Opinion: A Government crisis of confidence

The change from Truss to Sunak has only turned down the temperature, not changed the prevailing mood. There is a sense that this is a government taking its final drink at the Last Chance Saloon.

However, opinion polls are not everything: I am mindful of the mess that Labour will likely one day inherit both here in Peterborough and in Westminster. I am also concerned about the confidence the public has in our democratic system of government.

Democracy and the rule of law are treasured even by dictators. There is a reason why oligarchs from repressive regimes try to shift their assets to Britain, Switzerland and elsewhere – they know that because of our institutions and legal frameworks, our respect for basic rights, that it’s difficult to have their assets confiscated. It certainly cannot be done without due process.

Even Putin probably feels better about a pound stored in a bank vault in Whittlesey than he does about a rouble in Moscow.

Yet, we often have trouble seeing the value of what we have. As part of my role, I speak to a lot of constituents, and there is a sense of apathy mixed with fatalism. We have been so bombarded with stories of government incompetence and downright corruption (see: the PPE scandal) that there are beliefs which have taken hold: that politicians are all corrupt, they’re all in it for themselves, and a vote cannot change things.

This apathy does not sit idle, it is the fertile soil in which conspiracy theories grow and can be exploited by ruthless politicians to secure their place in power, particularly when nurtured by growing inequality.

The attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and the more recent invasion of government buildings in Brazil, did not come from nowhere.

It was not long ago that there was a belief in democratic change: I recall vividly the seismic changes wrought by the Labour election win in 1997. More recently, Barack Obama swept into office on the promises of hope and change. Perhaps expectations were too high: nevertheless, the expectations wrought by hope are far better than those engendered by anger.

If a mood can change so rapidly for the worse, then it should be possible to redirect in a more positive direction. When faced with apathy, my Labour colleagues and I continue to do our best to remind people that their vote can make a difference. So many elections these days are decided by just a few ballots here and there. Furthermore, it’s incumbent on voters to show up. After all, they are paying for the exercise of government: they should ensure their money is spent in the way that they wish.

All the forecasts that I have read suggest that 2023 is going to be a challenging year for Britain: the cost of living crisis has not abated. The threats abroad have not diminished.

Our government looks like it is trying to be as invisible as possible. This is simply not good enough. But we don’t have to accept this. We can do better.