Kemi Badenoch reshuffled her Conservative Party shadow cabinet over the weekend. In the process, she sacked, amongst others, Mel Stride, who had been her Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. The most interesting thing is that almost everyone, as a result, shrugged their shoulders and said, ‘So what?' They might also have added, ‘Who was Mel Stride?'
It is an extraordinary fact that His Majesty's Official Opposition in the House of Commons is now so irrelevant. Almost nobody takes any note of anything that it does, and is even less aware of the supposed personalities who populate its front bench, so ineffective are they.
I do, however, suggest this is, in itself, significant. It indicates three things.
The first is that the long history of the Conservative Party, which always thought itself to be the natural party of power in this country, may be drawing to a close. In a country where finding anyone with political talent does now appear to be exceptionally difficult, attracting them into a party that appears to have not the slightest prospect of power at any time in the reasonably foreseeable future will make the likelihood of any revival near impossible.
Secondly, this opens up the prospect of, at the very least, a potential new Official Opposition in the House of Commons, even if Labour can cling on in quiet desperation as the government after any forthcoming general election. The real question is, who might that be? At present, the odds are still on it being Farage, but Burnham is a possibility, and do not rule out others. There is a long way to go before this race is run.
Thirdly, and vitally, this makes clear that an electoral system designed for two-party politics is now, more than ever, unsuited to deliver good, appropriate, or representative government for the UK, and the time for electoral reform has most definitely arrived. And Burnham has ruled that out before the next general election. By doing so, he might well have ruled his own party out.
The reality is that the Tories look to be facing extinction, but the possibility that Labour might also head that way cannot be ignored. Kemi Badenoch might have undertaken an almost irrelevant shadow cabinet reshuffle, but the truth is that she has indicated, as a consequence of its meaningless nature, the changing state of politics in Westminster, and it is time that even Westminster looked up and noticed.
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Mel Stride is my MP. He’s not that interested in his constituency. He has no constituency office and doesn’t do surgeries. Much as I disagree with his politics, maybe he’s not right wing enough for Kemi Badenock? It is interesting though how little people care about this fairly major reshuffle.
“time that even Westminster looked up and noticed.” Functionally impossible.
The UK state, the politicos and the penumbra (media) are Westminster focused (= the wezzie elite). All that happens in the country is interpreted/defined/filtered by the wezzie elite. Deform/Fart-rage is part of that elite (& their incompetence is fully on display in local gov). Which begs the question: what comes next to fill the developing political vacuum? The tories are dead, LINO, dead. Greens? – need to get their act together. Lib-Dems (how do they differ from LINO/Tory?).
My feeling is that it will be a hung parliament. Given the survival instincts of the Conservatives I suspect they might team up with Farage. After all they did govern with the Lib Dems no doubt holding their noses. Burnham’s only hope will be a coalition of all the other parties including SNP. Thus a de facto multiparty system.
Robert,
I can’t imagine Burnham leading a coalition of all the other parties including SNP. Apart from the likelihood of all of them constantly fighting like rats in a bag, the only way I can imagine the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Fein being part of any Westminster coalition would be a solid agreement of their irreversible rights to leave the UK.
I agree
Like you I can’t see it happening but unfortunately I don’t think there is a likely alternative for Labour.
This ties neatly back to your other post this morning regarding FT:
“those comfortable with their situation rarely, if ever, anticipate the change that will sweep their security away”
Burnham is not interested in the challenging the status quo. What is he offering? More prison places, pointless devolution ( no real powers are on offer), more spending on defence, cutting funding for neurodivergent children ( the Starmer review is still going ahead) etc.
It’s amazing how the private sector is screaming for state subsidies because the markets are not suppling “solutions”.
Much to agree with
I’m not sure that I agree with your view that this a country where finding anyone with political talent appears to be exceptionally difficult. The problem seems rather to be that what political talent in this country no longer includes concern for the well-being of those whom politicians purport to represent.
That’s not political talent.
Psychopaths and politicians should not coincide. They do; that’s the problem.
Josh Simons to stand in Starmer’s seat?
There’s a likelihood…..
Really? Although the overall Green vote is down,they did very well in this part of London and I doubt Kier Starmer was a good constituency MP. I suspect a high profile Green will stand and they will throw everything at it.
I hope so.
That, or Andrew Feinstein for the Greens.
Might there be insufficiently deep/significant differences of policy between the current political parties, perhaps with the exception of the Greens, to provide Parliament with a genuine opposition?
”People of the same trade seldom meet together but their conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public.” (From Adam Smith)
I hope I am wrong but I feel the Tories will stagger on with their 20% core vote for sometime. The Left Alternative, including The Greens need to get their act together in order to mount a realistic challenge to get into second place. The omens are not good if Your Party’s experience over the last 12 months is anything to go by. This could leave Labour, The Tories and Reform as the 3 leading parties after the next General Election with no Party holding an overall majority. There may be lots of dissatisfaction with our current political parties, but a lot of people still vote traditionally making it hard for new alternatives to break through without adequate funding and positive mass media coverage. The Tories may have to bide their time but could easily make a comeback as the alternative Party in 2034.