That’s certainly one left leaning and red tinted spin on life 😂
I understand you had a particularly good set of experiences during the heady days of the late 90s early 00s, presumably as a result of where you were in your life at the time. But at a macroeconomic and geopolitical level history hasn’t judged that period kindly, on the global stage.
Parking ones biases, once could say that the housing crisis has been fuelled by a planning system not fit for purpose, a culturally NIMBYism against any development, and a failure of every government for the last 50 years to invest in social housing. Our economy is actually performing better than most in Europe, and getting out of dying industries like mining and steel and into to services, automotive, and biotech was a master stroke really. The UK economy has attracted more inward investment over an extended period of time than many. BREXIT was an own goal, but that Cameron’s fault for calling a a referendum without a plan, and Corbyn / Starmers fault for not wanting (former) or being capable of (latter) to run an effective ‘Remain’ campaign
Privatisation of phones, gas, electricity and rail improved customer service and lowered cost to consumers. Privatising water was short sighted, and regulation under every government since has been woeful.
Then of course there’s the matter of the lies and the wars, and the waste of life that resulted from them. Not to mention the years of tawdry spin, the loan scandals, the unreported gifts end the complete milking of MPs expense by all parties.
It’s just as easy to put a similarly blue tinted right leaning spin on 13 years of Labour government, but these entrenched party political positions don’t actually help the country, or encourage reasonable debate that might engage people.
One could easily say that 13 years of Labour managed to destroy private sector pensions. They created a low skills / low wage / benefit dependent economy destroying aspiration and hope for generations of graduates. They kneecapped the NHS by saddling it with debt that it has taken 2 generations to pay back. Their completely short term policy of appeasement meant that no long term plans existed for future healthcare delivery. They did the same with education. And the coalition and Tory governments didn’t improve things.
However, I’m not wedded to either ideology…I just see on both sides of the House of Commons being made up mostly of a bunch of slightly well meaning, slightly dim, and slightly ineffective politicians with the common sense and debating skills of a student union representative.
To give her her credit, Thatcher had an unerring believe that she was doing the right thing for the country, and as a result was willing to take tough decisions. Maybe Starmer is the same. And, looking at our economy in the 20 years after, she was probably right. Life in the UK was grim in the 10 or so years before. History judges her accordingly.
Bliar never really had any convictions. History has him down for the con man he was.
Brown had convictions but no political nouse whatsoever. History has forgotten him.
Major understood the role, and just stuck to the day job. History judges him more kindly by the day.
Osborne was competent, but overly confident. The referendum shows that. He’ll be judged forever on that decision.
May was ernest but forgettable. She was fundamentally a good person though.
Truss was a joke and history will forever laugh at her
Johnson winged it, and like all who do , some things worked and somethings didn’t. History will be pleased that Corbyn wasn’t in charge during a pandemic, and will judge Johnson as a shyster.
Sunak is also a bright, competent man who must have had a drive for public service. He certainly didn’t need the money. But as the last act in a dying Tory government he was always doomed.
Starmer? Too early to say. Autocratic? Probably - people who are out of their depth often are initially, until they grow into the role. A technocratic leader - yes. But that doesn’t bring people with you. Has he got a long term plan? Yes. Will he be honest with people and tell them what it is? No…because the default position for the left of centre elite has always been - we know best, you don’t need to know the details. Trust us. We are right.
We get the politics, and the politicians, we deserve.