tarred with the same brush
The belief that politics, and politicians, are universally failing society is becoming an increasingly widespread, popularly-held opinion. Many of the issues facing most/all western economies: stagnant economic growth, declining public services, inefficient health provision, immigration, an ever-increasing tax burden coupled to an ageing population, war, climate-change and global warming, preventing terrorism and crime, long-term infrastructure planning and delivery, a mental health crisis in our young, etc, are believed to be beyond the ken of those in power and is largely responsible for the current rise of personality-centric, simplicity-extravagant populism.
Which all seeks to remind me of an anecdotal story I recently read concerning the former Labour MP, Lena Jeger, when campaigning in the local elections of 1953. For Jeger, the pressing issue of the day was the proposed rearmament of West Germany. Whilst canvassing in a block of St Pancras council flats, she was confronted by the heady, unmistakable smell of urine throughout the building. One woman listened patiently to Jeger’s pitch about the folly and danger of rearming ‘The Bosch’, and then asked whether she’d used the lift? “Stinks of pee, doesn’t it? Can’t you stop ‘em peeing in our lift, stairwells and passageways?” “Er, no, I don’t think I can,” replied the daunted canvasser. “Well” said the woman, “if you can’t stop ‘em peeing in the lift, how can you expect me to believe you can stop the Germans rearming?” Many a true word spoken in jest I hear you all cry but the serious issue is one of trust and competence. The Tories failed miserably on both counts and were rightly shown the door. Now, I fully get that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and there is undoubtedly lots going on behind the scenes, but if the Labour administration cannot more visibly and publically reverse this trend on at least some of the more-achievable tasks (fixing pot holes, stopping the small boats, being able to more easily access a GP appointment, preventing the corrupt use of Motability to get a brand-new BMW on the cheap due to gluten intolerance), then talk of all the other more complex areas and initiatives will be for naught and the seemingly inexorable slide in political belief and confidence will continue.
