I do, of course, know that this is the summary of just one opinion poll, and that it was published in the Daily Mail:
Just as this is one opinion, published in an FT editorial:
The foundation of this UK government is a bunker of close allies surrounded by a lightweight, supine and largely ineffectual cabinet chosen mainly for their commitment to Brexit or their loyalty to Mr Johnson in last year's Conservative party leadership contest.
But both indicate, from differing perspectives, a common theme. That theme is, of course, political, but at the same time it is not party political. What is being seen is not, as such, a change of mind with regard to policy: rather, it is the collapse of political populism that is being revealed to be little more than a stream of slogans, each of little or no substance.
As Marina Hyde put it, from another angle, in The Guardian:
Part of what's disturbing was the vignette of a Britain Cummings himself did much to foment: grimly polarised, reflexively aggressive and running with an undercurrent of menace. His crowning triumph — the successful campaign to leave the EU — was a masterclass of stoking and exploiting divisions, unpleasantly emotive half-truths or untruths, and evidently considered itself above the law.
I think it is this that is now being rejected.
Of course, not everyone will agree. Johnson clearly will not. But then Johnson has now been revealed, even by commentators within his own party, as a man unable to govern on his own account, and who is utterly dependent upon Cummings.
Johnson is a pragmatist (which is not a crime), but also a man without political conviction or even thought who sought office for reasons of vanity and aggrandisement alone. Those are crimes against politics. And it has left us exposed to Cummings, a man very clearly devoid of principle, but possessed of supreme arrogance matched only by his contempt for others. The result is a poisoned mix.
It is not party political to say so: the manner in which Labour was run by a group around Corbyn, who also failed to convince anyone that he was in charge and who damaged his own party as a result, makes that clear.
Rather this is a matter of a British desire for competent government that they have been denied for too long. Last December's election was between two pretty awful choices as far as most people were concerned, and Johnson won purely on popularity stakes. But that majority is not, in that case, an indication of substantial political support. That is already melting away. Instead it was simply a matter of what many thought the worst-case option.
They were almost certainly wrong. They almost certainly got the worst-case option. And now they have to regret it, and are beginning to do so.
Where from here? It's hard to say. But I think we might see the beginning of the end of the polarisation of UK politics as a result of populism in what is happening.
What I hope is that we see the re-polarisation of politics around policy as a result. That would be to our great advantage.
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The breakdown by part of the country shows that this has played catastrophically here in Scotland. The figures are very much worse up here. Bear that in mind wrt Douglas Ross’s resignation. He has a tiny majority and was just worried about re-election.
A lot of the Labour unionists who defected to the Tories when Kezia Dugdale vacillated over Indy have now swung back to the Red Tories. Unionist seesaws. But there’s hope if this stuck in their craws.
Without dwelling on detail, the sheer volume of “steamroller” responses from Robert Jenrick to questioning by Mishal Husain, in the prime 08.10 interview spot on Today clearly indicates the direction of travel: Dominic is to be covered at all costs.
Absolutely no contrition for the perpetrated acts, and also a clear attempt to cover several months of errors by explaining how things are gradually improving on important matters such as PPE at the moment, without regard for the fact that this is much too late for many, many poor souls, and the same insouciance with respect to the huge tardiness on testing and tracing.
Shameful, hard-faced grandstanding, but if one has even lost the Mail, then why not unleash one’s inner scoundrel?
My concern is the likely erosion of respect for scientific advice. We have had 2 key scientists (Calderwood and Ferguson) and Cummings, whilst not a scientist, is a member of SAGE, all choosing to ignore their own scientific advice. Did they not believe what the science was saying?
Yes, they do believe
But they also believed that they were immune – that if others complied as they told them to that they could free-ride the system
“British desire for competent government that they have been denied for too long. Last December’s election was between two pretty awful choices as far as most people were concerned”
When shall the people of England (because that’s who mostly influences a U.K. general election) decide they want to change the first past the post voting system that is partly to blame for this stagnation in WM politics?
It was pointed out by a commentator on here the other day, that the most progressive years of SNP government were when they led a minority government. I think that commentator is entirely correct in this regard.
It may seem in Scotland that the proportional representation system is producing a fptp type result at present. However, the system always allows for this to change and smaller parties to gain representation. Just consider the number of Conservative MSP’s. Or the Scottish Green Party. I think this encourages people to vote, and generally take an interest in the political parties.
The voting system in Scotland isn’t perfect. No system is. Maybe it requires reform too. Some people suggest it does. However, before devolution our only experience of voting systems for parliament was the fptp system, which I believe promotes apathy. Why bother voting in a constituency where your preferred option has no chance?
It’s time for England to force change at WM. Try a different voting system. Maybe this could help.
I was fed up with WM long ago, and want Scotland out of it.
I think your proposition would prove correct if there were another election tomorrow or anytime soon as I suspect nearly every Tory MP in the NE would find their time in parliament very short-lived. Mind you, even before the Cummings saga I was 100% certain that most if not all of them would only be one term MPs as they cannot deliver anything the north east needs – or indeed in any other part of the north that fell to the Tories at the last election. Their ideology (and Brexit) forbids it. Then again, I’ve no doubt they can and will spend most of their latter years in power blaming their inaction and every failure on being ‘blown off course’ by the Covid-19 crisis.
Oops – here I am again…………look, my view is that this is very superficial.
People – some of whom have seen relations die from a painful distance or spoken to elderly relatives on the phone or through windows as has happened in my family – are rightly angry at someone who chose to do things their way and bugger everyone else.
That is bad enough – but that is all it is. I do not see a deeper realisation or a public epiphany of some sorts (such as ‘Aren’t the Tories a real bunch cruel bastards?’) emerging from all of this. If the Tories are brought down by it, it will just be collateral damage on the rest of their jaundiced ideas about how a state should be ran. It will not constitute a rejection of them as a party by the public who will still be ripe for manipulation.
I have yet to be convinced that the public are now more aware of what is actually going on. If they were aware as say George Monbiot, that would be another matter – but they are not and no one can manipulate that better than Cummings and the Tory party.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/27/privatisation-uk-disatrous-coronavirus-response-ppe-care-homes-corporate-power-public-policy
Lets not get ahead of ourselves eh? There is still a long way to go.
I hope, for once, that you are wrong
From what I understand the fact that what you may consider Tory supporting papers turning on the government (such as it is!), cannot be taken at face value. Rumours abound that Gove (supported by the Mail) will replace Johnson (supported by the Telegraph) sometime in July. There are dark powers behind all this no doubt linked to a hard/clean/pure/whatever Brexit funded by extreme rt wing groups.
I wrote to my MP (Chope) and had a stock reply that referred me to the Telegraph leader (behind a paywall naturally). No need to investigate as all the Johnson supporting MPs are using the same cut-n-paste text.
On a side note there is an astonishing interview with Gove on Sky where is asked a question by Kay Burley from a Bishop about Cummings etc. His response was “I wish the Bishop well”. When asked if that was all he would say he simply repeated that!
In normal times he would be locked up for being unstable!
I cannot see anyone accepting Gove…
Least of all in Scotland, where Gove is perhaps even less well-liked and less trusted than Johnson.
Ask teenagers what they think of him….
“Rather this is a matter of a British desire for competent government that they have been denied for too long.”
This is true of course, but not the whole story. Cummings exploited a public perception, but he did not create it ‘ex nihilo’. He found it. It was always there. He used it, but it already existed, largely unnoticed, under a stone; a very large stone. If you wish to kick the stone over and inspect what lies beneath, you need not look far. Go to the Telegraph web pages, and inspect the comments, underneath the articles. There is the reality; not the only reality, not perhaps the majority, but still real – and still sougnt after by vested interests and politicians. It may have to spend more time under the stone than in recent times now, but even if that is true, it will still be there; festering, waiting for its next Cummings to arise.
Agreed
Some will always want this
Hi Richard.
Not related to this particular thread but was wondering if you ever watch/follow Novara Media?
They are doing some good nightly interviews at the moment. They had Rutger Bregman on last night talking about his latest book.
Would you be up for going on and talking all things tax and MMT? I think they have a blind spot on economics/debt/borrowing and could do with hearing what you have to say.
They are building an alternative media following. Could be a good way to join forces and get the message out there?
I have sent them a mail.
Did they ever get back to you or did you mean that you contacted them recently?
Hope they take you up on the offer.
I have not heard back as yet
Hi Richard,
Double Down news have also featured some very good pieces from commentators. Have you asked, or have they invited you on yet to talk about MMT and tax?
Regards.
At your suggestion, I have contacted them
I have written twice so far to my MP, former Johnson advisor James Wild, (on Monday and Wednesday) with as yet no response bar the automated acknowledgement one always gets. A third message from me will hit his inbox tomorrow morning if I have no proper response by then to either of my first two.
Worth trying…
I have had no response from my MP as yet
Richard.
Just a thought.
Novara Media did a bit of a critique of the BBC economic analysis from earlier in the week, but missed a few key points.
I’ve added the link. They start talking about it 22 minutes into the program.
https://novaramedia.com/2020/05/22/johnson-in-retreat/
If you do get an invite to appear in the future, then revisiting the BBC article may be a good focal point? They could cut it up into segments and you could then comment on each statement in turn?
Hope they offer you a slot.
Out of interest Richard.
Do you know James Meadway? I believe he advised John McDonnell for a while. Did your paths ever cross?
Our paths crossed in numerous ways for some time