Above, Clement Atlee, winner of the 1945 Labour landslide.
One of the things that can be said for the First Past the Post (UK) / Two Party system (USA) is that the system richly awards success and punishes harshly failure. It’s lack of proportionality is well known. What is well known amongst political activists (those “rank & file” members of the Conservative and Labour parties who attended their respective conferences) but not generally appreciated amongst the general public is that not only is this system dis-proportional it is also unfair in the sense that a government and it’s political supporters that takes the right decisions for the country (chiefly economic) can place itself in a position of unpopularity and therefore defeat at a time when the incoming government and it’s political supporters can reap all the benefits of the previous government’s efforts – and of course (dishonestly) claim ALL the credit!
This happened on Thursday 25th October 1951 when Labour was defeated by the Conservatives and Winston Churchill returned to #10 Downing Street. Between 1945 and 1951 Labour had taken all the tough and unpopular decisions that were essential given the parlous state of the UK economy and finances following WW2.
It happened again on Thursday 1st May 1997 when Tony Blair and “New Labour” swept to power and the Conservatives lead by Sir John Major left office.
It appears that it MIGHT happen again in January 2025 when Prime Minister Liz Truss resigns and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Of course in a political world where a week is a long time in politics 2+ years is an eternity!
Much has been talked about about Mrs O’Leary’s weaknesses. Her closing conference speech today was a workmanlike effort and was adequate but adequate is NOT what is needed at the end of a party conference! The Tory MPs and the press however were not expecting much more. What she delivered was at the high end of expectations. What the MPs feared was that their leader would fall flat on her face! She didn’t.
There MIGHT however be one strength that has not been noted however. Ms Truss’s stamina.
The above image is of Ms Truss in 2016 following her appointment as the Justice Secretary. Fast forward eight years to today and look at the facial difference: Very little (below):
Herewith the lady’s ministerial offices in the decade between 2012 – 2022:
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (15 September 2021 – 6 September 2022)
Minister for Women and Equalities (10 September 2019 – 6 September 2022)
Secretary of State for International Trade & President of the Board of Trade (24 July 2019 – 15 September 2021)
Chief Secretary to the Treasury (11 June 2017 – 24 July 2019)
Secretary of State for Justice & Lord Chancellor (14 July 2016 – 11 June 2017)
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (15 July 2014 – 14 July 2016)
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Childcare and Education (4 September 2012 – 15 July 2014)
There are TWO ways in which a British elected politician can spend their time in ministerial office:
#1: Do very little, endure little stress and enjoy the trappings of office. They work will be done by the Civil Servants and Special Political Advisers (SPADs).
Doing this effectively means allowing the Civil Servants SPADs to do all the work and take all the decisions and for the occupant of the office to stick to the script the so called subordinates make.
#2: Do a lot! This means to let the Civil Servants SPADs do their jobs and for the occupant to do theirs and be attentive and involved! Doing #2, results in a very very stressful occupation!
Whatever you think of politicians such as Tony Blair and Teresa May BOTH of these politicians did #2 and they both bear the stress marks.
What is remarkable about Ms Truss is that she had also done #2 throughout and has had to endure the stress. But her constitution is clearly very very strong!
Of course, Ms Truss would not be in #10 had The Buffoon had opted to follow #1! This because the Buffoon chose to do #1.5! Sorry! Can’t be successfully done! It has to be either #1 OR #2!
Had the Buffoon handed the job over to the nerdy Dominic Cummings and have been the front man the performer (a job which he was superbly equipped to perform) the Tories would not be in the hole they are now! This because The Buffoon has always had problems with the truth. This is brought about by his innate laziness! He is simply NOT prepared to do the hard graft! He is naturally highly gifted and intelligent. For him academic study at Eton and Oxford was easy. He has always been able to coast through life! He has used his intellect, his charm and his ebullience and his status to bed large numbers of women!
OK then, Ms Truss’s many critics will draw attention to her enjoyment of the perks. The aircraft, the cars, the security detail. The people she gets to meet! The lady clearly basks in this. OK then she basks! So what? Remember, this is a middle class girl who went to a comprehensive in North East Leeds! As did I!!!!!!
Much has been made of the dissent within the Tory party. Well the Tory MPs have a choice. They can organise and get the 1922 Committee’s rules changed, pass a No Confidence Motion in her and having disenfranchised the membership stage a palace coup (literately and figuratively [it is the Palace of Westminster]) and oust her. They have however a problem! This man:
It is a possibility that IF Tory MPs stage a palace coup and vote to replace Ms Truss with A N Other (Rishi Sunak [or Michael Gove?]) His Majesty may baulk! He might refuse to accept Ms Truss’s resignation and instead dissolve Parliament and call a General Election!
In a way it might be a Good Thing were this to happen!
You see, Ms Truss is only talking about a Moratorium on Net Zero! What needs to be do is a complete policy reversal! That she does not do this is because she simply has not got the support for in in her own party let alone other parties!
I am very much afraid the Net Zero lunacy has to play out to the bitter end!
Ms Truss talks about “Growth, Growth, Growth”. This needs electricity that is reliable and low cost! Electricity generated by wind turbines anchored to the seabed is neither reliable or low cost!
You see, were there to be a General Election in November/December 2022 the result is likely to be a near total wipe out of the Tory Party! The Liberal Democrats will pick up most of the seats not taken by Labour. This will allow the Tories to reposition themselves without the burden of having MPs.
Furthermore, both Labour and the Liberal Democrats are committed to Net Zero! This is a policy doomed to fail! The result will likely be a two term Labour government – 2022 to 2032. 2030AD will come and go and the result will be disastrous.
If this happens, I hope Sir Keir Starmer has the decency to reward Ms Truss with 1st Class British Empire (GBE) as well as a Life Peerage.