Operating in a political bubble, MPs battle between themselves on the issues of the day. Social conservatives versus liberals, those tough on immigration versus those taking a more pragmatic approach. Ideologues versus pragmatists. Career politicians ruling the roost.

Such is the vehemence of the battle, they are prepared to oust their leader at the drop of a hat. No loyalty to the PM despite a constant placation of conservative critics. Just constant plotting. Even successful economic policies, which used to be the key to political longevity, mean nothing.

Such is the behaviour of the Conservative Party in the UK.

And then you have Australian politics…

Even more brutal than Westminster, MPs have ousted 4 PMs in 8 years, with no PM fulfilling a full three year term since 2007.

This time the centrist, liberal (with a small ‘l’) Malcolm Turnbull is replaced by Scott Morrison, a social conservative who opposed the same sex marriage bill. Ruthless on immigration, he will try and shore up the Government’s Liberal led coalition. Nobody asked for this new agenda except some pretty bitter, unpleasant back benchers.

And what is the cost of all these machinations? Vital legislation on energy use, including a much needed emissions trading scheme, has been ditched. This occurring even as Australia experiences its worst drought ever as climate change takes hold. Important policies on corporate tax and public spending have also gone nowhere.

But the real damage is to the esteem in which politicians are held by the voting public. They watch with disgust as they see games being played at the expense of solid policy achievements. The walls of the political bubble just get thicker, fuelling frustration and the rise of populism.

This is what is happening in Australia. This is what is happening in Westminster.

In the UK, the Tories scrap over Brexit, with ministers forced to make incredible statements on potential food and medicine shortages in a ‘no-deal’ scenario. The economy remains strong but is increasingly being weakened by uncertainty. Vital social care legislation, infrastructure investment and a raft of other key policies are on hold as Brexit takes up all the policy bandwidth. The sop of a further £20 billion of unfunded expenditure on the NHS barely registers through lack of credibility.

The PM is constantly harried by a bunch of disloyal MPs. Placating the conservatives with red meat has them just wanting more. The Opposition is useless and the public look on incredulous. Democratic structures increasingly lack appeal. The threat of populism is ever present.

In the UK, we should learn from ‘Down Under’, and head in the opposite direction.

 

Just a thought as I was travelling through Northern Italy and Southern France… Both countries have stunning second/third cities. Italy has Milan and Florence, France, Lyon and Bordeaux. Spain also has Barcelona. Of course they have their problems, but they are grand cities with significant investment and land mark buildings. They are tourist centres in their own right outside their capital cities, making bold gestures from food and wine to the arts and architecture. All supported by relatively smooth infrastructure.

In the UK, we have Manchester and Birmingham and the beautiful but small Edinburgh if you reach up as far as Scotland.

Is that enough? Not quite, even though I come from the North West.

What becomes apparent as you discuss the UK on the continent, outside confusion over the self-harm of Brexit, is the dominance of London. Many Europeans simply don’t know what lies beyond or if they do, don’t see the regions competing on any even footing with London. Few non-UK tourists reach for a guide book on Manchester and Birmingham I suspect, or even know about the beautiful countryside of places such as the Lake District. Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath and Oxford and Cambridge may just occasionally creep into their consciousness.

This must change, particularly as we have to forge a sharper identity outside the European Union. Real investment in the Midlands/North with some grand architectural gestures and new arts and food initiatives is crucial to balancing the image of Britain.

That means investment. HS2 is a good thing, although the cost of travelling by public transport is not. The Northern Powerhouse attracting investment to the North is crucial too but seems to be losing headway under Theresa May and Brexit chaos. We need brave gestures to further renovate our grand provincial city centres. Michael Heseltine, as Environment Secretary under Thatcher, did this brilliantly in Liverpool (but further to go….) and we need a similar champion now. Even London could do with more effort. Why couldn’t we achieve consensus over the garden bridge and where are the plans for cross-rail two?

The UK needs to be bold as it works out a future outside Europe, not mean-spirited and penny pinching. The Government should invest but so should business along the lines of the huge sponsorship initiatives beloved by the Americans. It is time to shake up Provincial Britain to challenge anywhere the continent has to offer.

These are just first gentle ideas on my return from holiday, with Boris Johnson barely registering….