Politicians Are (Not) All The Same

Chris Giles wrote nigh a calendar month agone that “Britain volition non convey much of a pick at the 2015 election. However much they speak nigh clear differences, the parties convey rarely been closer on economics”. He volition in all likelihood loathe me for proverb this, but I was reminded of his article when I watched this interview betwixt Jeremy Paxman as well as Russell Brand. The mutual theme, which Chris Dillow also picks up, is that the electrical current political organisation offers no existent choice.

This theme, mutual on the left, has a long pedigree. I hollo upwards beingness told to halt beingness exercised past times hanging chads inwards 2000 because a Gore presidency would endure rattling much similar a Bush presidency. This thought is clearly ludicrous if nosotros hold off at U.S.A. politics today. But does it apply to the UK? I’m afraid I’m going to endure rattling unforgiving. It either represents naivety or indulgence.

Chris Giles has grounds for his view, inwards that on issues similar austerity Labour are trying difficult non to seem rattling dissimilar from the electrical current coalition. On the other hand, if yous are struggling to ‘pay the sleeping room tax’, Labour’s commitment to abolish it could brand a big divergence to your life. He may also endure correct that the actual content of Ed Miliband’s conference proposals on release energy as well as housing are modest, as well as hardly the supply to total bloodied socialism that about on the correct hysterically proclaim. The governments ‘Help to Buy’ system is much more likely to involve a prolonged catamenia of authorities intervention inwards a market. But I mean value if yous were to conclude from this that a Labour authorities afterward 2015 would convey a similar economical policy to a Conservative government, yous would endure beingness rattling naive.

Consider 2 big dividing lines betwixt left as well as correct on economical policy: the size of the soil as well as the distribution of income. On the first, at that topographic point are strong arguments that the electrical current government’s austerity programme is non as well as then much nigh the perils of high debt but a deliberate seek to whorl dorsum the size of the state. Is it actually probable that Labour would move along that policy if it was elected? It is much to a greater extent than probable that nosotros would run into a repeat of what here, the electrical current government’s policies volition Pb to a meaning growth inwards poverty over the adjacent decade. When it was concluding inwards power, Labour tried rattling difficult to accomplish the opposite (although I grip it was much to a greater extent than concerned nigh poverty than inequality). Is it actually probable that Labour volition behavior quite differently, as well as much to a greater extent than similar the Conservatives, if they find power?

Now yous could debate that the financial province of affairs of the authorities volition stay as well as then dire afterward 2015 that whatever authorities volition endure forced to maintain cutting spending as well as welfare. Maybe. However I mean value it is to a greater extent than probable that the economical recovery volition plough out to endure much stronger than currently forecast, as well as that the OBR volition revise upwards their guess of potential output every bit this happens. This volition create 'fiscal space'. If this occurs nether the Conservatives, I would pose my coin on meaning taxation cuts, spell nether Labour nosotros volition run into many of today’s cuts inwards spending as well as welfare reversed.

Another agency of making the same indicate is that it is naive to believe politicians when they ready out their political programmes. In a 2 political party organisation inside the framework of a uncomplicated left/right scheme, it may endure optimal every bit an opposition to seat yourself simply to the side of your opponent, every bit long every bit this does non alienate your centre vote. Once yous find ability yous tin revert to type. (Remember Cameron’s compassionate conservatism earlier the concluding election.) The occupation amongst that dynamic is that it may Pb to the appearance that ‘all politicians are the same’ every bit nosotros movement towards an election, which may discourage about ‘rationally naive’ potential voters (those who are non besides interested inwards politics) from voting. (It may also generate such a negative sentiment of politicians that it leads otherwise sane people into rather silly positions.)

It is clear that Russell Brand is non disinterested inwards politics, as well as then he should non endure as well as then naive. He seems pretty passionate nigh issues similar equality as well as climate change, as well as then it seems blindingly obvious to me who he should vote for. So why does he seem to encourage others non to vote? The declaration of the truthful revolutionary is that anything that makes the electrical current organisation to a greater extent than palatable simply delays the revolutions eventual triumph. But that take away non endure what is going on here. Instead it could endure a reluctance to endure associated, soundless mildly, amongst a political political party that is far from your political ideal (even though it is non quite every bit far from your ideal every bit the others). The number of times I convey heard someone say: ‘Even though I loathe political party B, I couldn’t peradventure vote for H5N1 because of their seat on X’. But every bit I convey argued above, the gap betwixt parties H5N1 as well as B (and C) tin brand a meaning divergence when i gains power. So to pass upwards to vote for H5N1 because it makes yous experience somehow complicit inwards the aspects of A’s platform yous do non similar seems to me simply personal indulgence.

This is non to dispute that many similar Brand or Dillow experience that nosotros require much to a greater extent than radical alter than is offered past times mainstream politics. They should move along to operate the media to promote that sentiment when they can. But for people similar them, working out which political political party is the to the lowest degree bad is fairly costless. Using this noesis to vote, as well as making this noesis public, does non compromise their to a greater extent than radical views, as well as it could assist brand a meaning divergence to many peoples’ lives.