this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2023
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UK Politics

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[–] jray4559@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

This "everything is worse" feeling is not something that has any link to any political party.

If life is percieved to get worse under any party's reign, whether to Tories as is the case now, Labour if they were elected, or SNP or whatever, they will blame whoever is in charge at the moment.

It's happening now, it's happening with the Democrats in the US, with Liberals in Canada, and to a lesser extent, the ruling coalition in Germany with AfD getting a surge thanks to people just generally discontent with life.

How much of that is their fault is something up for debate. It's not 100% their fault, and it also isn't 100% not their fault either. The same reactionary thoughts that are coming now from this here are giving the Conservative party in Canada a resurgence. I have a feeling most of you don't like that, but it's the truth.

When people are thinking life is getting worse, they will vote in whoever is not part of the current leadership.

[–] Syldon@feddit.uk 19 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Clearly you are not from the UK, or you would not be saying this. Every single service in the UK has deteriorated badly under this government. I don't mean feels badly, it is statistically much worse. The UK has been subjected to a heist where they have stolen billions from us. Google Michelle Mone, Sunak's family gain when he "gave" new oil licenses, the peerage being sold, the Russian influence, and the list goes on and on.

[–] nanometre@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago

I would also like to point out just how LONG it's been a Tory government. Even though Torylite Blair gave the UK a "break", it has been the Tories specifically eroding any welfare the country has had over a long period of time.

[–] C4d@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Yes and no. This lot have been in power long enough that cans that were kicked down the road are being caught up with / balls kicked into the long grass are being found / chickens are home to roost.

You can see it with crises as diverse as public sector pay and RAAC in schools.

[–] GeofCox@climatejustice.social 4 points 1 year ago

@jray4559 @Syldon

Lots of people really, really want transformative change, whether it's because of climate-ecological breakdown, rabid inequality, or just because they've been economically hard-pressed for years, and see no way out, even for their children.

They are moving to political extremes. Sometimes this means to the left - in much of Europe 10 years ago radical parties like Syriza and Podemos swept away the old centre-left - the Communist Party were in the radical left coalition government in Portugal (very successful, by the way); Sanders almost won the US Democrat nomination (and probably would have beaten Trump). But some also moved to the radical right - a slower burn, but perhaps now gathering more force.

It's true that this longing for real change often means rejecting, reacting against incumbents - but it goes deeper. A mere change of ruling party won't crack it - indeed, my own belief is that if say a 'moderate' Labour Party gets elected in the UK and doesn't radically change anything much, the reaction will be subsequent election of an even more extreme and empowered right than the Tories are now. Maybe that's what Biden has done in the US (though he has been much more radical than UK Labour promises - and has kept radicals like Sanders and AOC on board, which Starmer hasn't).