Unpopularity

Childhood & teenage are often full of insecurities. We want to be liked. We want to be in the "in crowd" part of a group. We think that as we become adults that all disappears, but it doesn't. No one really wants to be unpopular, an outsider. However brave a face we put on it we all want to belong throughout our lives. We are social animals.

But the thing is if we simply follow the herd, if we agree with untenable opinions in order to avoid confrontation & exclusion, we sell a part of our soul. As adults we should be able to deal with different opinions, arguments, confrontations in a calm & rational way. We should not be passive, we should have the courage of our convictions. Even if that means that we risk unpopularity & exclusion.

Politics is a dirty business. The temptation is to want the impossible in a leader - charisma, decisiveness, understanding of complex issues, speedy ability to always make the right decisions, never changing your mind.....It's ridiculous. No one can live up to such unrealistic expectations. So the MP's turn on you & the masses bray for your destruction. It becomes a gladiatorial fight to the death. 

According to the Institute for Government "Political churn in the UK refers to the rapid turnover of Prime Ministers, cabinet ministers, and civil servants, exacerbated by weakened voter loyalties. The instability has sparked debates about whether systemic dysfunction makes the UK ungovernable". There have been 6 prime ministers in the UK in the last decade & we are on course for a 7th. Almost half of all senior cabinet posts have had as many people fill the role since the 2019 election as they had in the previous nine years. 7 chancellors of the exchequer. 7 Home Secretaries. It's become the norm & it cannot be a good thing. 

Our politicians have become disposable at the whim of unpopularity.

 

Running a country demands intelligence, experience, good qualified advisors & information, ability to see the big picture & make informed decisions. It isn't a beauty contest. It requires a lot of characteristics that seem to be in short supply. We are in the age of superficiality & instant gratification. We, the public, are volatile & easily led. Particularly by misinformation & personality cults. That is not a recipe for good governance.

Keir Starmer is allegedly very unpopular. He has undoubtedly made mistakes, but would you do any better? I think not. Shouldn't everyone be allowed to make mistakes as long as they acknowledge them & put them right. What we need is integrity. I'm sure that both Streeting & Burnham think they can do a better job & maybe they can. But they will undoubtedly become unpopular at some point. 

Will we just change them too? Is that the solution? Is that what the country need in such unstable times? We put a "Best Before" or "Sell By" date on our food. Seemingly now we do the same with out politicians too.