Ben Sixsmith has what is perhaps with various caveats an almost mildly uplifting Critic piece on the prospects of rational political discourse after the next general election.
Get ready for opposition
The bright side of a Tory loss
In 2010, the eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull sent ash clouds drifting across Europe. The Smolensk air disaster killed much of the government of Poland. WikiLeaks released thousands of documents concerning the Iraq War. Lady Gaga’s first album came out.
David Cameron became Prime Minister of the UK.
The Conservatives have been in power ever since. Weird to think about, isn’t it? Someone who was born in May 2010 will soon be a teenager.
For the past twelve years, right-wing commentators — Peter Hitchens aside — have been commentating with one eye on government. Even if we did not like the government — and many of us didn’t — we thought there was at least some glimmer of a chance that we could nudge it in the right direction. If only Dominic Cummings sees this … If only Kemi Badenoch becomes PM … If only …
The whole piece is well worth reading as we face up to the need for some kind of political convulsion in UK party politics. For years the Conservatives have had no intention whatever of delivering conservative government. The convulsion may have to be a Labour government.
Losing their (at least theoretical) association with the ruling party might give right-leaning thinkers and institutions a more coherent attitude towards themselves and their goals. They may become more explicitly oppositional, while also able to imagine positive ambitions without having to twist themselves into political pretzels in an effort to squeeze them through Westminster. Of course, ambitions are nothing without some amount of power — but people have to be worthy of power to put it to effective use.
Finally, a Labour government will be very, very funny. We’ll enjoy Keir Starmer frantically attempting to make sense of his little bag of contradictions. We’ll eat popcorn as the Corbynites feud with the New Labour nostalgists. We’ll watch MPs who can barely spell “policy” do policy (of course, that’s nothing new but it will be fun to have a different cast of characters). This might be small consolation, but what is life without morbid comedy?
5 comments:
I agree with most of that, but there are two possible situations which would make things less comedic. One is if Starmer either wants, or is forced by economic circumstances, to forge closer links to Europe. The second is that he could come up with some genuinely popular policies (writing off student debt? increasing state pensions?) or international circumstances could change and deliver prosperity despite his best efforts. That could mean two or even three Labour administrations ahead.
Just imagine, before you close your eyes for ever, your last glimpse being of a Labour UK.
Well maybe. Will the penny finally drop with enough people, that what is needed is a lot less government.
From observation of previous governments the Party that loses after a long run in power also needs a long recovery to recharge before they win again.
The risk is that an incoming Labour Government may last for more than one term - so however funny Sir Ikea might be at first it's joke that would grow stale with repetition.
We should be careful what we wish for.
'Riskier Armrest' (anag - the other 7-letter one for Starmer is 'smarter', so not ideal) is an obvious danger ahead. With the Cons in disarray, there's no competent opposition to Riskier.
Sam - to my mind there is a problem with voting for the least bad option. Voting against Corbyn seemed like a no-brainer and it is impossible to believe we aren't better off for it, but the Tories are so dire that voting for them now seems too short term.
Tammly - I don't think the penny will ever drop. People are too easily manipulated.
DJ - I agree, we should be careful what we wish for, but wishing for more of the same requires reflection too.
Ed - and maybe we ask ourselves how the opposition to Sir Kneel can become more competent. I don't see another spell in government making them more competent.
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