Although Andrew Rawnsley is increasingly unlikely to live to regret having called his latest best-seller on the British Labour Party The end of the party given the way the Tory lead has widened again this past weekend, making the possibility of a British Labour defeat more probable, I must confess that there are some striking revelations in the book which rather than relying on third party sources, are attributed directly to persons, some of whom are still actively involved in British politics. This does not mean that I am in total agreement with his summary conclusions, but being as Rawnsley happens to be one of the most regular columnists of my favourite Sunday British newspaper The Observer, I might be prejudiced in concluding that one risks missing the riveting story he has to tell by deliberately choosing to ignore this best-seller altogether.
Even though due to the tabloids’ serialisation many were led to believe that the book had merely set out to debunk Gordon Brown, most of its chapters are taken up with private conversations and politicians’ insights and asides, linked to the Blair administration from 2001 onwards – including his dealings with GW Bush.
There is one particular instance which I found at once amusing and frightening. When according to Rawnsley the British ‘foolishly’ relied on the assumption that Colin Powell and his State Department would be supervising the post-war reconstruction in Iraq. Rawnsley tells us that although the State Department showed the British “very extensive and detailed plans” which brought together “lots of expertise about what should be done” the problem was that the British were talking to the wrong Americans.
Rawnsley writes that in the Pentagon, the State Department was derided as The Department of Nice – with the consequence that Powell’s department was frozen out and its planning cast aside as Rumsfield seized control of the running of post-war Iraq, even though the Pentagon did not have a properly conceived idea of what to do.
In Malta it might be tough and mere wishful thinking to aspire to come across a Department of Nice in the Gonzi administration or party – what with the over the top control freaks in the respective engine rooms – but it is evident that a multi-track approach has been adopted in attempting to rubbish the Labour Party.
Forgetting for a moment those sources – including traditional party media – who are known to never have a kind word for anything that the PL does, and irrespective of who may be leading it, one can easily tell from the way Joseph Muscat was ‘handled’ during Bondi+ and the way Muscat’s impressive and heart felt speech on the occasion of the 31 March was not only downplayed by the Nationalist leading media, but also neutered almost beyond recognition by certain non-political (sic) newspapers.
Some butchered it, others relegated it to the inside pages, while others watered it down beyond recognition.
The reason behind this is that Joseph Muscat so far has proved elusive to target and the PN are deeply worried that if he remains on track Labour has suddenly turned electable. So what better option other than to use state broadcasting, party media and other related hacks to try and derail his project.
Until recently Net TV was busy using stock film of his alongside Alfred Sant to give the impression that he was a relatively young teenager just beginning to move into the ‘real world.’
The next it did was latch onto a wry and tongue in cheek comment of his on Bondi+ that he must have grown older since they last met, to give the impression that the burden of being an Opposition leader was too much for him to carry, and that he felt as if he had aged – thus implying that the mind boggles at how cumbersome he would be inclined to find the task of actually governing the country.
Inspite of the various interesting comments passed during Bondi+ and sharp replies given to the loaded but expected questions of the weekly host of the by now equally predictable programme, what intrigued me most was that both the Nationalist official newspaper and a leading daily newspaper picked on the same title for their report of the Bondi+ show. Muscat’s attendance at dinners hosted by Sandro Chetcuti who was to be seen in the company of former Nationalist Minister Michael Falzon in Republic Street right across Cordina’s until the eve of the deplorable attack on Vince Farrugia. By the time of writing there have been no denials of media claims that MEPA’s forefather – ex-Minister Falzon – was in the process of acquiring a local radio station together with the same Chetcuti who is known in the 2nd district for his regularly shifting political allegiances. On the other hand, God forbid if Joseph Muscat had to be seen in the company of Zeppi l-Hafi!
At Vittoriosa, Muscat made some important points that the PN friendly independent media chose to ignore or gloss over. That we must close ranks since we cannot meet these challenges as a divided people.
Quoting Oliver Friggieri, he said that he too would love to see a new Malta, a sentiment echoed by the majority of well meaning Maltese citizens. He yearned for the days when not only will hatred be put aside, but also years of lack of communication, as well as politically divided families.
His best quote was that we should aspire to have a united Malta where every Labourite will not have any second thoughts about treasuring Independence while every Nationalist will have no qualms about equally treasuring our hard earned political freedom from colonial rule and or occupation.
Although I still have to come across a single quote by a Nationalist leader – be it EFA or Gonzi, praising a Labour leader, except when they might pass away or else split ranks with the party, Joseph Muscat showed political bravery when he stated boldly that Malta’s leading statesmen did not set out to achieve certain landmark days only for the people on their party’s side. “George Borg Olivier ma kisibx l-indipendenza ghal nofs Malta imma ghal Malta shiha. Kif missierna Duminku Mintoff ma kisibx il-Helsien ghal nofs il-pajjiz, imma ghal pajjiz shih.”
Just as telling was his quote: “Ghalija l-Indipendenza, ir-Repubblika u l-Helsien huma wild l-istess omm (Independence, the Republic and Freedom Day are all offspring of the same mother)... ahwa li forsi ilhom wisq ma jitkellmu bejniethom imma huma ahwa li jafu li meta taqta’ f’lahamhom se johrog l-istess demm... – Predictably these well honed remarks were invariably left out by the pro-PN leaning media out of fear that they could impact positively on discerning voters.
Rest assured that in the coming days and even months the PN will try to give the impression that once there is no longer such a wide ideological divide between the two main parties, it is better to settle for the devil we know than the devil we do not know, particularly since Gonzi has the ‘experience’ of governing while Muscat still has to make it as Premier. And so the spin will run – mark my words!
According to my sources, this is the info that is being also disseminated abroad by quarters sympathetic towards the Nationalist Party. As well as in EU circles by PN leaning staffers.
There might have been a time when the PL might have been perceived as conveying a message of gloom and doom but not anymore. In his speeches Joseph Muscat invariably offers a sense of vision by building on our needs and aspirations. Rather than conveying a message of despair he offers one of hope.
Although it is still a long way till election date – and as I see it, it remains highly unlikely that Gonzi might try to pull a fast one – Labour cannot at the same time afford to grow complacent. The same way that there is no free lunch for anyone, there are no such things as political walkovers particularly in a highly charged and polarised society like ours.
In my opinion the true reason why the PN and its acolytes have stepped up the pressure since the recent PL AGM when the movement of progressives and moderates was born, is that they suddenly realised that Joseph Muscat really meant business, that he was a political threat to the status quo, that Malta’s ‘natural’ government seriously risked being edged out, and that the PL had started sending out the effective message to working and middle class Maltese families that this is their party, with their interests and values at its heart. The game the PN is playing right now is not political. It is psychological.
They know Labour felt alien and threatening to certain people in the not too distant past. Given Labour’s new inroads, they want to make sure that people who suffered from certain anti-PL phobias will continue to do so.
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Leo Brincat is the Shadow Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development & Climate Change.