Bruce Anderson has a worthwhile CAPX piece on the speed with which Labour party incompetence has already raised Conservative party hopes of an unexpectedly rapid revival.
Labour are setting the stage for a Tory revival
Autumn approaches, but not much in the way of mellow fruitfulness. In the UK, the public mood has not seemed gloomier since the late 1970s. In much of the US, for gloom, read anger. On both sides of the Atlantic, there is a withdrawal of faith in institutions and in democracy itself. This is alarming.
In Britain, a new government usually leads to a renewal of optimism. This has been especially true of left-wing victors. In 1945, 1964 and 1997, there was a feeling of political rebirth. In the two latter instances, there was a considerable element of meretriciousness. Yet even so, the new masters made much of the country feel better about itself.
There is little sign of that now. Keir Starmer is a difficult man to read. One suspects that he is much more left-wing than he has hitherto felt it safe to admit and that there is also a social chip. Whatever the explanation, there seems to be no generosity of spirit, no eloquence, no ability to reach out to the nation.
A short piece based on some fairly obvious Labour failings, but worth reading as self-inflicted chaos looms.
It was never likely that the Starmer government would have a prolonged honeymoon with the electorate. Yet no-one would have thought that the couple would be sleeping in separate bedrooms quite this early. Labour still has a massive majority. To paraphrase Bagehot, one cannot underestimate the brute force of a parliamentary majority. But if the a government is only offering higher taxes on wealth creators plus all round wokery and no measures to deal with immigration, a Tory recovery might come sooner than would have seemed remotely possible in the aftermath of the recent unprecedented defeat.
10 comments:
"Keir Starmer is a difficult man to read. One suspects that he is much more left-wing than he has hitherto felt it safe to admit and that there is also a social chip. Whatever the explanation, there seems to be no generosity of spirit, no eloquence, no ability to reach out to the nation."
That personality issue is a big factor. Whatever other issues, that corrupt clown Boris had it. Farage has it. Even Rayner has a bit of it, and Ed Davey understands its importance and tries unsuccessfully to cultivate it. Governments can get by without it, but it goes a long way towards fending off contempt when things go wrong.
There are still plenty of chipper Labourites on X, but we'll see how durable that is when the policies start to fail.
Sam - yes it's a big factor and odd that the party didn't learn the lesson of Corbyn who doesn't have it either. Ideology perceived as more serious and important perhaps, but the party will have a problem buffing up Starmer's image now. Ideology won't do it.
One always expects or hopes that a prime minister has some sort of charisma, an outgoing persona, and a general grasp of Britishness, but Starmer has none of these qualities. I think that he'll often be ignored by other leaders, especially Donald Trump, and then the Labour bitching will really start!
I suspect that the top echelons of Labour believe in their own 'Noble Lies'. The Noble Lies that hide their actions from the Little People in the Cause of Progress. Because the Cause is the Most Important Thing In The Whole World.
Eventually, whether religious or political, the Noble Lies collapses under their own internal contradictions. It might take a while for Reality to get its teeth in but "reality bites". And I suspect that the Labour shenanigans have already progressed beyond this point and it's downhill from now on.
Anon - I agree, he doesn't even have the ability to appear comfortable in the role. I don't see how he made it as a barrister either.
DJ - yes, as genuine hardship has faded over the decades, Labour has abandoned its roots in favour of Noble Lies based on fictitious hardship. The speed of the collapse may indicate something important about a public appetite for lies where hardship is being promoted rather than mitigated.
Now I am seriously depressed. The resurrected cadaver of a Tory party as an alternative? This is the last line of Animal Farm brought to life.
I am mature, but if I was a young engineer again I would get out, emigrate, and not to some "Western" woke country. Somewhere that makes or produces useful stuff. Much like Surkier's father, whom he denigrates, did.
I cannot believe that Surkeir did much real barristering either. More likely finnagling his way up the slimey pole.
Abusers are all charm and smarm until the wedding. Then it's all coercive control and "now look what you made me do".
It was gratifying to note that a goodly number of the comrades themselves are trying to organise a motion of no confidence in the pillock
Doonhamer - I'm not keen either, especially as Tory MPs are now safe seat squatters, but the party has the political machinery and the brand. Their problem is how to be Reform while remaining wet.
decnine - Starmer's political weakness is his lack of charm. He may push the coercive control, but his party may decide he has too little to offer as a long term leader. Should be interesting to watch.
Jannie - it was gratifying, and so soon too.
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