It has been a weekend of contrasts. On Trafalgar Day, we remembered Nelson’s glorious signal: ‘England expects that every man shall do his duty.’ Most of them did, helping to smash Napoleon Bonaparte’s sea-power. Agincourt Day fell on Saturday, another triumph against the French, which inspired Shakespeare to write the most magnificent speech in the language. If anyone complains that a Scotsman like me should hold himself aloof from such English triumphs, I would retort that those mighty deeds helped to create Britain, and any Scot who cannot see that must be a girning, curmudgeonly creature, morally unfit for national pride, in any nation.
Then we move to the current day, where pride is not much in evidence. Where is the glory? Where is the dream? In fairness, it is difficult to muster in a country where an illegal migrant sex offender, who should have been in secure custody while awaiting deportation, is accidentally set free. Admittedly, he was recaptured before he could commit further crimes, and at the time of writing, a squadron of human rights lawyers has not yet rushed to his aid. These are small consolations.
This might seem unfair. Mistakes happen in all jurisdictions. The grenouilles have been unable to safeguard the Louvre’s jewels. Yet in contemporary Britain, it often appears that the mistakes are omnipresent. A large and increasing proportion of the public are now convinced that two words summarise our nation now: ‘nothing works’.
It sometimes seems as if half the public sector is working from home while the other half is writing comedy scripts. If these might be thought to lack verisimilitude, that will testify to their accuracy. Black comedy could morph into black documentary. Where does Keir Starmer fit it to all this? Certainly not as a source of verisimilitude. Though it has nothing to do with Crispin Crispian’s day, he too could take his cue from Shakespeare: ‘How all occasions do inform against me.’
Yet this is his own fault. Inasmuch as he had had bad luck, he has earned it. This fellow has no idea how to be a Prime Minister. He has no vision, no strategy and despite his regular bleating protestations, no feeling for his country. Moreover, he has found and supported a senior Minister even less competent than himself. It would be wrong to assert that Rachel Reeves is useless. She is far worse than that.
The country desperately needs growth, which in turn requires enterprise, animal spirits and everything possible to inspire confidence among investors, entrepreneurs and employers. With the help of the Prime Minister, she has aroused maximum discouragement among all these vital sectors. Does she know what she is doing? When it comes to Britain’s prospects, Is she trying to commit premeditated murder, or is it merely manslaughter?
She is a hopeless Chancellor, reinforced by possibly the worst Prime Minister in all history. Yet there is one point to be made in Sir Stumbler’s defence. He has maintained good relations with Donald Trump. To be fair to him, he seems to have no interest in self-assertion, and seems happy to come across as weak, wet and feeble, which is the best he could possibly do. It is unlikely that this President will complain.
So where does this leave the rest of politics? With a clearly-defined battleground: the battle for Britain. Nigel Farage’s patriotism is unquestionable. Yet as Nurse Cavell reminded us in another context, patriotism is not enough. For potential PMs, it is a necessary condition, not a sufficient one. Farage is fluent and forceful. He nearly always comes across as charming. But what about judgment? He wants to be PM. So did Boris Johnson and as he proved, ego is not enough, any more than patriotism. If Farage ever reached No.10, would he have the first idea what to do? He probably would be a less bad PM than Boris Johnson. That too is not enough.
Kemi Badenoch is working to prepare herself for the challenges ahead, and she made a good start in Manchester. Like many an Opposition leader before her, she is now discovering what a frustrating business it is. Although she can say things, the Government can do things, while other events supervene; Prince Andrew et al. That said, as someone else said in a different context, there is no alternative. She has to proclaim patriotism reinforced by realism. That is a serious message. There would not be many laughs. But these are serious times. The voters will take some persuading. But I think that she has the authority and confidence to project her message.
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