So Harold Wilson won the World Cup for England who wore red. But I think he was ham strung with a tiny majority, then Callaghan the same, but without peoples support. Thatcher (milk. snatcher was next). In retrospect the unions had lost their common sense with. Longbridge and the Print Unions defending indefensible practises. However Thatcher over stepped the mark with the battle against Arthur Scargill – both of whom became entrenched. Thatcher won, but in the process destroyed much. of our manufacturing indusytry and wasted the North Sea Oil money on social security payments and the growth of benefits dependency. I do not think she was as corrupt as the present government although her son did trouser a large sum whilst negotiating a trade deal for weapons =?or planes with Saudi Arabia.
Thatcher was replaced by Blair, who did introduced some welfare reforms whilst being in Murdochs pocket and not doing anything drastic to upset the status quo. His big mistake was Iraq and completely becoming subservient to Bush, Apart from that debacle, and although I regret the lack of real progress towards a fairer and more just society, maybe we on the left have to accept this sort of middle road.
Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss, Sunak – what a line up. In football terms they have driven the UK from being a player on the world circuit to one staring relegation to the Championship, and without much hope of avoiding Division One soon. It seems that Sunal knows he was elected in a ‘strange way’!. He sees the Conservative party as having moved to the right and knows he must not displease them as there would be another leadership election and he would be gone. His battle with the unions has none of “the workers sleeping through their shift at Longbridge” or some of the other archaic union practices. I have yet to hear a Conservative politician say that NHS do not deserve a pay rise (other than a few idiots). Their attack has been on the likes of Mick Lynch for his salary which is less than £100000, whilst Sir James Bevan picks ip about £200000 as Head of the Environment Agency -whilst there workers have been offered 3%.
To my mind the Government is reverting to type, ignoring a problem until. it becomes too big, then claiming credit for what they should have done yonks ago. We know public sector pay does not drive inflation (although there may be a knock on effect if pay rises are higher than inflation – which no union realistically expects). What the government are keeping quiet about is the changes to working conditions of service that further enslaves workers like compulsory overtime, and reduced benefits.
So Sunak has a major problem – I think/ believe that he is beholden to 55 Tufton Street for his continuation as PM. His attack on the unions will not succeed even if the RWM believe the unions will run out of money – quite how they calculate this is beyond me. The Unions can be very selective – I would hope they are all planning action around the Coronation of Charlie boy 4! Why are they not talking about the Government running out of money to. pay agency staff (because the agencies are run by tories?)
I hope the Unions win as we need a properly funded public service. raise taxes on the rich – e.g. Lady Mone has trousered unto £30 million, and is spending it … in Honduras and Switzerland – that. is how the rich support the UK.
I realise I also need to mention Jeremy Corbyn – obviously a nice bloke who you could spend time with at the pub, but not a riveting orator aka Aneuran Bevan, but most of his policies were sound and supported by huge numbers of people. OK he lost the election when the RW coalition of MSP combined against him, including the Guardian. The G led against his supposed anti-semitism which I am not sure about (and largely ignorant). But there are a thousand and one reasons to. be anti-Israel, is this anti-semite?
Starmer seems to be treading the Blair path. Which I kind of accept as almost anything is better than the “Circus of Fools”. I wait to see if he choses a cabinet of cocksuckers or a real cabinet where discussion and debate can take place. I think he should be wary of pissing off too many of the Corbyites – I guess he is hoping most will vote Labour rather than a tory, but he should be wary of absent voters!
But there is still not a party which “light my fire”! What has happened to the LibDems? Do they still exist? Greens are going nowhere, or backwards fast – when they have so many open goals – I suspect they are over involved with trans-gender issues, (to be honest I do not care that much (for the minority it is of course paramount, but let’s sort out the problems for the the millions who need it first (whilst ensuring no hate crime occurs).
Lastly – is this country in the biggest mess ever? 500 dying a week due to NHS delays according to one paper, trains do not run or are late, children going hungry, families living in cold and damp, libraries and swimming pools closing, thefts going unsolved,
So to 2023! I suspect an election will have to be called due to strikes and inflation, possibly March/April. Conservatives will delay as much as possible to preserve their salaries and expenses (yes I do think this is an issue!)
I know I am biased but I really do not see any positve policy to move this country forward in 2023, The country is stagnating and going down hill. Blair introduced “Brit Rock” – I am old so may have got this wrong! (Oasis and Blur at 10 Downing Street) and a buzz that did spread?
Prediction – eventually there will have to be a general Election. The British Public will again show their stupidity and vote for some dreadful lampoons – but I predict a safe Labour majority. I would hope for a decent LibDem/Green contingent but neither seem willing to step up to the plate.
BBC – not all arguments are equal – fucking learn and stop promoting right wing twats!