The UK Labour Party has been slaughtered in the recent election
result. It's their worst result in 80 years. Electorates that had been
Labour bastions forever have fallen as life-long Labour supporters held their
nose and voted for Boris Johnson's Conservative Party - or didn't vote.
Brexit was a crucial factor as was Labour's archaic
socialist policies and its repugnant leadership. The Labour Party's position on
Brexit was political rather than principled and their messaging was unclear. Were
they for a Brexit exit or not? Voters simply wanted clarity and after years of
political deadlock voters had had enough and pro-Brexit Labourites voted
accordingly.
They also had had enough of Labour's unlikeable leader,
Jeremy Corbyn. The only people backing him appeared to be a clique who had a
vested interest in his success. The blindness of the self-interested back-slappers
perpetuated Corbyn's reign as leader, when those within the party less attached
to his coattails know he was disliked by voters and had policies bedded in
failed ideologies and misconceptions about the role of government as a
protector of the working class. Clearly
the Party has been captured by a hierarchy who believe in Animal Farm
type government. It's a far cry from the more moderate views of Labour under
Tony Blair.
Corbyn should have resigned on election night. He didn't and
will now oversee a process to pass the leadership onto someone else -
presumably someone who shares his world view. He described the defeat as
"disappointing", which suggests he lacks an appreciation of the
significance of his contribution to the Party's defeat.
There is a message here for New Zealand's socialist
politicians - and Winston Peters. Most people do not want government intruding
in their lives. They can get along quite nicely without politicians making
decisions for them that they can make themselves. Politicians who are so
self-centred that they believe they are important to most people need to think
again. Their importance is more their ability to obstruct rather than assist.
Another message from the campaign is that those who believe
in the freedom of markets and individual freedom should stand firm to their
beliefs, despite the negative press from the media and others that want to
impose their views and personal agendas on others. Politicians need to remember
that people do not believe everything they read in the media.
The final message is about Winston Peters - the man who
after the last election appointed our Prime Minister and put socialists and
radical greenies into Government. Giving this absolute power to a single man
leading what is a minor fringe party is not what people wanted when they voted
for MMP, and voters will have no hesitation in delivering that message via the
ballot box.
Frank
Newman, a writer and investment analyst, is a former local body councillor.
3 comments:
Frank, I hope we all remember that Peters has been the downfall of mainstream politics in this country and that the opposition next year push this to its fullest extent, otherwise we will end up with another 3 years of this socialist Marxist government
Out with MMP - out with Maori seats - out with political parties - welcome independent MP's who could flourish without them.
Love MMP or hate it at least we wouldn't have a party that won 43.6% of the vote with total dominance of the Parliament. Most of the UK voted for parties that either wanted to stay in the Eu or hold a second referendum. Instead they get Boris' Brexit. Most who I know who voted Conservative wanted to remain but had no choice but Boris to avoid the catastrophe that Corbyn presented. What a nightmare.
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