Five years ago we had the rose garden and our political class trying to work together for the greater good, whatever that might be. Now we have the same old nonsense being spouted out by people who really really must know better.
On the Conservative side we have claims of £20bn unfunded spending plans of Labour whilst forgetting the £8bn unfunded tax cuts that they want to introduce. On the Labour side we have the rubbishing of Tony Blair and trying to pretend that his three landslide victories were because he attracted the ‘wrong type of voters’. What is wrong with these people don’t they know that we, the great unwashed, do remember things.
We do remember that that the Chancellor claimed that by following his great plan we would have eliminated the deficit by now – it currently stand at c£90 bn. We also remember the way that the rich got a tax cut and the poor got a benefits cut.
As for Labour we also remember that they were the party, when in Government, claimed to have ended boom and bust. We also remember that they were the party that didn’t seem to be able to control our own borders, although to be fair nether can the current Government. We also remember that they led us into two unholy wars which has cost the country billions for no real purpose other than to be friends with George W.
We also remember that the Liberal Democrats will say anything when try to get votes and that they clearly didn’t really believe they were going to have be held accountable for it.
We also remember the way that our current political class collapsed into a panic when they thought there was even a chance of Scotland becoming independent. We also remember the great bombast Alex Salmond claiming that the Scottish oil industry would be able to fund a paradise north of the border from the boundless bounty it would produce.
Which brings us to UKIP. We all know that they are just a bit shady who only really attract voters who are desperate to return to a golden country of their youth when you knew what it meant to be British or English. We also know that we haven’t got a clue what the EU does for us but it is the boggy man from abroad who is here to crush us with it’s European Court of Justice and Human Rights Act.
Given all these negative feelings why is it that our political leaders feel it necessary to pander to us? Why is it that none of them can offer a positive vision of the way forward? Why is it that we have over four months to go to the election yet the Government has all but dissolved and all they care a bout is trying to rubbish each other? I suspect one answer might be that we now have a ruling class every bit as removed from the real world as it has ever been. Most of the leading lights come from comfortable backgrounds, have a PPE from Oxford, worked in some form of ‘consulting’ job whilst also working for their respective parties. They have been given plum safe seats which mean they don’t have to worry too much about not having a job come the election so they can plan for a life in politics.
None of this was planned but it really is a world of unintended consequences. This, however, is not the biggest example of this. No the biggest is the result of fixed term parliaments which means that we now know when the next election will be and so we can look forward to an American style election campaign where the parties can spend months throwing mud at each other whilst at the same time not realising that most people just don’t care. I guess this is what is meant by the ‘Westminster Bubble’. I feel like throwing up.
Simon Marchini
http://www.simonmarchini.co.uk
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