As trust runs out, night heralds in an era of democratic deficit!

 

Quoting David Dimbleby from 2016: “The people have spoken …” so may I start my latest column by congratulating Prime Minister Starmer on his party’s election success and wish ‘our’ new Government all the best in the months and years to come.

 

I’m writing this on the Saturday after polling day. Both nationally and locally, the results for the Conservative Party have been devastating. Reduced to their lowest share of the vote and Parliamentary representation since the Great Reform Act of 1832, the Party has been badly bruised, even here in ‘true blue’ Suffolk.

 

Labour picked up four gains and the Greens one, leaving the Conservative Party with just three seats. The Reform Party didn't win any seats but racked up some impressive shares of the vote - not least given the cut and run calling of the election by Rishi Sunak. 

 

Although he is on a different wing of the political right to me, I’m most saddened by the loss of Peter Aldous, who – in spite of his personal popularity – was unable to hold onto the Lowestoft seat. Peter was a very model constituency MP: knowledgeable, hard-working, and true to his roots. Sorry I didn’t make it up to Lowestoft to bang on a few doors for you, but thank you for your service, Peter.

 

I’m still a little frustrated by the own goal scored by the Labour Candidate for Central Suffolk & North Ipswich (CS&NI) , Kevin Craig, when he placed a bet on NOT winning the seat, best described as a #RookieError? What could have been, eh Kevin?

 

I wonder how many CS&NI Conservatives are regretting their choice after the rude behaviour of their new MP Patrick Spencer in not speaking to the press either before or after his count – how arrogant and entitled of him.

 

This overwhelming defeat and the very wreck of the most successful political party in the Western world has its roots in the baleful compromised decisions taken by its globalist elite whilst in Government.

 

Whether it be cosying up to the pre-woke Liberal Democrats during the Coalition years or the botching – possibly deliberate - of Brexit negotiations under the premiership of the hapless, pro-Remain, and now newly ennobled Teresa May. And also the over-reach of state power during the Covid19 pandemic and the coup d’etat against Liz Truss by her MPs and the coronation of the out-of-touch Rishi Sunak, the last 14 years have been characterised by a frittering away of initiative and trust. 

 

That said, in her case, the decision of her South West Norfolk constituents, cannot be disputed – sorry Liz! Her failure to show any contrition for the many failures of her short premiership will not gain her many fans.

 

We’ve ended up with a country that has never been so over-taxed, but which is getting less and less back by way of infrastructure investment, skills development, and secure borders – the three core functions of a limited state. And not to forget the day-to-day services the state, at whatever level, is obliged to provide, which are increasingly delivered in a begrudging and second-rate manner.

Yet, help is on the horizon.

 

When Liz Truss was deposed by her treacherous MPs in October 2022, I decided not to renew my Party membership. Out of some mis-placed loyalty to Dr Dan Poulter, and the Conservative Party I have voted for since 4th May 1979, I decided that at the next General Election, I would spoil my ballot paper and scrawl #NoneOfTheAbove across it.

 

This changed the moment Dr Dan defected to Labour and from that day, I didn’t owe him, or the Conservative Party, any loyalty whatsoever, but what really made me decide to vote for Reform UK was Nigel Farage declaring he would stand in Clacton.

 

The election of Nigel Farage and a handful of Reform MPs shows that a ‘so-called’ populist policy platform that wants to make Brexit work for Britain and dismantle the self-serving establishment elite has significant support. From the polling that I’ve seen, Reform out-performed or at least equalled the Tories in support from the under-44s.

 

Even the performative knicker-wetting by the Tory establishment about Farage’s Russia comments didn’t seem to have had an impact at the polling stations.

 

For what it’s worth, I like Farage’s straight talking and let’s be honest, whilst despising Putin, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I do think the eastern ‘advances’ of both the EU and NATO did have a significant effect on Putin’s decisions and actions. I see this as a major and unforgivable diplomatic failure of ’The West’.

 

For me now, my key interests will be to see how the Conservatives go about selecting a new leader, to see how Farage and Reform UK perform in Westminster (not just Parliament), and to see whether both parties can work together to rebuild a centre-right movement – or coalition - based on a small state, strong borders an defence, and personal freedoms.

 

From what I’ve heard and read so far, a meeting of minds is a long way off.

 

The Tories received a good kicking, with around 100 ‘decapitations’ by Reform candidates. Some votes have been lent elsewhere, and significantly, some votes have not been used, resulting in a record low turnout.

 

With just over one third of the votes cast, this result is hardly an endorsement for Sir Keir’s Labour.

 

But I’m saddened to see that 12% of voters are more impressed by waterpark hi-jinks, than by serious policy discussion. However, you do have to admire the electioneering strategy of the Lib Dems in focussing on winnable seats with locally targeted campaigns – the legacy of Paddy Ashdown lingers on.

 

I’m also worried by the appearance of sectarian independents, obviously encouraged by mixed messaging from our new Prime Minister. Let’s hope he’s clearer, and more concise on international matters in the future. Oh, hang on … our new Foreign Secretary is David Lammy … hmmm.

 

The ‘minor’ parties and independents, seat wise, now account for 30% of votes cast, almost as much as Labour, but hold just 7% of the seats, highlighting the inequity, and unsuitability of the First Past The Post system for an increasingly multi-party state. This will not change in the foreseeable future!

 

Welcome to the democratic deficit!

First published www.suffolkfreepress.co.uk on Thursday, July 11, 2024.

What exactly was the point of belated switch to Starmerism?

 

As regular readers know, I always try to focus my columns on relevant issues to local people, and hold them up to scrutiny through the prism of a libertarian perspective, where people should be trusted more and state institutions should, in short, get lost.

Although I am an individualist by conviction, I’ve rarely focused on the actions of one particular person. Curious that. But I intend to make partial amends this time around.

Because I’d like to reflect on the actions of one particular, but influential Suffolk resident (all these comparisons are relative), in order to tease out some bigger truths. Or perhaps just to spread some invective around. Whatever.

And the principal boy, in what has become a most unseasonal pantomime of late, is none other than Dr Dan Poulter, the (now) Labour MP for Central Suffolk & North Ipswich.

At one level his political career has a pleasing symmetry for those who like patterns: a self-confessed supporter of Tony Blair in the 2001 and 2005 General Elections, then subsequently a local Conservative Councillor, first in Hastings then in Reigate. He was first elected as the Conservative MP for the constituency in 2010, rising to the heady heights, for two-and-a-half years, as a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Health, to switching sides, and a possible health adviser role for the Labour Party after the next General election. Nice work.

And Dr Dan does work hard. His entry in the latest Register of Members' Financial Interests (as at 29 April 2024) lists his roughly 720 hours a year employment at a London NHS Trust from 2015 until earlier this year and his current role at the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

It was apparently his concern about what his non-Parliamentary work colleagues might think of him that prompted his late-stage conversion to Starmerism. He was widely quoted as saying “I could no longer look my colleagues and my patients in the eye, as an MP, knowing what this Conservative government has done to our NHS.”

No mention here of his staff, both those who work in his Parliamentary office, and those who front up the constituency end of things. Putting to one side Carol, his poor mother, I’d imagine that the situation has been pretty awkward for many of them, not least those who are also active in the Conservative Party.

As MPs directly employ their own teams on agreed pay scales, Dr Dan’s defection raises issues as to fairness and rights for those dependent on him to pay their bills. Not a very happy situation for them, I’d imagine.

It’s at this point I have a confession to make, a mea culpa if you like!

I had a role in Dr Dan’s selection ahead of the 2010 General Election, as I was chairman of the candidates’ selection committee. That said – full disclosure time – I didn’t vote for him during the open primary. I voted for the other guy, a most impressive Headteacher from Lincolnshire!

 The irony is that I’m pretty sure the other guy hasn’t defected to the Labour Party.

 During David Cameron’s time as Leader of the Opposition, local constituency associations were placed under massive pressure – and I do mean massive – to select from what was known as the ‘A List’ of candidates, many of whom had no track record in right-wing politics, or even any particular commitment to conservatism.

 This was a manifestation of Cameron’s ‘Hug a Hoodie’ phase and, apparently, was aimed at securing a Parliamentary representation that suited Dave’s purposes. Its success was questionable in that he failed to secure a majority and had to go into coalition with the un-Liberal anti-Democrats.

 Now don’t get me wrong, I had, or have no problem with any political party’s central administration forwarding potential Parliamentary wannabes. They need to come from somewhere!

 I also had, or have no problem with a party vetting applicants. After all, you can’t have the media adopting that role post appointment, as the Reform Party has recently found to its cost with numerous candidates having to stand down after various interesting social media comments came to light.

 But the anti-democratic top-downism of the whole A-Lister scheme relied on constituency parties sidelining or rejecting perfectly valid local candidates. Although, to be honest, the 6-person selection committee couldn’t agree on any of the ‘approved’ local candidates on offer!

 Most of the elected A listers turned out to be rather flaky, resigning and causing by-elections (Louise Mensch, anyone?) – that kind of thing. At least Dr Dan hasn’t done that.

But perhaps he should have done? Even the most personally popular MP, if they are being honest, would acknowledge that their vote tally is largely because of their political ticket.

Which is why I’d like to see an amendment to the Recall of MPs Act 2015 requiring a by-election be called when an MP defects from the party label they were elected under, subject to a minimum number of constituents requesting one within a particular period of time..

Sadly, most MPs hold onto their sinecures like gym-trained limpets.  And before you say anything, I think that Lee Anderson should have resigned and fought the resulting by-election – which he probably would have won. Bad show on him.

There are some honourable exceptions. One, of course, is Douglas Carswell a self-styled libertarian (hurrah!) and Conservative MP for Clacton from 2002-2014, who when he left his former political berth, opted to contest the seat in a by-election for his new party, UKIP. Which he won handsomely and retained it again at the following election.

At the time he was quoted as saying “When I changed parties it didn't occur to me to not hold a by election. If my own electorate weren't supportive, what was the point?"

What was the point indeed, Dr. Dan? 

What was your point?

That said, now Dan is no longer an MP, may I wish him all the best in his latest choice of career.

First published in the suffolkfreepress.co.uk on Thursday, 30th May, 2024.