Much is made of the current government’s failure to maintain party discipline. It’s often said that divided parties cannot win elections. History may bear this out when we look at rifts that have brought down governments in the past.
Yet the difficulties the current Prime Minister faces are nothing like the struggles that confronted Theresa May or John Major. Major had his “bastards” – Tory Eurosceptic rebels – and May faced her version of the anti-Europe brigade, the European Research Group. These factions were like parties within their party and represented different political stances from those of their governments.
Dissent across the spectrum
May and Major were tasked with trying to unite the left and right wings of the Tory Party. In contrast, the Labour backbench rebellions against the disability benefits and winter fuel allowance cuts represented dissent across the Labour Party, whether these MPs were on the left, right, or centre of the Party.
They had heard from their constituents and knew that the public were angry. Welfare cuts had caused fear and distress among some of the most vulnerable people in society. They had also seen planned swingeing cuts to foreign aid, to take effect in 2027, again hurting the weakest among us. And this, on the 40th anniversary of Live Aid.
The LGBTQIA+ community is angry about the Prime Minister’s apparent indifference to the rights of the transgender community, which once again has instilled fear and anxiety in a vulnerable minority. And then what’s with the crushing and imprisonment of protesters who stand up for Palestine and those against the consumption of fossil fuels?
Morality matters
Backbench Labour MPs appear bewildered by the direction the Government is taking on so many issues. All these things are seen as cruel. How do they fit in with the Labour Party? What ethical and moral imperative drives them?
Many political observers and pundits avoid making such judgements. They prefer to talk about incompetence and lack of political beliefs. But people care about this and it’s not naive to mention it. Morality and ethics should not be ducked: in a healthy democracy, they are vital.
All the major professional bodies have had codes of practice for centuries. Doctors are bound by the Hippocratic Oath to “do no harm”, and accountants by their professional bodies to be prudent and honest. Lawyers have the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which requires them to be honest and trustworthy at all times.
And politicians have a code, too – or should have. Back in time, the Conservatives observed noblesse oblige and later, Disraeli’s One Nation conservatism emphasized the importance of the social contract.
Keir Hardie founded the Labour Party to take care of workers and their rights. He was driven by a creed. More recently, Parliament adopted the seven Nolan Principles, one of which is integrity while another is honesty.
It’s not always the economy
A stronger economy can, of course, create more jobs and help raise taxes. Similarly, a better health service can reduce absenteeism at work and the number of welfare claimants. Managing the UK economy is difficult and always involves trade-offs, especially when you choose to tie your own hands behind your back by refusing to consider raising income tax or joining the European Single Market.
These are not principles, they are practical functions of government. Economic policy should be a means to an end. And it’s here that the Government has lost its way. It appears to be entirely focused on the means rather than the end, which surely should be a vision of the UK guided by morality, compassion, and concern for its citizens. And either the Government doesn’t know what it is aiming toward or it can’t articulate it.
When seeking to raise revenue, targeting the most vulnerable is indefensible. If the Government doesn’t realise this, it clearly has no moral compass.
We have become accustomed to politicians’ grifts and sexual misdemeanours. These are, so far, not a feature of Starmer’s government and that is a relief. The Prime Minister is also strict about upholding the law, and that is a good thing. However, the law is no arbiter of morality.
Last year, Labour won an election, only to lose its soul.
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