Five Political Lessons Of The Week

This week the government has been busy picking fights with what some call ‘vested interests’ and what others may deem ‘national institutions’. That seems to have disguised some of the noises emanating from some quarters about the Budget.

As George Osborne has found (to his cost) in the past, initially great headlines do not always lead to universal acceptance. Whilst there is no denying how politically astute he has been, both businesses big and small seem less keen on what has happened. Whether this will be picked up in the media remains to be seen.

So what can we learn from the political news this week?

1. The Tories are in battle mode. Whether it is the BBC, doctors or trade unions, the Conservatives are trying to make the most of their new found majority position. This is a lot take on at once and will require time, effort and a stout heart. Whilst the government may think they have public support to take on the trade unions that is less clear in the case of the doctors, and even less so for the BBC. Everyone is now playing ‘guess which programme will be cancelled’. Strictly? Dr Who? Radio 1?
2. MPs do not always know what the Government is up to. BDB supported the launch of the latest Parliamentary Snapshot which found that MPs’ knowledge about some flagship government policies aimed at supporting new businesses and entrepreneurs is lacking to say the least. It shows that there is always a job to do in engaging with MPs. Take a look at some of the comments from the event at #TenSnapshot.
3. The SNP has power. Far from the view that the SNP needed a coalition or relationship with Labour to exert any influence in Westminster, it is obvious that if they make friends then they can have an impact. The government had to withdraw a vote on fox hunting when it looked like they would lose. The challenge for the SNP is turn their power into something more than just blocking government policy.
4. Business intervention is on the rise. One of the reasons why the Budget is turning sour for some is that the government is intervening more. Instead of letting businesses get on with the job of growing and employing people, some are complaining about the costs of the Living Wage and other measures.
5. A Labour civil war? The Labour Party used to like a good internal fight (see the 1970s and 1980s for examples). Since the time of John Smith’s leadership these have faded away but with the prospect of Jeremy Corbyn becoming leader looking like a possibility, many MPs are sharpening their knives. Even short-lived candidate Chuka Umunna has got in on the act. Regardless of the eventual result, a punch-up is looking likely and the only real winners will be the Conservative Party.