Bill's Comment Page

The clock is ticking for the Conservative Party and its blind obduracy over Section 28

There is an excellent article in this week's Spectator magazine, what one might call a laying on the line of the 'realpolitik' of the situation the Conservative Party finds itself in. Its popularity has been flatlining at around 30% for almost ten years. Its continuing determination to maintain its policies (retention of clause 28, support for so-called 'family values', opposition to unmarried couples and gays being considered as potential adoptive parents) in the face of what even it must be aware is a large swathe of opposition in the country - hence its dismal performance in the pollls - I suppose betokens an heroic stance. Heroic, but foolish and ultimately pointless. I have no desire to see British politics realigned with the Liberal Democrats as the other main component, with Labour, in our public life, but there is now a real danger of that happening.

The Conservative Party has proved very successful over two centuries in regularly renewing itself, sometimes putting in place radical policy changes to make it once more relevant to current conditions. I hope it can pull off this trick again, but unfortunately the bigoted pygmies who currently run the Party are likely to run their political ship aground (I'm on a roll with my poor symbolism, I'm afraid) unless they, or perhaps those who can supplant them, change course. Time is running out.