Cameron Manifesto Launch Speech

The text of Cameron's speech at the launch of the Tory manifesto can be read here, so let us take a closer look at what was said - and more importantly the 'hidden' message.

"No individual can solve all the problems on their own." Maybe not, but we would like the opportunity to try without the state telling us, before we start, how to do it.

Taking Cameron's call wanting and needing everyone to be involved, together with his 'invitation', makes for a worrying scenario. He talks about 'giving the people' power to do all wonderous things, be that in public services, education, law & order. But this is no more a different method than that used by Labour to get the people to act 'together'; to behave in a manner which will be dictated by the state. 

Any system whereby the state holds the purse-strings means that the state will always ultimately hold the 'trump card'. For example, Cameron's idea that "It is an invitation to every parent who wants a better education for their child: we'll give you the power to get a good new school in your community." only applies to state schools. But suppose parents want a grammar school - ah, then the invitation is not on offer, so where is the 'power'? Another example: "we'll give you the power to scrutinise what government spends and how it spends it so there is no more hiding place for waste and inefficiency." But what if we don't want it spent, where is the 'power'?

Rubbishing Labour's way of governing Cameron continues: "The Labour way assumes that only Big Government can solve our problems. But the alternative to Big Government is not no government. Focusing on what needs to be done and working with people to achieve it. It’s the partner of the Big Society, not its boss." Good and effective government can only occur when there is the minimum of government. When what needs to be done is dictated by the state, it does not make it good government. More importantly the Big Society is, unfortunately, just 'collectivism' under another name; and 'collectivism' kills 'individualism' as history has shown.

Yet another example of 'collectivism' and the negation of peoples choice and liberty is: "It's about we, the people. And it’s time to say to those who think it’s all about unchecked individualism.....no, it's not about me, the individual. It's about we, the people. Not government on its own, not individuals on their own but we, the people, together... ...coming together, working together, achieving together, making this country better, together. Not just the state. Not just the individual." This section of Cameron's speech is about control - control of the people by the state. Witness this, later in his speech: "So let’s use the state to help remake society – encouraging, inspiring and galvanising social action." Note the first part of this statement: 'lets use the state to help remake society' - what was not said was "in the states image"!

Politicians love power - lets face it, they have been accumulating it, at our expense, for decades now. If Cameron truly believed that "We should remember the basic rule: that when you give people responsibility, they behave responsibly." then he would immediately devolve to local authorities all that has been devolved to Scotland - in other words he would let local people govern themselves through their elected local councillors and thus let local people decide the type of society in which they wished to live.

Cameron concludes with what he believes are stirring words, amongst which are: "We're all in this together. Government has an important role to play. But the people’s role is even bigger." If we are all in this together; if government has an important role to play; if the people's role is even bigger; then how about giving us the say on how we are governed and who by? Oh silly me, that would mean a referendum on our membership of the EU and that would never do! Unfortunately that denial of a referendum knocks a hole in Cameron's statement "Its we the people"!

Update: Gerald Warner says it too!