This morning has the feeling of being ‘the week after'.
There is no reshuffle.
Or King's Speech.
Nor is there an autumn statement.
There is just the awful reality that we have to live with, which is that the bunch of incompetent individuals now in charge are still here until they are, inevitably, replaced by another shower possessed of excessive personal ambition and not the slightest idea about what they wish to achieve with the political power that they so desperately crave.
Let's ignore the details. Arguments on whether or not we will get a Rwanda Bill this week make almost no difference, not least because any such legislation is not going to make it through the Lords this side of any election. Instead, let's just muse on why we got to this dreadful point.
I can make the answer to that really quite complex or quite straightforward.
There are three reasons why we have such dreadful politicians. One is that the culture of neoliberalism is to focus solely on personal success, defined by material consumption, irrespective of context. After forty years of UK politics embracing that culture, we have inevitably got politicians who act solely in pursuit of their own self-interest. It is hard to explain the absence of any ideas, at least from the leadership of the two main parties, in any other way.
Then there is the fact that those two parties feel themselves utterly immune to challenge because of the first-past-the-post electoral system. Even now, we assume the Tories will be back. That is despite the fact that they are very clearly a zombie political party that deserves to be put out of its misery forever. Given that our political system actively rewards incompetence by perpetuating it, of course incompetence is what we get.
And third? There is the legacy of Thatcher. She said, 'There is no alternative', and that is now what politicians believe. It is neoliberalism or nothing as far as our politicians are concerned, with their sole task being to route as much of the state's revenue to the private sector as they can manage.
Of course, we're in a mess. All the rest is details, from Brexit onwards. These are the causes. The capture of politics by a single, totally false narrative has guaranteed our failure. We must now suffer it or change the way that we think. Those are the choices left open to us.
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Are you ‘YES’ yet?
I find that question deeply annoying.
I have never not been in favour of EU membership, from 1973 onwards, so why ask me?
I took that to be a question about Scottish independence. Was I wrong?
It could be
But it is more than that
Thank you, Richard.
I keep meaning to e-mail you some tidbits about the UK’s relationship with the EU. Next year, I will be part of a City initiative to rebuild bridges and take discussions off line, away from the media and political spotlight, and into a more technocratic, but no less important, arena. This chimes with how the EU sees the relationship. Before I dash, let me say that I reckon the Tories are more likely to begin the long march back than Starmer. Some of Starmer’s neo con backers are Atlanticist, and, if one is Palestinian, worse, and anti-EU.
I suspect the long march back has already begun with the appointment of Cameron, who was famously in favour of remaining, as Foreign Secretary.
There are no conduits available to the mass of the populace where any dissenting or constructive ideas can be disseminated. The media largely captured by the neoliberals and right wing money, our education system captured by Matthew Arnold’s 1860 concept whereby the populace become numerate, literate and know their place (Gove’s hero).
We are reduced to countering simplistic narratives, in the face of massive problems.
People cannot conceive that they are merely units of labour under neoliberalism, their humanity rails against it, yet nobody can grasp any power since almost all avenues to power are now closed with the demise of democratic Labour.
When I try to explain or illustrate reality to anyone, I am the one seen as deluded (or loony left etc).
It is exhausting and dispiriting.
Why else are those with a disability being forced into work?
“Why else are those with a disability being forced into work?”
They are not.. they are targeting those who abuse the benefit system. Or do you think it is fine to abuse State benefits? that there is no cost?
You clealry know nothing about disability, benefits and the tiny amount of benefit fraud that takes place conmpared to tax fraud and benefits unclaimed.
I wonder how you live with yourself.
Finkelstein wrote about it in1980. The disabled and elderly are economically inactive, and therefore superfluous to capitalism. Ergo, for Johnson and Sunak, they might as well die.
“and the tiny amount of benefit fraud”
How do you know? … i live in derby and there are generations that have lived on the social for pretty much their entire life. Where you live you probably don’t see it like i do.
The figure is pesistently audited by the NAO
You are talking nonsense
You have also convincingly proved yourself a troll by your pattern of posting
Also by their choice of obviously false moniker, Bruce Foxton being the bassist for The Jam (a popular beat combo, m’Lud) 🙂
I presumed it was something like that.
I remarked to a friend in the weekend that we are all follow our self-interests. Some self-interests are more enlightened and accommodating towards other people’s points of view. Some others assume to speak for a whole collective and call those who disagree with them enemies of the people. And some act upon their self interest with pure selfishness in pursuit of money and financial interest.
This list is not complete by any means. A lot of politicians in the west fit in the categories of 2 and 3. Of course we can speak out against them but we know we will be called the enemies of the people who hate the idea of people having money and that climate activism is a hobby the rest of society cant afford.
It’s very hard to see how necessary radical change can come about through existing political structures, when those structures have been largely captured by those whose interests lie in keeping the status quo. Historically such changes have tended to come about by external forces involving considerable violence – war, disease or famine. We seem to be heading towards all three, so there’s that, I suppose…
I sense a lot of increasingly despairing posts which I confess chime with my own feelings – and not without good reason. However I’m wondering if there’s beginning to be a sense that things could be different, that people want them to be different.
I was listening to any answers on Radio 4 on Saturday, to responses to the budget, and was rather astonished at what I heard ( considering I often turn this off in disgust at some of the views expressed). Caller after caller said that what they wanted were better public services and not tax cuts, suggested ways that income should be redistributed and that “equality is the solution to our problems”. The point was made that unearned wealth should be taxed as much as earned income. It was also suggested that we increase the basic personal allowance to lift people out of poverty, and that tax is good; it gives us decent infrastructure, health care, schools etc. Some suggetions were quite detailed. These views were almost unanimous
I know this is a rather limited cross section, but there are people out there clearly ready for a different narrative and one that is fairer and more inclusive.
You are right, we need a plan, and we need a bloody good narrative to communicate that plan. I have no doubt it would be welcomed by many!
Thanks
Thank you, Richard.
“The capture of politics by a single, totally false narrative has guaranteed our failure.”
That capture continues. My former colleagues at the bank trade association attended the big party conferences and, over the autumn, have continued their engagements with workshops. This year’s programme concludes with a Christmas reception for parliamentarians next week.
From what former colleagues say, Labour’s Treasury team, especially front bench newcomer Darren Jones, was eager to please and show it’s ready for power and how responsible and grown up it is and, in power, will be. Labour cheerfully implied it ignores its membership and trade union backers and even hinted at contempt for the base. The Liberal Orange Book tendency, who I call the Liberal Orange Order, were at it again and even mused about having a Eurozone and German style limit on budget deficits written in law, even the constitution if it’s ever codified. The limit is one of the bees in the Liberal leader’s bonnet.
I was involved with the above in the run-up to the 2010 election and met Cameron, Osborne, Clarke, Darling, Balls, Reeves and Cable. The bank bosses, afterwards, were contemptuous of Cameron* and Osborne**, especially over foreign policy and their lack of understanding of how economies work, and pined for the jovial Clarke at the helm. I shared their contempt. Labour and the Liberals were little better and added they would impose harsher cuts than the Tories. They have not changed a dozen plus years later. Cameron is good at faking bonhommie. Future baronet Osborne gave the impression that he’s not comfortable in the presence of the lower orders and wanted the wall to swallow him.
Interesting report from the OECD today.
https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2023/nov/27/uk-spends-more-financing-inequality-in-favour-of-rich-than-rest-of-europe-report-finds
as you asked yesterday-in whose benefit do we run the economy?
That is the question to ask
I asked it yesterday
“there is no such thing as society” – Thatcher
She then went on about there being no such thing as entitlement unless an obligation has been met. I assume that meant that by going to Eton, someone is then entitled to become a politician. Seems to work that way judging by the number of them past and present.
Her callousness and stupidity shine through in equal measure in this article and sadly her influence is still here.
https://archive.ph/fAQSV
https://c7.alamy.com/comp/AAM9NR/1960s-man-in-tree-sawing-off-branch-he-is-sitting-on-adage-symbolic-AAM9NR.jpg
When I predicted that Johnson would do to the Tories what Lloyd George did to the Liberal Party after WW1, and fondly imagined that things couldn’t get worse, I hadn’t factored in the complete disaster that is the Labour Party at the moment.
Mea culpa.
I’m old enough to remember the immigration acts they passed, after all. And Jack Straw.
Blair wasn’t an outlier, was he?
“Blair wasn’t an outlier, was he?”
Not to be forgotten: The Labour Party’s current General Secretary is one David Evans, who was an Assistant Secretary under Blair and was known for having rewritten the Rule Book to remove Party democracy, aiming to have future Conferences without input from members or Trades Unions, just like the Conservatives – “turn up, listen to the leaders, applaud, leave”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Evans_(political_official)
I would beg to differ slightly with your comment reference a Rwanda Bill making almost no difference. It removes party politics from the issue and makes it a simple binary decision irrespective of your political outlook. Since the policy was ruled unlawful, one may accept the rule of law with all the implications that has for a civilised society and democracy such as it is in this country, or one may support the Tory Party but is not possible to do both.
With a new law it might be consistent with the rule of law.
Of course, to do hat the law might require that it be ruled that red is blue, or something akin to that, which is why this is unlikely to pass the Lords.
Ash Sarkar was a guest on Politics Live where she was able to vocalize a decent number of ‘tell it like it really is’ moments. This edition of Politics Live was well worth watching Emily Thornbury very deliberately dodge the issue of any potential Labour support for even the most modest iteration of taxing wealth. I just wish that a significant number of the genuinely Socialist MPs still remaining within the Labour Party, in the hope that the hard right lurch under Keir Starmer will change, wake up to the reality that there’s no hope of any return to Socialism before the upcoming election.
If these disillusioned sitting Socialist MPs, and former dedicated Socialist Labour MPs, ejected from the party under fake accusations of antisemitism, joined the Green Party we might get a real chance to be included in televised pre-election debates. This might offer the public a realistic alternative for voters who are deeply shocked by Starmer’s inhumane support for the ongoing Gaza genocide. It might provide the shock therapy necessary for the Labour leadership to rethink their stance on the war, the continued controversial supply of arms to Israel, as well as the pledge to continue toxic Tory policies like the two child limit that perpetuate child poverty.
The only reason Labour is still ahead in the polls is the lack of any credible political alternative to Tory rule. Labour MPs need to understand that under Starmer there is no realistic alternative to voting in Labour as a Tory tribute act, perpetuating austerity with the ‘no money left’ lie. There have been rumours of a new political party, but there would be little time for them to mobilize effectively and they would just fragment the vote even further, letting the Tories back in.
In the past, the Green Party has been falsely marginalized as a one issue party. However, the Green Party already has a very full agenda of Socialist policies in place voted for democratic by party members in a totally democratic voting system at party conferences. What will take for Socialist Labour MPs to finally see the light and switch allegiance.
Money, perhaps?
No… not Lee Anderson style personal transfer fees for Labour socialists to cross to Greens, but better funding for the Greens so that they can fight elections more effectively. Their financial base is puny compared to Labour, leave alone Tories.
Think a commitment to PR for anyone standing as an independent left or in any new left of centre party, all of which have been unsuccessful so far since the formation of the Greens in the 60’s or 70’s, is essential. Greens have this commitment as do Plaid, SNP and though now less vocal do Libdems . Not sure if necessary to join greens by those expelled by Labour or on the left and less authoritarian than Starmer but some sort of agreement between above parties and independents for only one candidate supportive of PR to campaign in constituents where there is some chance of them winning would seem sensible. Not suggesting that they don’t stand a (paper) candidate in those constituencies. Not crossing my fingers.
So it’s not just a grumpy old man who thinks this ie me
I grow more cynical the older I get or is it wisdom?
I feel utter dispair for this country and cannot see a way out…. Thanks to your way with words I understand why… It’s the me me me culture…
We need a new political party one for the people not the elite
The UK is undoubtedly in a mess and, to put a Scottish slant on it, there has never been a better time for Scotland, and perhaps also Wales and N Ireland, to leave the sinking ship. It would mean the setting up of a new state in very difficult times globally, but, under the present structures of UK governance, what would the option of remaining in the UK bring? Continued undermining of the Scottish Parliament and with it our democracy, laws and culture?; continued undermining of the terms of the Treaty of Union?; continued absence of any say in the UK’s governance?; continued friction due to Scotland being more left-leaning than both Tories and Labour?; continued exploitation of Scotland’s resources without due recompense?; continued governance by parties we don’t vote for?; increased depletion of our social services as Westminster governments continue to “shrink the state” and thereby diminish the Block Grant needed to run Scotland as we wish?; imposition of FPTP instead of PR in Scottish elections? There’s plenty more, but you get the drift.
The colossal ineptitude of the Tory government and the failure of Labour to oppose it in a meaningful way has brought about the mess in which the UK finds itself and, with neither of those parties offering any plausible solutions, it’s hard to imagine that Scotland could make a bigger mess of running its own affairs. Nobody is pretending it would easy, but my view is that tying ourselves to an increasingly failing state will only make matters much worse than at present. Scotland’s departure might also help England to find itself. The example of a prospering Scotland might be enough to stir England into an awakening.