Not the force of Greek myth but the early 21st century sinking ship. As the rats leave (Jaqui Smith and Hazel Blears at time of writing), it leaves only the inevitably poor showing in the European elections to draw out the plotters. But no one is brave enough to play the part of Brutus or indeed Michael Heseltine.
The truth is that the Labour party are suffering from government ennui, a desire for change regardless of performance. Labour’s performance in recent years has been lamentable: the impoverished response to the banking crisis, the waste (non jobs in the public sector) of money in the good times, the Iraq retreat debacle, failure to assert itself in Europe. But none of these are election winners or losers. The great British public invariably vote in general elections based on the economy, incompetence, or boredom but rarely ideology. The government have handled things better than in the dying days of the Major administration but one cannot help thinking that only a collapse by the Tories will lead to anything but a 1979-esque rout.
The smell of power has quietened the rabid right wing dogs and their howls of immigration, EU, and low taxes. The hope is that David Cameron will use the 12 months as thinking time to develop a true ideology leading to economic sustainable growth, a viable ‘free’ healthcare system, a resuscitation of our morbid education system, and a foreign policy that puts the UK and its sphere of influence first.
To labour is to struggle 