Jeff Randall: David Cameron and the Tories Should Learn Lessons from History
[Jeff Randall is the Daily Telegraph's editor at large.]
...“Our finances have been brought into grave disorder. No British Government in peace time has ever had the power or spent the money in the vast extent and reckless manner of our current rulers... no community living in a world of competing nations can possibly afford such frantic extravagances... the evils which we suffer today are the inevitable progeny of that wanton way of living.”
This analysis, crisp and incontrovertible, could have been penned last week by David Cameron to sum up Gordon Brown’s shambles. It comes, however, not from the current Tory leader but Winston Churchill in the Conservative Party’s manifesto for the general election of 1951. Much has changed since then, yet the immediate political challenge facing Mr Cameron is not dissimilar to the task Churchill confronted 59 years ago.
A Labour Government that swept in on a landslide has seen its popularity dwindle, but not by so much that its defeat is inevitable. Millions of voters are still seduced by the prospect of ever-expanding state largesse, even though they know that such a course is the fast track to national collapse (as the Greeks are ably demonstrating)....
In 1975, at the Conservatives’ annual conference, Margaret Thatcher denounced the disastrous consensual centrism of Ted Heath and set out a radical agenda. Her message then applies no less to the party today: “We are witnessing a deliberate attack on our values, a deliberate attack on those who wish to promote merit and excellence, a deliberate attack on our heritage.”...
Her rallying call was: “We must not be bullied or brainwashed out of our beliefs.” Yes, beliefs, without which a political party disintegrates into a mush of vacuous slogans, promoted by emoting leaders in search of the sympathy vote. What are the core beliefs of modern Conservatives? Is it anything more philosophical than hollow managerialism? Answers on a postcard, please. Until they arrive, let’s settle for some unambiguous policies. For a start, stop being defensive about slimming down the state’s payroll. You cannot prune waste while keeping every single diversity officer in a job....
One more thing: reinstate history for all GCSE students. Its lessons are invaluable.
Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)
...“Our finances have been brought into grave disorder. No British Government in peace time has ever had the power or spent the money in the vast extent and reckless manner of our current rulers... no community living in a world of competing nations can possibly afford such frantic extravagances... the evils which we suffer today are the inevitable progeny of that wanton way of living.”
This analysis, crisp and incontrovertible, could have been penned last week by David Cameron to sum up Gordon Brown’s shambles. It comes, however, not from the current Tory leader but Winston Churchill in the Conservative Party’s manifesto for the general election of 1951. Much has changed since then, yet the immediate political challenge facing Mr Cameron is not dissimilar to the task Churchill confronted 59 years ago.
A Labour Government that swept in on a landslide has seen its popularity dwindle, but not by so much that its defeat is inevitable. Millions of voters are still seduced by the prospect of ever-expanding state largesse, even though they know that such a course is the fast track to national collapse (as the Greeks are ably demonstrating)....
In 1975, at the Conservatives’ annual conference, Margaret Thatcher denounced the disastrous consensual centrism of Ted Heath and set out a radical agenda. Her message then applies no less to the party today: “We are witnessing a deliberate attack on our values, a deliberate attack on those who wish to promote merit and excellence, a deliberate attack on our heritage.”...
Her rallying call was: “We must not be bullied or brainwashed out of our beliefs.” Yes, beliefs, without which a political party disintegrates into a mush of vacuous slogans, promoted by emoting leaders in search of the sympathy vote. What are the core beliefs of modern Conservatives? Is it anything more philosophical than hollow managerialism? Answers on a postcard, please. Until they arrive, let’s settle for some unambiguous policies. For a start, stop being defensive about slimming down the state’s payroll. You cannot prune waste while keeping every single diversity officer in a job....
One more thing: reinstate history for all GCSE students. Its lessons are invaluable.