By Professor Peter Jones MBE: The Politics of Failure: Lie & Lie Again.
Listening to much of the debate, comments and soundbites on the state of the UK, and its structures, institutions and governance one word that occurs repeatedly is failure. This is from the failing NHS, the legal system, education, environmental protection, the railways, immigration, and housing, the list seems endless. And this is before we get to the injustices from the Windrush scandal, the post office scandal and the infected blood scandal.
After the sound bite platitudes and “apologies” little seems to change. The “lessons learned” are soon forgotten, enquiries drag on forever and reports are brandished, lauded and then filed. Why is this?
The failures are as obvious as the solutions. but where is the commitment to make a change? Why is it so necessary to lie and then lie again? To mask the truth, to protect the system, to avoid scrutiny and responsibility, or to lay blame on others. Rarely do we see the courage to accept the failure and to set about fixing the solution.
It seems that we have lost what it means to be part of communities and society. Where is the importance of the public good? Are we all driven by the idea of tax cuts and some more money in our pockets than fixing the problems? Do we have a quaint notion that the failures can be fixed at no cost to ourselves?
Approaching the final stages of the run-up to the general election the collective sigh of relief is audible. The rigidity and discipline of the political messaging prevent the very debate that is so essential if, as a society, we are to address the failures. Failures of this scale and magnitude cannot be fixed through one political orthodoxy or another, but only through a collective will.
The current political systems, structures and institutions are not the best mechanisms through which the collective debates should be developed, nor can they provide solutions that encompass a real belief in the common good. Whatever the outcome of the election we should be demanding of our politicians they collectively are working on our behalf for the common good. They should accept failure and strive for solutions. They need to be authentic and representative. And it would be really good if they could answer a question honestly and with integrity. We need to lose the Yaboo of politics and behave like grown-ups in the room or is that too much to ask?