Ashcroft's conditional love (or on being condemned to mirroring our competition)

Ashcroft is probably a case of conditional love writ about as large as it can get.  Who knows what he expects in return?

We on the thoughtful side of politics should want to have nothing to do with such conditionality.  And so it is that I read these words at Dave's place with great sadness:

Villiers hammers Unite for this, but not BA bosses. Labour hammers Unite for it too, and not BA bosses – thus Lord Adonis and Gordon Brown.

So with all this talk of Unite funding the Labour Party, and “half the cabinet” and what has it purchased?

Is there really no alternative to this pork-barrel approach to political relationships?  Are we condemned to being locked in to mirroring our competition always?