One of the more attractive features of British
political life historically, say since c.1828, has been its relative moderation
compared to that of other Western countries. The instincts of the people and
the direction of the political wind may often favour change, but seldom radical
change, with gradual change coming after due debate, extensive preparation and
at an easy-going pace so that the electorate is not shocked and surprised by
the political agenda. In recent years this relaxed approach to change has
eroded away, partly no doubt in response to the hectic timetables of modern
life, but now extreme positions are easily adopted and our society loses that
sense of unity and mutual cooperation which was seen in earlier, less
polarized, times. An old friend reminds me of the prophetic words of W B Yeats
in The Second Coming (1919):
Things
fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and
everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
The
cause of civilised cooperation has been affected by the rise to senior eminence
of divisive figures, like Boris Johnson on the Right and Jeremy Corbyn on the
Left all of whom had a coterie of eager followers. Another negative influence
has been the use of referenda to decide quite complex questions, notably
Scottish independence and British membership of the European Union. Referenda have
no British precedent nor automatic acceptability and the two mentioned above
sharply raised passions and split families in an alarming fashion. They are
best avoided, in my view.
The
principles of Conservatism were first set out by Sir Robert Peel in his
Tamworth Manifesto of 1834 when he proposed ‘the moderate and judicious
reform of proved abuses” and those of Labour by Ramsay Macdonald a century
later; “The watchword of socialism is not class-consciousness, it is
community-consciousness”. How things have changed! The modern Tamworth
constituency has just seen a landslide by-election Labour victory, following
the disgrace of Tory groper Chris Pincher while Labour’s reaction to Rishi
Sunak’s and David Cameron’s elevation has often concentrated on their private
education, personal wealth and earlier careers as some kind of proof they are
remote toffs ignorant of the alleged hardships of “working people” – blatant
class-war!
The recall of David Cameron, like the Raising of Lazarus, was certainly unexpected. Lord Cameron, as we must now call him, is an attractive person who held the premiership for 6 years. He was articulate, approachable and master of his brief. After losing his Brexit referendum he left office and vacated his seat rather too rapidly and seemed to play the part of a prosperous shiny-faced rustic, content to be away from the squalor of politics. I hope he is re-energised and full of vigour as the Tories face an uphill battle. Cameron’s problem is that it is by no means clear if his Toryism is more than skin-deep. He will however bring heft to the Tory regime and I wish him well.
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The
Right of the Tory party, exemplified by combative Suella Braverman, will be less
enthusiastic. Her intemperate language has been her downfall and her
resignation letter was grossly disloyal. But there is no doubt she speaks for
many law-abiding Britons. Before an election, parties tend to veer to the
centre – the same phenomenon is playing out with Labour. Party discipline is
being enforced, dissenters muted, a veneer of respectability manufactured.
I
hope that some realities will be faced. Multi-culturalism has failed in the UK.
It simply leaves the nation ungovernable if minorities like the Moslem one are
free to act out their quarrels and deadly hatreds on the streets of Britain. We
have seen this in the explosion of support for the murderous deeds of Hamas,
the desecration of our war memorials and the toppling of statues of those
honoured by British people. Britons originating from, say, Jamaica, Nigeria, Iraq
or Pakistan may have different perspectives but they should discard them
quickly if they are to stay here. Like the USA, Britain must protect her
frontiers and create a monocultural framework within which all can celebrate
the nation’s achievements and live in peace with all other citizens. I see this
as a great task for current and future generations. Many European countries are
overwhelmed by economic immigrants, a small but alarming percentage of whom are
predatory criminals causing havoc in the likes of Italy, Germany and Spain. The
miscreants must be rooted out – it is a matter of protecting national existence,
no less. Do we have the backbone to defeat these enemies?
SMD
17.11.23
Text
copyright © Sidney Donald 2023
