An article in the Times, written by Phil Collins who I believe was Tony Blair’s speechwriter, finishes with the suggestion that, “2009 will end with no general election and a sense that an era is ending, but that nothing interesting is waiting to be born.”
He’s right that there will be no general election; the moment has passed for one before 2010. I hope he’s also completely wrong that nothing interesting will be waiting to be born.
Tax and spending policies have had to have (and will continue to have) radical surgery to adapt to hugely changed circumstances, while the overall political landscape is massively different to a year ago. Plans will have to be made, and almost certainly adapted, as we run up to the election. The next 17 months are going to be one long, muddy, dirty election campaign. But some things haven’t changed.
The underlying principles of the Cameron message (let’s shorthand it as ‘partners in responsibility’) still hold true as do the underlying reasons behind the change message.
It is no good thinking we can go back to talking about just the things that interest long-term activists and supporters. The last three general elections have surely taught us that we need to earn new support. So we need to make sure that we continue to listen to what people who haven’t previously voted for us want. We need to make sure that we continue to respond to today’s world. And we need to ensure that we continue to plan for tomorrow’s.
It’s not a simple, smooth cruise to victory – we will need to fight for it and inspire people to vote for us. So how do we do that?
I would suggest that marrying what many people see as ‘traditional’ Tory messages with ‘change’ Tory messages is how to achieve the broad coalition for change that we need to win the next election. For what it’s worth, that is exactly what existing proposals on things like feed-in tariffs, the school-leavers programme, and the education and welfare reforms have done.
So it’s great to see suggestions like the green ISA proposal (which I am sure was floating around when I worked in CCHQ, but at least it’s still being supported): a higher ISA allowance if you invest in green stocks. Brilliant – green and thrifty. It doesn’t, in reality, COST the government anything (though of course they lose some potential tax income), it encourages saving and it increases the focus on the environment.
Other combination ideas could include handing control of a certain amount of health spending to individuals – I’ve suggested this before – so that they, as individuals, can choose the type of support that suits their particular chronic or long-term conditions.
Politics is different to how it was before. People, rightly, are deeply suspicious of politicians, their promises, their behaviour and their policies. Voters need to see clear, practical solutions, not swathes of ideological baggage. I want us to respond to that need with a manifesto which prioritises making a real difference to people’s lives.
So I hope that what’s waiting to be born is both interesting and ambitious, and focused on what will actually generate the changes we need in Britain.
No related posts.
The only thing people are seriously interested in right now is whether they will keep their jobs, and if they do, will they be able to earn enough to pay their bills. DC et al need to come up with solutions to these problems. A good start would be to reduce the size of government at all levels, and piut the VAT cut into people’s pockets, rather than into a nebulous boost for spending.
To my mind the best work Phil Collins ever did was the drumming on In the Air Tonight. And then it was covered by that gorilla on that choc ad. I guess that’s the way it goes.