I REPEAT - RIDE THE TIDE

Three months ago, in early June, I sent a letter to Mr Starmer, suggesting:

It is time for the Labour Party to stand up. To express the specific policies it would intend to pursue in government and not just criticise the Conservatives and make vague suggestions of what it would do otherwise. It must be bold and state specifics. They must answer the question “What would you do?” with clarity and perspective, not waffle.

I went on to quote from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar Act 4, Scene 3, Lines 218-214 spoken by Brutus:

There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

I asked Mr Starmer to ride the tide. Never before has the labour party had such an opportunity to put forward a full program of policies. In the face of the ludicrous charade of the Truss and Sunak prospectus for “change”, that is no change, and does little to deal with the pressing needs of the ordinary citizen, either now or in the future, I urged Mr Starmer to ride the tide.

The Liberal Democrats have pressed forward with policies to implement an immediate freeze on energy bills, and then take it from there as to how best to deal with the more vulnerable individuals as one progressed. It might be a universal solution benefiting those least in need as well, but it would be a starting point from which to address the issues of the most vulnerable, rather than waiting for some magic formula to appear.

I have heard very little from the Labour party other than criticism. Perhaps I am just not hearing or no one is asking. I don’t understand why one does not hear specific suggestions other than what has been called a windfall tax. That’s not enough. The energy companies are making colossal profits, yes, and an immediate tax on those profits is great, but what else? Where does the money go? Does it just go back to the energy companies to pay off the higher energy bills that keep coming? What sort of circular tax is that? Mr Starmer please give us a clue as to what to expect beyond windfalls.

I would have expected a full program manifesto from the Labour party, properly costed (since that seems to be what is required to satisfy critics and the media). The Labour party should be preparing and pushing for a general election now. It must be clear by now, what with a dead duck present administration, holding off doing anything until either Truss of Sunak takes the chair, that nothing will change, will probably get worse, and an election will not be far off.

Equally it should be reasonably clear that Ms Truss appears to be the chosen one. The current members of the dead Johnson cabinet, will probably remain in place. If they are delaying taking action in the face of the current crisis now, what makes one think they will act once she’s in place? What ideas are they formulating to enable her to hit the ground running as she claims?

They will be just as ineffectual as they have been so far. To blame everything on world problems and not the inadequate leadership is the excuse of the lame. Every country has the same problems, but I do not see a similar double digit inflationary rise elsewhere, that exists in the UK. It is as if the government blame game is the same as saying it’s all beyond their control. If that is the case, why not bow out now and let an election take place so that people who might have a solution can get on with it?

If the Labour Party pretend to have the solution, to be those people, then let us see and hear about those solutions now. It is high tide, it will last only a short while longer and is followed by an ebb tide which will flow away, by which time it will be too late for Mr Starmer’s party.

It is about now that the party must make itself heard. Any MP who is interviewed on the media, or makes a speech, or participates in a panel discussion on television, should have a full brief on solutions and be prepared to back them up with specifics, not with criticisms alone. If asked “What would you do” they should be able to give a direct and specific answer and not just say “I wouldn’t do what they are doing”. There is nothing wrong with giving an opinion and making criticism, but the voters want to hear beyond that, they want to hear a direct answer. They do not want to hear someone say, “Let’s be clear about that…” and then go on to be perfectly unclear and evasive. That is the politician’s tool. It is not an answer. Do not say, “Let’s be clear”, just be clear. Do not say ‘We want to help the underprivileged” explain what you would actually do to help. Do not talk about past success, but how you would make the future better, with specifics not waffle. Heart rending speeches and shows of emotive passion and care for others is fine, but voters support people who tell them the truth and how to actually go about making things improve.

I do not pretend to know how to go about doing all of that, and getting heard by as many people as possible, but if there is no one in the Labour Party who does, then woe betide the party. Mr Starmer ride the tide or you, your party and the country will be bound in shallows and in miseries.