September 27, 2002
TOWARD A TORY REVIVAL:
Internal Politics: Conservatives (Iain Murray, September 27, 2002, Edge of England's Sword)The...Prospect magazine...has a great article by John O'Sullivan on the Tory party's continuing woes. He looks at the psychological problems besetting the party and then points out how its is systematically alienating all three of its natural consituencies: the "patriots" (by being equivocal about Europe), the moral traditionalists (by its emphasis on alternative lifestyles) and the economic liberals (by putting an emphasis on public provision of services). No wonder the party's in such doldrums.[...]My suggestion is that the party try an over-arching approach...
Restoration of links with the Commonwealth...
Restoration of the family...
Restoration of local control of services...
I think this could work.
We too think it's at least a good start. It is inexplicable to us that England no longer has a conservative party, by which we mean no party that systematically pursues such a politics of personal responsibility, small government, traditional (Judeo-Christian) morality, and alliance with similarly Western nations. Though the Judds were tossed out of England nearly four centuries ago, we have an abiding affection for the place and its people and would like nothing better than to see it turn its gaze West and abandon the East. Britain does have far more in common with America, Canada, Australia, India, etc.--all her wayward children--than with continental Europe and one would hope that she'd cast her future with us, rather than with the French and the Germans. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 27, 2002 1:06 PM
The Commonwealth is a joke.
Canada is a North American version of the Euros with its extensive welfare state and declining economy and population.
And I don't hear them supporting action against Iraq.
The African countries are still pretty shambolic and have shown little desire to tell Mugabe to wise up.
While India is allied with the West (for now), there is still a lot of resentment and a bruised sense of ego when it comes to relations with the UK particularly since the English are blamed for looting the country when they ruled it and being partially responsible for India's poverty today.
Australia is allright I guess.
So we all have work to do...
Posted by: oj at September 28, 2002 7:22 AM