Friday, 19 February 2010

1396 Politics at home

I awoke on Friday morning June 6th, deciding to abandon the work programme for the day and to write about national and local political concerns in a week in which there was reported to be a belief sweeping America that the selection of a Black Democrat Presidential Candidate over an equally strong female candidate marked a turning point in the history and development of the United States. The problem which he has, or the Republican candidate or anyone holding office in the US over the next four years is that they will be constrained by the new economic situation, and remain a prisoner to inherited policy and resources commitments at home and abroad. It should be possible to create the appearance of change but in reality significant change will be difficult to impossible in the short term such are the forces now at work in the world.

For the Labour Party now in Government at Westminster and in those local areas where Labour controls local authorities, especially over a long period of time it is almost impossible to change policies and approaches without having further damaging effect at future elections. Similarly having strong debates in public about the future direction the Party should take it almost impossible as it will lead to damaging publicity and attacks on personalities as well as political policies which will again be harmful in terms of public perceptions and support when it comes to elections.

The position of the Government has become impossible because however true it is that what is happening is world wide outside its control this applied before as well as now, so if it wants to argue that what has gone wrong is not its fault then it cannot claim that what went right was not its fault. If you are going to claim that the good things that have happened over recent years has been due your political stewardship then you must accept responsibility when things go wrong especially when you have made major political mistakes

There are only three things you can do in such situations. The first is to stick to existing policies and resource allocations and go down, if that is to be the situation, but fighting. Being out of power when you have held power is very difficult to bear, especially if you then have to sit by and watch others dismantle everything you have worked for and achieved.

The second thing you can do is to immediately change policies and resource allocations according what is perceived to be the public mood and in this instance the public have become insecure and are horrified about the cost of petrol and bread and of energy and food in general especially as it is evident that the changes are likely to be longer term. The solution is to concentrate on tax reductions which is likely to mean adding to the mortgage which could mean that you will then not be able to do what you would want to do if you are successful in retaining power. However it does mean that if you lose power your successors will inherit problems which also make it difficult to impossible for them to implement what they promised to achieve and which in turn will quickly create disillusionment and therefore make it easier to regain power. It is easy to talk in terms of freezing expenditure on wages, capital projects and on non capital expenditure which does not directly involve job cuts however such measures are counter productive in that more people on unemployment means higher welfare expenditure and less income from taxation. Existing workers become more insecure and unhappy with the government especially when wages are frozen rather than allowed to rise to offset the increase in prices. What can be done and should be done is to concentrate expenditure to measures which will help to control and reduce energy and food, remembering that it was the price of bread which precipitated the French revolution.

The first priority is to protect existing jobs and work to create new ones and to protect and improve wage levels. Secondly the priority should be to protect existing home owners and those in rented accommodation and to increase the availability of affordable housing. Local authorities should have the means to buy existing homes to rent back to existing owners under threat of losing them whether they are owner occupiers or private tenants, and similarly are responsive and flexible approach is required to those who get into difficulties as local authority or local authority agency tenants. Thirdly there is need to increase and not reduce services for the most vulnerable and least able to cope with the situation. Those in political positions and senior public paid positions should also make short term gestures in relation to incomes and expenses. It is important to show leadership by example.

There is a third way which does not rule out following the different approaches proposed in relation to taxation and expenditure and in policy. It involves a change in leadership and in style but such changes has to be credible and therefore cannot be undertaken by an existing leader however good and experienced they are. In terms of the Labour Party, the best bet is to elect or select someone of the female gender and someone who reached their position the hard way and not because of inherited wealth or inherited social position.

I spent the whole of Friday thinking over my position and what I could write locally, nationally and for publication. I had planned to go to the cricket but did not do so, although I watched a little of the test match and in the evening I watched a little of America has got Talent, a repeat of a two hour Frost episode and a review of the first 24 Hours in the Big Brother House, three programmes shown on different channels at the same time and which therefore involved channel hopping.

I enjoyed a salmon salad for lunch and a bream in the evening with grapes and strawberries and ice cream.

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