View from Whitehall - April 2023

20 April 2023

Westminster politics seem to be in a lull at the moment. Whilst many political opportunities present themselves to opposition parties, it feels like none of them are landing a big blow.

Labour talks up its grand plans on fighting crime, investing in Net Zero and more widely public services but is this grabbing the public at large? The SNP were hoping to create a post-Sturgeon (and post-Salmond) era where who is in charge mattered less than reviving the campaign for Scottish independence but this has been overtaken by questions about the Party’s internal finances. After the highs of the Coalition a decade ago, the Lib Dems seem to back to being a party of local government.

Meanwhile, the governing Conservative Party under Rishi Sunak, in contrast to his last three predecessors, appears to have persuaded their MPs that following the party line is the best approach some 18 months ahead of a likely General Election. Indeed, many of the malcontents who have previously held high office have concluded that they are better off standing down rather than face the electorate. Perhaps after the challenges presented by Brexit and Covid, this is no bad thing. But I can’t help but think it might grab voters’ attention if the politicians would be prepared to present some bold policy choices in their pre-election manifestos.

The reality may well be that the Conservatives ask to be judged on the long-term promises outlined in the Chancellor’s Budget, whilst Labour argues that the time is right for a change of political direction. At some point next year, we will know what the voters make of those two messages.

Published 20 Apr 2023