THE BEST LACK ALL CONVICTION

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.

Corbyn, hero of the Left

Johnson, Hero of the Right

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.

Moderate Cameron

Right-wing Braverman

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