Friday 17 November 2017

Toryism a spent force

As Simon Heffer states, "May was in serious trouble " before the "Weinstein-on-Thames scandal" managed to rock the sinking Tory ship (From hubris to nemesis,10th November, 2017). What he doesn`t appear to grasp, however, is that, regardless of who is at the helm, the rocks are beckoning this particular vessel. Heffer pins his hopes on a cabinet reshuffle bringing in "gifted people", and obviously, a new leader filling the void created by "the utter absence of May`s authority", but significantly, no names of potential leaders are put forward. At least two of those mentioned for cabinet office would be electoral gifts to Labour.
 Heffer clearly fails to understand that ideologically, British Toryism is a spent force. He shows this most obviously when suggesting a "sensible and popular" budget would reverse Osborne`s stamp duty reforms. No doubt it would please the very rich, able to buy £1 million pound properties, but it would do nothing to help people on average earnings get on to the housing ladder, and away from the grip of Rachman-like landlords. Massive investment is needed, fairness applied to the income tax bands, tax avoidance prevented (Heffer`s silence on the Paradise Papers was deafening!), welfare and education services properly funded, landlords regulated, energy and transport provision reformed, and Brexit delayed. Crises are abundant, and the Tory party, "rudderless" or not, is disinclined to solve any of them!

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