If you thought Brexit was bad enough for the unity of the Tory Party, then that was only the start…
This week we have seen the ludicrous, thick-skinned Liz Truss defend her economic record, citing tax cuts and the defenestration of the ‘political and economic establishment’ and ‘institutional bureaucracy’ as a way to grow the economy. Basically, it was an attack on Rishi Sunak. What her speech failed to acknowledge was that unfunded tax cuts, no market preparation, or independent analysis of their impact simply don’t work in an inter-dependent global economy. Thatcher would be turning in her grave as a steward of economic competence… and so much for ‘take back control’. As an ex-EU member, we will never have any more freedom over economic policy making.
And why do politicians of all parties focus on ‘growth’ as if it were a one word nirvana to happiness? It only displays ignorance of what the complexities of achieving growth really mean. It is never a straightforward route on its own for enhancing standards of living.
Tactical or strategic? More confusion in the Tory Party…
Yesterday, we had more splits as elements of the Right of the Party flex their muscles. The competent Sunak seems to have been bounced, at least on timing, into announcing the watering down of commitments for achieving net zero. I wonder how Sunak equates this with securing the future of the next generation? Not one of the measures will make an ounce of difference to the living standards of voters today. It is simply about creating a cultural divide with Labour. But, at what cost?
Other elements of the Tory Party are furious. Many feel the announcement is both wrong, chaotic, with little if no electoral benefit. It smacks of a government in its final death throws. Ironically, much of the car industry is furious too. Participants want a clear legislative framework in which to make their long-term investment plans, and this has just tripped them up.
The Tory Party is split essentially into three groups; moderates, mostly on the backfoot for a generation; the libertarian Right, mostly in the ascendency, and the traditional, socially conservative, authoritarian Right who are stooges of libertarians when needed to shore up their dominance. Sometimes, the divided Right unites on fundamentals like Brexit, for example (but not immigration), but mostly their aim is to get rid of moderates. Easy, really, as they rarely show backbone and are not in tune with today’s grassroots.
Time for the scrapping Tories to sort out their divisions in private, free from the constraints of office and long-term policy making.
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Inside Right Politics 