I know I'm getting on a bit so forgive me if I’ve got this wrong, but I seem to recall the country voting the Tories out last year. But now I begin to doubt my recollections. Keir Starmer’s Labour party was elected on a promise of ‘change’, in retrospect, a vacuuous slogan which allowed voters to interpret it however they liked. Of course, they didn't say it was a change for the better but most hoped for a change from the pettiness, self-serving cronyism, callous cruelty and corruption which characterised the previous Tory government. A year on, it’s clear that all that has really changed are the names and faces of those presiding over the pettiness, self-serving cronyism, callous cruelty and corruption. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. This supposedly Labour government has proven itself to be every bit as authoritarian and nasty as the Tories it replaced, prohibiting a direct action protest group as a “terrorist” organisation, leading to the mass arrest of hundreds of demonstrators, mostly 'of a certain age', for the terrorist crime of holding up a placard protesting against genocide, a genocide which the UK Government continues to support militarily and diplomatically. Labour vies with the far right in its enthusiasm for flag hugging and the demonisation of migrants as it chases the tail of Nigel Farage, normalising the politics and talking points of actual fascists in the process.
Under Starmer, the UK isn’t just drifting towards fascism, it seems to be hell bent on driving there at top speed while waving flags out of the window. We are witnessing the implosion of the British political system. The destination is either authoritarianism or, perhaps, for Scotland, and possibly Wales too, independence. This so-called Union cannot survive the capture of the institutions of the British state by far right English 'ethno-nationalists'. But instead of challenging the far right Anglo-British nationalists who drive Reform UK, this Labour party privileges them, legitimising them at every turn. There’s a stark contrast between Starmer’s eagerness to pander to the hard right and Brexit supporters and his marginalisation of the larger number of those on the liberal left who support stronger ties with the EU. The fact that polling consistently shows that a clear majority of people in the UK believe Brexit was a mistake is ignored by Labour, the Tories, and of course by Farage’s fan club.
Presiding over all this is the charisma free zone that is Keir Starmer, robotically intoning platitudes, driven solely by whatever the latest focus group has told him he needs to say. To say that Starmer is inauthentic is an insult to waxwork dummies which barely resemble the celebrity they are supposed to represent. Starmer is so lacking in emotional intelligence that he is incapable of realising that everyone perceives his lack of authenticity and that his words are hollow and performative. So he ploughs on, continuing to dig himself, and everyone else, even deeper into the grave that Morgan McSweeney has dug for him.
Following the defenestration last week of deputy Prime Minister Angela Raynor, Starmer embarked upon a wide ranging reshuffle of his government, because apparently one year on after being appointed because the incumbents were ideal for their jobs, they are no longer ideal for their jobs. Given that we are talking about dozens of individuals here, and the one common denominator is Keir Starmer, who clearly must have made some serious errors in judgement just a few months ago, the obvious conclusion must be that the person who is unfit for their job is Keir Starmer. The 'Mandelstam Affair' probably reinforces that view.
This real crisis is not the crisis that Reform UK, a name as emblematic of political lies as Better Together, hasn't the slightest intention of addressing. Should Reform ever take power, the public anger and disappointment at their lies and deceit will be orders of magnitude greater than that which ensued following Starmer’s election victory. However, Reform will wreak huge damage on public services, institutions, and human and civil rights, taking advantage of the UK’s non-existent constitutional checks and balances to entrench themselves in power. Look across the Atlantic and think about the Trump Playbook. It's Farage's bible.
Notwithstanding all the ordure that's flying around, I hope you all are doing okay. Well, as okay as is possible. Pet a dog, pet a cat, hug a loved one. We will get through this. Stay informed, help others.
And let's play out with The Who and with what could be my theme song. Enjoy!
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