Let’s be clear about this governments so-called mini budget; as many commentators have mentioned this is a self-inflicted disaster – that the PM takes full responsibility for as head of government, so trying to pass the buck to the Chancellor as his own idea though expected in this era consumed by political corruption, but it won’t work; they can’t even get the story right on the reason for the U-turn. However Liz Truss is not the problem, nor was Boris Johnson for that matter. These are merely symptoms of a political system that is no longer fit for purpose. The cycle of political disasters driven by accidental leaders who have little in the way of genuine leadership and political/economic credentials will ultimately lead to the sinking of the ship. The problem is 2 fold;
- The foundations of governance in terms of basic personal integrity and sense of duty to the nation that may have existed decades ago have been chipped away through the years and replaced with deep rooted corruption & nepotism that is not remotely compatible with true democratic values/credentials.
- Add to that political polarisation driven by extremist ideologues who are driven by narrow ideologies that are less concerned by pragmatic/well articulated solutions that are consistent with democratic values/traditions within the proper context of a world growing ever more complex yet interconnected. In this day-and-age Isolationism and Arrogance are a recipe for disaster however sophisticated the messaging may be in providing a feel-good factor because more often than not you’re deliberately not being given the big picture. BREXIT was the first step in that downhill trajectory and yet no one seems to talk about it despite the fact that it is in my opinion the starting point that needs to be properly resolved before we are able to move forward considering the practical and historic significance of our relationship with the EU at many levels. Closing our eyes doesn’t make things better nor does it make fixing that fracture any easier with time not on our side.
As for the immigration blame game – we should really know by now that it’s merely a convenient political excuse to hide decades of policy failures that has led us to where we are, and particularly convenient for unhinged politicians who choose to use the race card to achieve political ends. Yes immigration policies as any other need to evolve with time, but don’t allow old baggage to be dumped on immigration. Think of political corruption and unelected lobbyists/powerbrokers that have hijacked the political narrative, think of industries that have been decimated and expertise lost, thinks of social programs and health services that are being diluted. Need I say more??
Finally let me take this opportunity to recommend the following book by Mr. Gordon Brown which is rich with practical ideas/initiatives as we try to make sense of the world around us – i.e the context that we need to think about as we try to develop our vision for the future of Britain; Seven Ways to Change the World