Tough on the causes of crime
The saddest thing about the last 10 years of New Labour Government is the way, in my opinion, the New Labour Government didn’t act ‘tough on the causes of crime’.
When confronted with this accusation, Blair’s line is that lower income groups now have more money which means, presumably, that they don’t have to turn to crime to subsist.
Unfortunately, this clearly shows that New Labour never really understood this liberal ethic.
Getting in amongst the dust and the grime to discover and address the actual problems people really have, admittedly, is not much fun. It requires paying social workers lots of money, being friendly and understanding towards people you wouldn’t invite to your middle class dinners and produces results only after long periods during which time the electorate has probably got bored and frustrated.
Unfortunately, it’s in the dust and the mire where the crimes originate and solving problems at this level is the only true way to deal with issues like crime and recidivism.
Putting up a drug addict’s State Benefit isn’t going to stop them mugging an old lady for her pension. Helping the addict to kick the habit takes longer and is more complex but it works.
New Labour and Spin
On a more positive note and giving a little succor to New Labour on the subject of spin. I remember the negative stories that poured from the Tory press during the decades before New Labour came to power. The negative Labour spin put on just about any story that was around during that time must have contributed to keeping Old Labour out of government for so long. A brief look at a sample of the tabloid press today shows that nothing has changed over the years except that, perhaps, they have now found a way of effectively fighting back.
It is a sad commentary on the Right Wing that the biggest accusation they and the Tory press can bring against Tony Blair and New Labour is that Tony Blair, for a while, was better at spin than them.
The Right Wing Alternative
Lastly, I was once at a Conservative Party barbecue. Don’t ask me how I got there. It was an accident. The guy in the house across the road invited me and my wife and we didn’t like to refuse. In retrospect, I think it was probably some sort of a Tory Party fund raiser.
The woman sitting next to me mentioned something about Africa so, being a proud and concerned new parent at the time, I said it was sad so many children died young through malnutrition.
She said it didn’t really matter because the African Blacks were used to their children dying young and therefore wouldn’t feel as bad about it as we would.
I’ve never forgotten that conversation or the disgust I felt as I quietly left with my wife, vowing never to talk to that neighbor or his friends again.
Yes, I am a laissez faire liberal. Yes, I am saddened that New Labour has not practised the liberal philosophy they preached. Admittedly, I will vote Independent or for a liberal representative in any election. I also accept that people who are really committed to solving societies problems are few and far between in any Party and that the chances of a truly liberal (small l) government remain remote.
Nevertheless, if that woman was representative of her Party, I can’t be anything other than relieved that we’ve had New Labour in power over the last ten years, since the Right Wing alternative would have been so much worse.
Bye for now
Rob
(Hey. Go on … be brave … hug a liberal! You won’t catch anything and you might solve a few real problems.)
