3 Responses to Suella: The Next Chapter?

1. AbsentMindedCriticofEmpire says:

   November 15, 2023 at 12:51 pm

   The defenestration of a kicking and screaming Suella Braverman combined with the Supreme Court’s rejection of the Rwanda scheme seem destined to ignite a Tory civil war. Whether it plays out as a power battle within the party or leads to the emergence of a new party remains to be seen. It would seem easier for the right to try to take over the Tory party, but some would prefer a clean slate.

   The mood music for Rishi has been ominous for a while. The National Conservative conference this year sketched out the possible shape of things to come. A few things are coming into sharper focus now:

   a) Some on the right, like Matt Goodwin and Tim Stanley, are talking of the Conservative Party as already moribund, and are open to the emergence of a new political force – “new vessels” as Goodwin puts it.

   b) Goodwin thinks that such a new party would require its own “ecology” (by which I take it he means both new social and mainstream media plus civil society groups), as well as a lot of money and a charismatic leader. Perhaps the future of British democracy will be shaped by a few wealthy individuals. It will be interesting to see who claims “power without responsibility” in the form of the Telegraph and Spectator.

   c) It is questionable whether that leader will be Bojo, because of his record as an opportunist. The frustrated Brexit NatCons (such as Goodwin) want a true believer, a Joe Chamberlain and not a Disraeli.

   d) While the drift of National Conservatism is partly neoliberal, it is also inflected with a strong element of nationalism. Culture and identity are central to the project.

   e) Internationally, the NatCon worldview seems like a mixture of Spengler’s decline of the West and Huntington’s clash of civilisations. I am reminded of James Joll’s comment that the mood in European capitals before World War One predisposed people to think that war was inevitable. The way in which the Israel/Palestine conflict is being presented by the right-wing press as civilisation versus barbarism exemplifies this mood.

   We must wait and see if Goodwin’s “new vessels” emerge. No doubt they will be empty and making a lot of noise.

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2. jfkyachts says:

   November 13, 2023 at 6:11 pm

   Hello Bernard, Yes – mad as a hatter, just like Suella….but she din’t live long enough to be dangerous, unlike Suella! Whatever next, eh? How long do we have to wait for an election until we are finally and conclusively deemed a ‘banana dictatorship’ – apologies to bananas! Hope you are well again, or mending well….

   Did you see Macron’s interview on the Beeb – I can’t bear Katie Adler – burt Macron came across as wonderfully thoughtful compared to Sunak.

   Two weeks or more to go before I start counting the days till they get longer again – I hate winter – how do you survive in Sweden?!

   Best regards

   John Evans

   >

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   • bernardporter2013 says:

     November 13, 2023 at 7:53 pm

     I’m off back there in a couple of weeks. We have treble glazing; and farm tractors are adapted to snow-shifters to keep all the roads clear. So it’s OK. Cheers.

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