apart in slow motion.
April 5th, 2007 at 10:06 am
An excellent overview, Tony. Well said.
April 5th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
I had a huge argument with someone this week on Hague.
Clearly he was ahead of his time, but now would make the perfect leader; Churchillian in foresight and a great counter tot eh spin merchants.
Shame we are stuck with DC.
April 13th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Hague will be back I think.
Hague post Cameron is a far more enticing prospect than Brown post Blair.
Matt
April 18th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
I quite like Hague and he was dead right on the issues you mention. If he could rustle up that necessary ’statesman-like’ quality, which he has shown great signs of, we could see a future leader to trounce DC. Sure he’ll make his mark in the next government . . .