When political opponents are going through a bad spell the accepted and much-used response is that ‘I don’t want to intrude on private grief but…..’ at which point follows an attempt to make things even worse!
No need for that at the moment since the Labour Party are going through such convulsions that they seem determined to commit political suicide. Will they really elect Jeremy Corbyn as leader? Not only does the leadership campaign seem to have been going on for ever it will be another month before we know the outcome.
Political parties, whilst remaining true to their basic philosophy must constantly re-invent themselves if they are to remain relevant to a large slice of the electorate. The last thing that is needed is a return to the policies that may or may not have won an election a generation ago – in the case of Mr Corbyn he seems to be garnering more and more support by putting forward his Party’s 1983 manifesto which was described as ‘the longest suicide note in history.’ But support among those eligible to vote in their leadership contest is very different from that among the public at large.
Leaders often emerge from the shadows, unnoticed by all but a few insiders. I first met David Cameron in the editor’s office at the Grimsby Telegraph. It was January 2005 a day or two after I had been selected as the Conservative candidate for Cleethorpes. At that time, though in the Shadow Cabinet, he was virtually unknown except to those who follow politics extremely closely. Almost unknown in January he may have been but by December he was the Party leader. There are those lurking in the political undergrowth who will burst onto the scene in the hope of having timed their campaign to perfection and emerging as leader just when the political wind is blowing the direction of their party.
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As ever the parliamentary recess gives more time to catch up with the meetings and visits that get squeezed out when four days of the week are spent in London. One particular event I want to draw attention to is the National Citizenship Service which brings together young people to work in their local communities. Last week I visited three groups one working in New Waltham to clear an overgrown public footpath, another in Humberston tidying up the cemetery and the third group doing fantastic work at St. Andrew’s Hospice.
NCS is a first-rate programme that harnesses the enthusiasm and energies of young people. New friendships are formed and the real benefits of working in the community realised.
Other meetings from last week included one with the Chief Constable, Justine Curran and with the Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC). The Chief is, of course, in charge of all operational matters but the Commissioner, Matthew Grove, as the first PCC has had to put his own imprint on the role and it’s interesting to compare how he has tackled the job in comparison to his colleague from Lincolnshire Police.
I have always been a supporter of PCCs; I think it was an innovative approach by the previous coalition government and one that will develop, grow and become more appreciated by the public over coming years. The police are unique among the various agencies that serve the public in that they have the power to arrest and detain citizens and that alone means there must be some democratic oversight and that oversight is best carried out by someone who is elected and can be removed by voters. The next PCC elections will be in May next year when it will be interesting to see how the public respond.