Came across an article on Prospect Magazine which I want to share with everyone on British Politics. Written by Chris Goodall, Green Party candidate for Oxford West and Abingdon (no pressure Terryā¦)
Your editorial suggests that an āintelligent, unideological, technocratic politics is what is requiredā to solve Britainās problems. Technocratic we might be able to live with and no-one recommends stupidity. The case for āunideologicalā politics is far weaker. After all, from John Major to today, it might be said that politicians have ruthlessly sought to detach themselves from any form of ideology and the results havenāt been that impressive. Successful politicians need strong ideology to push through change. Without a clear set of beliefs tied together in a coherent philosophical structure, political parties become weak and disorganised. Voters lose interest because they donāt know what politicians stand for. Faced with the strong tides of modern life, a politician without ideology is unmoored. He or she is able to keep a consistent direction and is tossed to and fro by what Harold Macmillan called āeventsā. Ideology gives politicians a star to guide them. In short, without ideological politics we descend into the relentless launching of minor initiatives and headline-grabbing policy changes rather than substantial and permanent shifts. Ask yourself to name the most effective (I choose the word carefully) British politician of the last half century. Was she āunideologicalā?
Huge ideological debates need to be had in this country. A large part of the UK electorate wants to withdraw from the EU in whole or in part. An increasing number of people believe that Britainās high and possibly increasing levels of inequality are a moral stain on our country. Many would like a real discussion on whether continued economic growth is compatible with dealing with climate change. Are we going to get these debates in your world of āunideological technocratic politicsā where nobody has any fundamental beliefs? I suspect not. We will continue with disorganised drift.
Chris Goodall
Green Party candidate for Oxford West and Abingdon