18th September 2023

 My home city of Birmingham, run by a Labour Council, has declared itself bankrupt. The Council leader has apologised to the city but has not resigned. This whole situation highlights the essential difference between the two opposing Parties.  Labour has always seen itself as the ‘nice’ Party, championing those in need, and dubbing the Tories as ‘nasty’.  The current Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, is seen as a non-charismatic, middle of the road manager, dubbed ‘Mr Hindsight’ because he spends more time responding to the already-happened rather than proposing radical, innovative policies. Rishi Sunak, the PM (like every other country in the world) has the unenviable task of overseeing the inevitable economic fallout following the pandemic shut down of the whole country. But, as we rush headlong to the next General Election, what do we see? Labour is promising the earth, e.g. a childcare revolution but, like Birmingham City Council, has absolutely no idea of how they’re going to fund it. And the Tories, like accountants everywhere, are desperate to balance the books.  As the ST put it, parodying Blair “things can only get bitter”.