Where Now, New Labour?

It is becoming increasingly more certain, in the eyes of political pundits and the general public alike, that it is the end of the road for New Labour. Notwithstanding the numerous gaffes and mounting deceptions the New Labour government took aboard right wing policies which had been the province of the Conservative Party, rendering that party crippled and impotent, and then proceeded to show how inept they could be at governing the country wisely and well. The last socialists to hold sway in government were Michael Foot and Tony Benn, whose son has forsaken Labour's former socialist principles and stands for New Labour. Far from being a democratic state Britain is now governed by decree. It has become highly regulated and highly taxed and its citizens are under constant surveillance. Those personal details meticulously collated, if they have not been lost or mishandled, are on file and recorded, along with a large data-base of DNA records taken as a matter of course, where citizens are taken into police custody, whether or not they have committed a crime.

Even so, the government has shown that it cannot control the society which is in the early stages of disintegration. This is the reason for the call for the inculcation of Britishness and education for citizenship by Gordon Brown and Lord Goldsmith. There is a fear that Britain will break apart, that Scotland will go it alone, and that Wales will follow. For anyone who is clear-sighted and in touch with the realpolitik of Britain this process is already well on the way, unstoppable and inevitable. Europe has taken the place of Britain as the real centre of political power and influence. Britain is unique in Europe as it has four nations within it clamouring in various degrees for self-determination. Spain is similar to a certain extent - the Basques, the Galicians, Navarra, Asturias and Catalunya, regions which, like Andalucia, have acquired more autonomy. In Belgium we have the Flemings and the Walloons. In France we have the French, the Basques and the Bretons. These differing nationalistic groups will not be subdued, but they may well form a part of a wider European federation.

When Unionists in Britain talk of devolution they do not mean the road to independence for the constituent nations. They assume that Britain will continue to exist and thrive as efforts are made to unify its peoples and encourage them to display their allegiance to the British state and the British crown. That time has gone, long gone, and a new generation has different ideas. Change is taking place rapidly and apace and the politicians of the past, the Yesterday Men of British politics, will not succeed in bringing back the conditions of the Twentieth Century. Times have changed and we must move on and dance with the changes. We need to restore the time-worn eternal values that govern society, seek out leaders and politicians who are dedicated, impartial and wise, and integrate these core values and our distinctive cultural traditions into the new political realities that confront us.