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https://theconversation.com/uk-election-tory-downfall-is-democracy-rectifying-its-mistakes-233640>
"Democracies are no better than other forms of government at avoiding
catastrophic mistakes. But they are much more effective at rectifying them.
While the 2024 British general election might have seemed a long time coming,
as the country meandered from one failure to the next, the utter scale of
defeat for the Conservatives is testament to the ability of a democratic system
to reject, reverse and renew.
It also places a singular challenge on the desk of the new prime minister, Keir
Starmer. He will be judged by his ability to restore probity to government and
address the damage suffered by the country.
It is easy to see this election in the tradition of other big defeats like 1997
or 1979 or 1964. A powerful theme of “time for a change” was at play and the
governing party seemed to have run out of steam. It can even be interpreted as
sending a powerful message to Rishi Sunak’s Conservative party that voters
wanted to inflict punishment for incompetence, economic mismanagement and
sleaze.
But this one is more than that.
The now former governing party, returned with a majority of 80 in 2019, has
been beaten to within an inch of its life. A generation of politicians long
criticised for treating public life with contempt, have been ejected from
office and parliament.
Step back, and this election can be seen as democracy rectifying the catalogue
of its own glaring mistakes. Since the calamitous Brexit referendum eight years
ago, Britain has suffered economic decay and a cost of living crisis (briefly
exacerbated by Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s disastrous so-called
“mini-budget”).
It has endured a government with a lengthy record of rule breaking reflected in
the UK falling to its lowest ever ranking in the Global Corruption Index. It
has seen dodgy pandemic procurement contracts handed out, party donors
appointed to the House of Lords and a sustained attack on its constitution,
institutions, and rule of law. Tiresome culture war crusades have divided
communities and polluted public life.
Denigration of public services from education to the NHS to the armed forces,
crises in housing, the climate and inequality have been left unchallenged.
Damage has been done to the country’s international reputation and relations
strained with the UK’s closest allies in Europe.
What these errors have in common is that each one sits firmly at the door of 10
Downing Street and its four most recent inhabitants. This election emphatically
draws a line under them."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
