The Observer published the results of an extraordinary survey of the UK electorate yesterday. What they found was:
The survey by BritainThinks reveals an astonishing lack of faith in the political system among the British people, with less than 6% believing their politicians understand them. Some 75% say that UK politics is not fit for purpose.
As the Conservative party focuses on who its new leader should be, and the Brexit impasse continues with no solution in sight, 86% think the UK needs a strong leader more than ever — but only 21% think the next prime minister, whoever it may be, will be up to the job. Some 52% believe the country is heading for a Boris Johnson premiership.
They added:
Some 83% feel let down by the political establishment and almost three-quarters (73%) believe the country has become an international laughing stock and that British values are in decline.
And:
The poll found an extraordinary gulf in levels of optimism between the generations: while 52% of those aged over 65 said they felt optimistic about the country's future, this dropped to just 24% of under-34s.
What is this about? As the Guardian noted:
Pollster Deborah Mattinson said she was shocked by the findings. “I have been listening to people in focus groups since the late 1980s and I cannot recall a time when the national mood was more despairing. ‘Broken', ‘sad', ‘worried', ‘angry'— the negatives tumble out, as does the long list of grievances. I'm hearing anxieties voiced in a way that I haven't heard since the 1990s: a rundown NHS, job insecurity, teacher shortages.”
Might I put that another way? What Mattinson is seeing is the growth of disenchantment with the Tories and the destruction that they create within our society. That happened in the 90s. It is happening again. The trouble is, this time Labour is not ready to give people hope. And that is why people are left without hope because first past the post denies them any chance of it in that case.
The only comfort to most here is that we are not alone.
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[…] Without exceptions these candidates were all in cloud-cuckoo land. No wonder people are fed up with politics and politicians. […]
I’d be interested to know what that “long list of grievences” are? Austerity related?
They are in the linked article
Sorry. I didn’t realize there was a linked article – had to run the mouse all over the page to find it.
Things seldom turn out the same way twice, but if we can draw a parallel between the period after 2008 and the period after 1929, we are overdue for political turmoil and conflict.
When the economy takes a downwards turn (when, not if – as a result of Brexit, or the usual cyclical economics fluctuations, or a climatic disaster it becomes impossible to ignore) conditions are ripe for some sort of disruption – possibly civil disorder, possibly political insurrection. And then there will be clamour for a strong man to impose Order.
This may sound fanciful, but in another decade or two, we might see Trump and Brexit as harbingers of that insurrection.
So, what we need is an alternative…
Indeed
Polls, polls … balls.
I’m a tad disappointed professor that such great conclusions are drawn and championed based on:
” BritainThinks polled more than 2,000 people and hosted several focus groups in London and Leicester to gauge the national mood. ”
As everyone should know after the referendum, the snap election… the recent by-election, speculative polls are NOT reliable. Neither are focus groups. They are designed for product development and marketing – not politics.
The only poll that matters is the one collected in ballot boxes.
If the tories really thought they could win – they would have called one already.
If the MP’s dereliction of the manifestos and parties they were elected under thought the polls justify their treachery than they would have called bye elections.
If the current MP’s believed in grass roots bottom-up democracy they would let the local members decide in their choice of candidate at every opportunity, rather than be inflicted on a constituency from top-down.
Yup the charlatans old game of flim-flam jncluding dodgy polling is at an end – pandering to such failed opinion ‘makers’ is wrong in many ways.
I disagree: they do of course have margins for error, but not by the scale indicated here
Let’s not pretend what is not true
I fear that you contribute in part to that despair with your remark that Labour does not offer hope. The commitment to end austerity surely addresses the root cause of all dissatisfaction?
No, it does not
It has to be meaningful
And Corbyn’s plans do not add up to a meaningful commitment, not least because he wants to leave the EU
At least Tom Watson has the courage to say what Labour should be saying
Not so fast. (new) Labour is equally to blame. It’s a long term trend originating well before the current Tory administration…