When exploring the recent political candidates on the UK political scene, I was overcome with a wave of pseudo-nostalgia.
Long before I was born, British politics was male-dominated, a sordid affair of character binaries. Hard-line leftists, young people radicalised by Marx and a qualm against “the man” (i.e.
authority) as well as the older generation, hair held on by straps of wispy beards and shaggy jackets; The right, crisp, immaculate individuals, devoid of colour in their faces, with suits plastered to their bodies like toy soldiers. I embellish, but both groups had preconceived notions of one another, informed by similar caricatures. The politics of today is far more beige than ever before, all players paper cut-outs that could be just as easily replicated by shop-window dummies.
However, in reality, both then and now, many everyday individuals want the same things: Safety, stability, and comfort. The differences come in how parties aim to achieve this. Labour has historically looked forward while channelling the spirit of what had come before in an attempt to maintain a status quo for those that voted for them. The alternative, Conservative philosophy maintains existing structures but seeks to improve them through financial capital and support, also thereby maintaining the status quo.
Who in politics, both domestic and international, among any of the G8+, can honestly say they were motivated by anything other than power. The only country that remains a tenable demonstration of public control and social progression is Scandinavia; The lowest reoffending rate among convicted criminals, Sweden. The highest rate of tax for social investment, Finland. Why has Denmark been consistently described as the happiest country in the world- because it has good education and social support.
The key to all three countries has been a re-focus on the function of politics in the public sphere. Public services are run efficiently through effectively implemented plans, key parameters and a fundamental understanding that these areas are invested in for wider social benefit. Their public systems and administration have evolved but remain centred in their histories and cultures.
When looking to maintain safety, security and comfort, politicians mustn’t look at the adaption of new measures like these as a threat to their national culture. It will be key, in time, to enrich the fabric of our countries and the world more widely. Speaking to a friend over coffee recently, they put it best:
“Shit is warm, so people feel comfortable sitting in it.”
72° from Chippenham 