I recently wrote about party politics. One of the points was to say that the Conservatives have a habit of adopting a policy of ‘Dish the Whigs’. This is, in effect, where reactionaries and conservatives steal the clothes of the progressives and liberals. If I am on the politics of the dark side I should steal your bright ideas: since I know that I can dragoon my supporters in the usual political manner and, in addition, I can ensure the success of my policy since it will appeal to the visionaries on your side of the House of Commons. This policy was invented by Disraeli in the 1860s. But the trick has been repeated: by Churchill in the 1950s, by Cameron in the 2010s, and, most sadly of all, by Johnson in 2020: when he dished the entire country by abjectly, although ineptly, putting forward a policy that the deranged NHS post-Corbynistas and Brownite big spenders could have no single possible objection to, since it satisfied all their inner Susan Michie/Independent SAGE/Soviet Communism: A New Civilisation? type urges.
Well. In fact, Keir Starmer reminded me that ‘Dish the Whigs’ is in fact a species of a genus. Since the trick is not only one that can be played by Right on Left. It can be played by Left on Right. A few days ago, in fact last Thursday, Starmer took off his tie and told an audience that he wants to abolish NHS England. Yes, indeed, there are policies that are, in effect, ‘Dish the Tories’ policies. These include almost everything to do with war. Ukraine and all that. Arm Europe. Yes, it causes mild discomfort on the Labour Left, but most of Labour can be managed politically. But there is compensation, as the ravenous Conservatives are only too happy to cut spending on benefits, abolish an institution, spend more on armed forces, perhaps have a war or two.
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