I think it quite right that if Starmer can continue to fog up a mirror, he's in. Partly due to severe Tory-fatigue; partly due to Starmer's efforts at making Labour electable after Corbyn (who reminds me of Michael Foot some 45 years ago - Loony Left, unelectable Left...).
But, I also think MacDougall is right in noting the absence of wild enthusiasm for Labour and its leader. For me, I think one of the biggest problems those on the left side of the political spectrum face is the reality that past generations have implemented almost all their policies since WWII. What more does one legitimately ask government to do? The Cdn experience in recent years with desperate efforts at creating excitement about Pharmacare and Dental Care proves the point. In theory, I am sure, everyone would love to have both services completely free. However, there is no money in the till and so both programmes here in Canada are almost laughably thin. Ditto, in its way, with Day Care - everyone is happy as a clam at the thought of $10/day day care. Pity it is unaffordable so rationing is achieved by underfunding demand and making it, shall we say, difficult to find a space. Indeed, a fair percentage of day care operations set up with the ambition of filling this undoubted demand have folded or scaled back in various ways because the financial support is inadequate. Stuff costs money and if you don't have enough you do one of two things: set the item to one side until you do; or raise taxes sufficiently to pay for it. If that tax rise is unthinkable, seeing as we already pay quite a bit, then see the first option.
Labour at least seems to understand this and are basically campaigning on 'stop the insanity' and let the 'grownups' run the shop while the Tories have some much needed rest in the penalty box. I am sure for the weary Brit this is compelling stuff. The rain-drenched PM serves as a brilliant metaphor of where the Tories are these days.
And, governments need to change stripes on a regular basis for the health of all. So all good.
Canada is in the same space with the difference that our 'Labour' party is about to enter the penalty box and our Tories are set to replace them. I suspect extravagant promises from the Tories will be scarce as our cupboard is as bare as much as Britain's. It'll actually be a pleasure to not have to have the vapours over yet more unfunded promises and a few years of solid and stolid management. Not sure our Tories can deliver but a few drama-free years have much attraction.
Yes, I know, '...events, dear boy, events...' will disturb this dreamscape...
One would think at the very least an aide would have been instructed to hand him an open umbrella or even to stand there holding same over the Prime Minister yo avoid the hilarious drowning comments.
Your lighthearted turns of phrase made me laugh out loud.
The UK situation reminds me of Canada’s current government. Poilievre may decide to do more than shout change but he’s no doubt taking notes on how this election goes down. It probably won’t take much more than fogging up the mirror to win here.
Instability and lack of enthusiasm seem to be a recurring political theme across all English speaking nations. Could this be a symptom of government reaching an end state in that it is already doing as much as makes sense? Incremental government scope negative affects some parts of the electorate as it positively affects others, resulting in a zero sum game.
Doug, I suggest that the issue is not quite so much a symptom of government reaching an end state but, rather, it is governments (plural, please note) have been promising and TRYING to deliver (but unsuccessfully, here in Canada) just about EVERYTHING and then finding that they are so far overstretched financially, ethically, managerially and in just about every other way that they absolutely must be replaced.
This is pretty much cyclical. After the war years we had a few decades of consolidation, growth and genuine prosperity. Then, come the seventies T1 started a movement to spend the previously saved wealth and borrowed wildly. The result was the eighties and nineties with inflation and massive debt, followed by austerity and retrenchment. Then in the first decade and a half of this century you had consolidation, growth and genuine prosperity. With the advent of T2 we got inflation and (terrifically, terrifically) massive debt. Polls suggest that we will soon get PP and I fear that there will be no choice but austerity and retrenchment.
So, cyclical. Humans never learn. It is always, "But, it's different this time!" But it never is.
Not quite sure why Mr. MacDougall is taking such umbrage over umbrellas. It does remind me somewhat of the film My Fair Lady. Something about being in pain in Spain whilst in the rain.
I think it quite right that if Starmer can continue to fog up a mirror, he's in. Partly due to severe Tory-fatigue; partly due to Starmer's efforts at making Labour electable after Corbyn (who reminds me of Michael Foot some 45 years ago - Loony Left, unelectable Left...).
But, I also think MacDougall is right in noting the absence of wild enthusiasm for Labour and its leader. For me, I think one of the biggest problems those on the left side of the political spectrum face is the reality that past generations have implemented almost all their policies since WWII. What more does one legitimately ask government to do? The Cdn experience in recent years with desperate efforts at creating excitement about Pharmacare and Dental Care proves the point. In theory, I am sure, everyone would love to have both services completely free. However, there is no money in the till and so both programmes here in Canada are almost laughably thin. Ditto, in its way, with Day Care - everyone is happy as a clam at the thought of $10/day day care. Pity it is unaffordable so rationing is achieved by underfunding demand and making it, shall we say, difficult to find a space. Indeed, a fair percentage of day care operations set up with the ambition of filling this undoubted demand have folded or scaled back in various ways because the financial support is inadequate. Stuff costs money and if you don't have enough you do one of two things: set the item to one side until you do; or raise taxes sufficiently to pay for it. If that tax rise is unthinkable, seeing as we already pay quite a bit, then see the first option.
Labour at least seems to understand this and are basically campaigning on 'stop the insanity' and let the 'grownups' run the shop while the Tories have some much needed rest in the penalty box. I am sure for the weary Brit this is compelling stuff. The rain-drenched PM serves as a brilliant metaphor of where the Tories are these days.
And, governments need to change stripes on a regular basis for the health of all. So all good.
Canada is in the same space with the difference that our 'Labour' party is about to enter the penalty box and our Tories are set to replace them. I suspect extravagant promises from the Tories will be scarce as our cupboard is as bare as much as Britain's. It'll actually be a pleasure to not have to have the vapours over yet more unfunded promises and a few years of solid and stolid management. Not sure our Tories can deliver but a few drama-free years have much attraction.
Yes, I know, '...events, dear boy, events...' will disturb this dreamscape...
One would think at the very least an aide would have been instructed to hand him an open umbrella or even to stand there holding same over the Prime Minister yo avoid the hilarious drowning comments.
Your lighthearted turns of phrase made me laugh out loud.
The UK situation reminds me of Canada’s current government. Poilievre may decide to do more than shout change but he’s no doubt taking notes on how this election goes down. It probably won’t take much more than fogging up the mirror to win here.
Instability and lack of enthusiasm seem to be a recurring political theme across all English speaking nations. Could this be a symptom of government reaching an end state in that it is already doing as much as makes sense? Incremental government scope negative affects some parts of the electorate as it positively affects others, resulting in a zero sum game.
Doug, I suggest that the issue is not quite so much a symptom of government reaching an end state but, rather, it is governments (plural, please note) have been promising and TRYING to deliver (but unsuccessfully, here in Canada) just about EVERYTHING and then finding that they are so far overstretched financially, ethically, managerially and in just about every other way that they absolutely must be replaced.
This is pretty much cyclical. After the war years we had a few decades of consolidation, growth and genuine prosperity. Then, come the seventies T1 started a movement to spend the previously saved wealth and borrowed wildly. The result was the eighties and nineties with inflation and massive debt, followed by austerity and retrenchment. Then in the first decade and a half of this century you had consolidation, growth and genuine prosperity. With the advent of T2 we got inflation and (terrifically, terrifically) massive debt. Polls suggest that we will soon get PP and I fear that there will be no choice but austerity and retrenchment.
So, cyclical. Humans never learn. It is always, "But, it's different this time!" But it never is.
Just like only Nixon could go to China, perhaps only Labour can fix the weird quasi-religion which is the NHS.
Do that alone, and Labour will have a decade and a half of uninterrupted power.
Not quite sure why Mr. MacDougall is taking such umbrage over umbrellas. It does remind me somewhat of the film My Fair Lady. Something about being in pain in Spain whilst in the rain.