It appears to me, sitting here in my garret, that there are two reasons for the debacle that has occurred to the Labour Party in England. One is the poor leadership of Keith Starmer. Though at heart a talented Barrister and determined to make a better society than the one offered across the Despatch Box he has failed to make a mark on the gangster Boris Johnson and his cohorts.
The other is the acumulation of anti-migrant and anti-EU propaganda spewed out by the Conservatives for the past 30 years. Constant attacks, usually lies, in the Right-wing press on the EU and migrants, often from Boris Johnson himself, with little if any evidence to show, has led to the lower middle classes and white working classes feeling 'Left out' by Labour policies which are perceived to be in favour of incomers at the indigenous populations expense. The result is the 'Sun,' 'Daily Express,' and 'Daily Mail' reading public convinced they are on the losing side, so they reach out to the Tories to save them.
The Tories have learned much from Goebbels, possibly with the help of Steve Bannon, one of the neo Nazis of today. Point the finger over there - at the Jews in the Nazis case, and if you repeat the same lie long enough, a simple straight forward lie, people will become convinced of its truth. It worked in the 1930's it has worked again here. The thinking middle classes, usually University educated and full of themselves, are less likely to follow the Tory line. Electricians, engineers, small shopkeepers and artisans, often wise and sensible people, however see some substance in the Tory message, one perpetrated via the press and the Tory run BBC, the channel the majority watch. With no mention of Boris's corruption, no questioning of Brexit, no desire to make politicians accountable the man in the street has little knowledge of what is going on. Many are happy with this, the effort to seek out varied opinions does not trouble them.
The results will soon burn the voters. Tory councils will be approached by many wishing to build houses in the voters backyards, objections will get little support. The disabled, the hungry, the unemployed, the local NHS will soon start to show the cracks of Tory policy.
The question then will be, can the nation recover from this?
4 comments:
That cartoon explains a lot....
I think the Labour party needs to realign itself and clearly define what its for. In the past its association with unions and the workers were good and necessary but is that still the case today? It may well be for voters of my age but is that what the younger voters want.
I agree with you and think Goebbel's propaganda advice should be taught in every school so people realise what they are up against in the likes of Johnson. My concern about Starmer is that he seems unaware of what he is up against - a confidence trickster and manipulator who says always exactly what people want to hear, and therefore makes himself popular just for SAYING it. When (inevitably) the con man doesn't deliver, people are inclined to go easy on him because they remember how sincerely he appeared to want just what they wanted. After all, he said he'd do his best, so maybe NEXT time he'll succeed, if they only keep supporting him..... I'm not sure Starmer can intellectually credit that this simple trick actually works with most people, even intelligent ones, time and time again. Just because promising us what we really want is so incredibly appealing to us! And sadly, it just makes it worse to have Labour supporters acting as if they are smarter, better and more astute than the average mass of folk these days. I often wish that Corbyn had been able to capitalise on the way he fired peoples emotions at the start. He was sincere and actually did believe what he said, so he could have transformed politics, and led a great wave of improvement. But he was simply not intelligent, realistic or astute enough to take the chance. On such small things to fortunes of whole countries turn....
Fly, Brilliant innit! Private Eye cartoons are spot on.
Dave, A radical rethink is required, whether Starmer can survive is unknown.
Jenny, Indeed teaching about Goebels would be good. It would help them understand the media. Starmer may not survive this unless he has a very good alternative policy. Already Andy Burnham is circling.
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