The (Not Always) Fine Print - Vol. 7

Why political disillusionment was inevitable...

I was brought up in a household with parents who had very staunch belief systems. My mother still to this day swears she’ll never vote for the Tories due to the treatment of the working class in the 70s and 80s. My dad on the other hand doesn’t follow a particular party because “they’re all lying bastards.”

I share this not to explain where my own political stance comes from but to highlight that political disillusionment isn’t a new phenomenon. Many claim that “the youth of today don’t engage with politics” while waving a raised fist at the clouds à la Abe Simpson.

In truth, it’s a tale as old as time. The longer you live, the more you grow to realise the political system doesn’t work with the average Joe’s best interests at heart. It’s not just the UK either, the US “democratic system” is an absolute shit-show… but if I took aim at Trump in this post, I’d end up writing a dissertation.

The absolute state of it…

There are, of course, those who will disagree with the above and claim that I’m biased. While there is truth in that statement, I consider myself very politically active and give credit where it’s due. I also chastise where necessary… so it’s hard not to mention that the Tories managed to misspell Britain on its party conference merch. Apparently, “when Labour negotiates, Britian loses.” It doesn’t Kemi… Britian doesn’t exist!

So, instead of the usual flowing prose I try to offer each week, this edition will look at the ten prime ministers I’ve lived through, marking each by highlighting the highs and lows of their tenures.

Margaret Thatcher: 1979 - 1990

The good: I was born in early 1990 so she just scrapes in and while she’s a divisive historical figure to say the least, she’s cited as being central to major economic reform in the 80’s that modernised the British economy. You also can’t take away the fact she was the UK’s first female prime minister. Something many thought would never be possible.

The bad: How long have you got? She threw miners on the scrap heap, increased inequality, sold public assets for fun, oversaw the growth of a North/South divide that hasn’t been closed since and was central to the abhorrent treatment of those who lost their lives or loved ones at the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989. I might not be old enough to remember any of this, but the impact of her policies are still felt today.

John Major: 1990 - 1997

The good: He introduced the Citizen’s Charter, which succeeded in shifting public sector culture towards a focus on the people, although it was heavily criticised for being a box-ticking exercise. I also can’t in good faith claim it helped with public sector transparency…

The bad: I’d say the man had the charisma of a rusty spoon, but I’d risk being sued for slander by the Rusty Spoon Association. His lack of strong leadership saw significant party division over the EU (more on that later), and an increase in scandals the tabloids enjoyed calling ‘sleaze.’ Probably a low scorer on Pointless if there was ever a round on British Prime Ministers since 1990.

Tony Blair: 1997 - 2007

The good: He ousted the Tories after 18 years so that needs to be applauded. He introduced the UK minimum wage alongside other worker’s rights policies, ensured major investment into the NHS and oversaw the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. He also introduced the Freedom of Information Act in 2000. A personal favourite of mine, partially because he hates it.

The bad: There’s no way around it. Going to war to prevent war is up there as one of the most nonsensical ideas a PM has had in my lifetime. Unsurprisingly, Blair didn’t prevent war. Shocking. Almost as shocking as him going from war criminal to peace consultant on Trump’s ‘Gaza Peace Board.’ That’s like Victoria Beckham opening a singing school…

Gordon Brown: 2007 - 2010

The good: He steered the UK through a global financial crisis which many state helped the UK avoid a worse economic collapse than the one we experienced. He was also the first PM to really take climate change seriously.

The bad: Was never really viewed as a strong leader, largely due to him taking over from Blair without gaining the public’s approval. He was leader during the MP expenses scandal, which really didn’t help his chances when the election came around.

David Cameron: 2010 - 2016

The good: Credit where credit’s due, Cameron’s party oversaw the legalisation of same-sex marriage in the UK. Quite frankly, I find it incredible it took so long. For all the bad he ended up doing, I can’t take that accolade away from him. He also wins my award for PM whose face most closely resembles a dinner plate.

The bad: Heard of Brexit? Yeah, that’s Cameron’s fault. He saw division in his party and heard the calls from those on the far right to leave the EU and offered a referendum. My take? He naively believed the UK would vote to stay in the EU, given the vast benefits of doing so. Unfortunately, he underestimated just how stupid many people of voting age are here. Points taken off for bolting straight after the referendum to let his successor clean up the mess.

Theresa May: 2016 - 2019

The good: Her dancing onto the stage at the Tory Party conference was iconic to be fair. Arguably the best female PM the country has had so far… although to be fair, it’s slim pickings!

The bad: Without a strong mandate and tasked with cleaning up Cameron’s mess, she never really stood a chance. She attempted to steer a moderate path towards Brexit but was opposed by those who screamed “Brexit means Brexit” at her. I imagine they’re the same people currently shouting outside hotels housing asylum seekers.

Boris Johnson: 2019 - 2022

The good: While heroes in the background did the true heavy lifting, he steered the country through a global pandemic, the likes of which I hope I never experience again. Just a shame he did so about as steadily as a student five pints deep weaving in and out of traffic on one of his bikes.

The bad: Partygate was abhorrent. Telling us mere mortals to stay at home and avoid contact with our loved ones while the Tories held who knows how many celebrations in their offices. I personally missed my grandmother’s funeral and couldn’t see my partner for six months. I’ll never forgive the vile piece of sub-human scum.

Liz Truss: 2022-2022

The good: Her tenure famously lasted longer than the shelf-life of a head of lettuce.

The bad: She tanked the UK economy in just 49 days.

Rishi Sunak: 2022-2024

The good: He started with a cautious approach, attempting the sinking ship following Truss’ disastrous premiership. He did managed to stabilise the Tories in the short term, but the writing was on the wall ahead of the 2024 general election.

The bad: Desperation set in and he started appealing to the far right voters that had been loving every word coming out of Farage’s mouth since he was front and centre of the Brexit campaign. It’s during his tenure that hate speech contributed to the anti-immigration protests and violence that still plague our streets today.

Keir Starmer: 2024-present day

The good: Ended the toxic rule of the Conservatives after 14 long years and in his first year has started to restore credibility overseas. It’s early days, but he’s already delivered £400m investment into the NHS, ended the seemingly never-ending train strikes and banned no-fault evictions to increase rights for renters.

The bad: His party is complicit in Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people and he’s been incapable of supporting the most marginalised communities in the UK. Asylum seekers continue to live in fear, people protesting in support of Palestine are being arrested, and trans people are now banned from using toilets that match their gender. It’s no surprise he’s being labelled a Tory in a red tie.

The never-ending story

So there you have it, in my 35 years on this planet, the UK hasn’t truly offered a leader with the best interests of its citizens at heart. If anything, it seems to prove there’s a never-ending cycle. The party in power leans further left, loses the trust of the voters, a centralist takes the stage, makes positive change but tries to appeal to everyone, so appeals to nobody and is ousted by the right. Rinse and repeat.

I’ll never forgo my right to vote. Democracy is too important for that. But until real change is offered, I can’t write this without acknowledging the very real potential that voter turnout will continue to fall as people feel that nobody is actually fighting their corner. The sad thing is, they aren’t wrong.