*Posted by Tim on behalf of Stephan Shakespeare*
A number of former jobbers for the left joined the Conservative Party when it was obvious that their old parties couldn't win elections any more. Now they say to us: 'turn left if you want to be winners'. I can't help finding that careerist. The rationale they generally adduce for their new positions is that power cannot be won in any other way. How rarely do we hear them argue from principle, or from evidence that the world would be better with their shifting directions! The authority for their arguments is mainly derived from polls and focus groups, and typically motivated by the idea of winning the game.
I am no purist and I realise that you can't do so much while you're out of power: but careerism makes you confuse power for a mere job. Just once I want to hear the chameleons argue as if they care about something other than the mere game. I want a party that can convincingly say to the people: we're doing this for you, not for ourselves.
Of course we must learn lessons. We must learn lessons from the real world, about what can be done to make the real world better. We shouldn't hold on to outworn ideas because of some misplaced ideological loyalty - but neither should we be Politicos who treat it as a game.
There is something bordering on intellectual dishonesty in Danny Finkelstein using John Howard's election defeat as evidence that a lower tax agenda should be sidelined. By contrast, his position on the war on terror has been principled and he has not compromised for the sake of metropolitan fashion. Why can't the same clarity of purpose be applied to other issues?
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