I hate to say it, but the Tories are sounding like a party heading for Government. While the Lib Dems have also done well in announcing some strong policies for the future, before conference season (a bit of a mistake, perhaps), the Tories have hit the nail on the head in getting their coverage at the right time. In the process they have already managed to thoroughly embarrass Labour on issues that Labour should traditionally be at the forefront of.

If there is one thing that this news of a renewed push by Compass and it's supporters of the Windfall Tax shows, it's that Labour are indeed in desperate times. It's not really that they're pushing for a potentially market destabilising tax at the height of an economic crisis, nor that they're actually ignoring their original mantra and reasoning for pushing for a windfall tax by also ignoring that Brown and Darling has done their first and only good deal on long term energy saving measures paid for primarily by the energy companies. No, it's all about the language they're using.

Calling for a windfall tax to help working families, Mr Woodley said "lagging the lofts won't stop us lagging in the polls". - BBC

So the Labour party is continuing to devolve in to chaos. Rather than accept this and sort it out once and for all, Gordon and the senior ministers in the party are actively pushing to continue turmoil and heighten the disillusionment. Hanging on the power by less and less of a grip, people are trying to save the administration with vacuous statements such as...

I hope people will stop distracting us from the task in hand, which is to respond to the real problems people are facing in our constituencies up and down the country. - Phil Hope

I happen to agree, this isn't the right time. Labour should be carving a new way forward, knuckling down to combat the threat of the Tories taking power in a way that the Lib Dem's are currently doing so well in my opinion. But can they really be expected to do that while they have a leadership that has brought the party to their lowest standing in decades?

I've recently blogged on this issue and since posting it I've had some time to consider my opinion further. After visiting the statement-not-substance facebook group to ask for clarification about what the aims are of Compass, and those that support a windfall tax on energy and oil companies, also asking in several other blogs for a greater idea of the figures and strategy, I've come to the conclusion this is a very dangerous proposition to be supporting.

The reasons for this conclusion? Firstly, the figures...they don't add up, especially when you consider how little Compass and other supporters of this windfall tax actually talk about figures other than taking corporate profits completely out of context. Secondly, mixed messages. The call for a windfall tax is a catch-all political statement rather than a real solution, much like the everything to every person Lib Dem transport policy. And finally time-scales, if this truly is some level of mass altruism based upon a belief that only Labour (or the left) can solve the world's problems then it's missing the point of who is really going to benefit from this move at this time.

I'm seeing a surprising number (and by surprising I mean more than one, and more than just devout Labour supporters) of people supporting what are absolutely obscene benefit reform proposals, proposals we have just about zero chance of stopping unfortunately. Take, for example, supposedly Liberal Anders Hanson who thinks that no harm can come of it...

But regardless of your circumstances, I think everyone can do some form of voluntary community service whilst being unemployed. It keeps you in the habit of getting up and going to work (even if it is only once or twice a week that you do it) and it helps put something back in whilst you receive your benefit. This shouldn’t be seen as a punishment as the Government seem to be making it. It should simply be a way of contributing.

And what happens when that person refuses to "contribute"? They get no benefits, that's cool right?

Not a pun on Gordon Brown's affliction, but instead the current state of politics which means that political parties simply cannot afford to be different to each other. From Cameron fearing the new Lib Dem tax policy so being forced to admit that his "tax cut" agenda isn't set in stone at all, to Brown aping the Tory policies on forced labour for benefits, and all of this after the Lib Dems craftily stole the main points of Labours transport policy.

Of course while I think the Lib Dem policy is hypocritical garbage, and the news of Cameron willing to raise taxes is like saying the sky is blue, the Labour party never fail to surprise me in how far they're willing to go to become the nasty party, and to completely abandon the kind of liberal thinking that changed the face of this country over a decade ago.

Continuing with my theme of highlighting when I'm actually impressed with Labour, given how little it has happened in the last year, I am happy to say that I'm actually glad for once that Caroline Flint has opened her gob. Usually all that falls out of it is garbage, but when it comes to rent then buy schemes she wants to set up finally there could be something at least resembling roses flowing instead.

Unfortunately with every silver lining there must be a thunderstorm of moronic proportions. Undoing any shred of good work that she started at the beginning of the week, Jacqui Smith has gone back in to nasty mode in such a way that surely the Tory old guard must be blushing.

And while we're at it why don't we throw in the fact that the Lib Dem's have announced their own strategy to tackle youth crime, one that looks like a pantheon of saintly forgiveness compared to the now fleshed out policies of Smith.

Yesterday the new Finance bill went through with a comfortable vote on all counts, the government and Labour party clearly rallied together enough not to enable the Tories to claim a victory here. The main crux of the debates yesterday surrounded car taxation and partly fuel duty for those in "remote rural" areas.

Without sugar coating it, the debate was awful. It was engaging in a way that usually only a minor car accident can be, and definitely showed the worst of our elected representatives.

There is little more comforting to me right now than the idea of Keith Vaz fighting for his job. Whether it's because he was actually audacious enough to believe he would get away with gaining a public honour for voting (and convincing others to vote) for the illiberal 42 day legislation, or because he was simply so stupid as to stare evidence in the face and disregard it 6 months later, I'm just glad he's maybe getting screwed.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not vindictive, but as Aaron over at Tygerland says, if you're stupid enough to get caught then you deserve to be punished.

Across the blogosphere the big question over the last few days has been "will you or won't you?", of course in reference to "backing David Davis" in his by-election campaign.

The political scene seems split, those that supported 42 days are joined by those that were against it as old partisan divisions resurface, the saddest reality being that principles come after party colours no matter how much those colours have run.

So where will I stand?