tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post284231924086343462..comments2024-03-29T09:14:53.583+00:00Comments on All That Is Solid ...: Torynomics Vs StarmernomicsPhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-84187681178463887152021-11-24T13:38:58.154+00:002021-11-24T13:38:58.154+00:00Johnson 🤪 Starmer 🤮Johnson 🤪 Starmer 🤮Andy Whitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02971224231044559732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-76928091588280678252021-11-24T12:15:52.333+00:002021-11-24T12:15:52.333+00:00«the Tories were more credible on the question of ...«<i>the Tories were more credible on the question of reinforcing class interests.</i>»<br /><br />This and the rest of the piece feel to me based on the assumption that the Conservatives represent the interests of a single, united class, the business class, but that seems to me typical of "noddy marxism". The Conservatives rather are the party of incumbents as a *loose* coalition, and different classes and subclasses are part of that coalition.<br /><br />In particular Johnson's "F*ck business" quip was not random: the current Conservative party is not mainly the party of business, even if there is still a significant "business sponsored" minority, but the party of property and finance. The CBI has not been dominant in the UK economy or in the Conservative coalition for around a couple of decades, and in particular since 2010, with G. Osborne policy of “<i>fiscally conservative but monetarily active [but only for property and finance]</i>”.<br /><br />While the CBI represents businesses as corporate persons, *business owners* (and usually business executives too) as natural persons have a mixed class interest, because by and large they are also property owners, and often their business ownership interests are the least of the two, for example A. Sugar made on property around 6-7 times more money than he did in business, and therefore this quote:<br /><br />«<i>Speaking about his first year in business with Lord Sugar, Mark Wright, the winner of last year’s Apprentice, said the Amstrad founder had given him tips on creating long-term wealth. “Lord Sugar said you make money from property and do business for fun. Many of our customers make money from property and I’d love to go into property development one day”</i>»<br /><br />«<i>Johnson's relaxed attitude to Britain's deep rooted economic problems, exacerbated now by Covid mismanagement and Brexit uncertainty, certainly has not been helpful where most businesses are concerned.</i>»<br /><br />But not only businesses are no longer the dominant class interest in the Conservative coalition, for the property and finance interests there are no “<i>deep rooted economic problems</i>”, their economy has been booming for 40 yars, and the impact of COVID and Brexit has been this, and they are surely not complaining, "let's be practical":<br /><br />https://www.theguardian.com/money/2021/oct/20/uk-house-prices-rise-every-region-cost-home-london<br />“<i>Average UK house price rises by £25,000 in a year [...] The annual rate of price inflation hit 10.6% during the month, up from 8.5% in July</i>”<br /><br />Sure the more business oriented people, those purged brutally by Johnson, the Conservative minority of Major, Heseltine, Clarke, are quite mad at Johnson, and so largely is the CBI (and Johnson's speech could have been just trolling the CBI by him), and they seem to be pushing hard against him in alliance with the New Labour neoliberals, through the media "influenced" by the "the [neoliberal/whig] Establishment".<br /><br />But as long as Johnson delivers the goods as in “<i>Average UK house price rises by £25,000 in a year</i>” etc. his finance and property backers, from the top level "sponsors" in the City to the "aspirational" tory voters in the 3 bed semis in St. Albans, will continue to love him.<br /><br />Note: taking a long term view, probably the CBI and business interests have never recovered from the accelerated destruction of much of "traditional" industries in the 25 years after 1982 in order to "amputate" and "cauterize" the trade union "infection" in those industries. That destruction also probably involved the rage of the english Establishment against "lazy, stupid, defeatist" business owners for letting the trade unions become too powerful and threatening the monopoly of power of the Establishment.Blissexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-66574136160353975402021-11-24T08:08:56.857+00:002021-11-24T08:08:56.857+00:00Keir could win or rather the Tories could lose. W...Keir could win or rather the Tories could lose. Will it make a great deal of difference? I think very little, but Labour will likely have my reluctant vote. <br /><br />I say reluctant because I would hope for more. Among western countries, we are one of the most unequal that has its consequences, individual, collective and economic. And yes of course we all know, the life chances of our children.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-31822545457673886222021-11-23T11:56:43.526+00:002021-11-23T11:56:43.526+00:00I was right behind Keir up to the point when he sa...I was right behind Keir up to the point when he said Sue Cook wasn't going to show up. Lost all interest after that.Shai Masothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00452453462950704943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-25239681898917134752021-11-23T10:06:46.088+00:002021-11-23T10:06:46.088+00:00Everything Starmer does is to reassure the establi...Everything Starmer does is to reassure the establishment their interests will be served. This was quite an accomplished speech in that sense. The real questions are who replaces Johnston when the Tory sharks finally attack and will the left still see Labour as the only non-Tory game in town come the next election.<br /><br />A combination of someone even worse than Johnston (yes i think thats possible *cough*Raab*cough*) and a clear chance for the left to be rid of the Tories for 5 years, might, get Labour a majority of votes. However, even then Labour are not getting Scotland back and so may not be able to form a majority. <br /><br />If Starmer were to win it would need a level of voter apathy I don't think will exist. Manageralism works when the public feels there is nothing to fight for, the left truly do have something to fight for and the rights entire strategy is to whip up a frenzy around the culture war to keep the hate that fueled Brexit flowing. People will feel change is needed and it is perfectly possible, another, new Tory leader would be able to ride that wave back into number 10, as Johnston did. <br /><br />Starmers strategy is obviously based in the 1990's not the 2020's it'll be interesting to see how big that fails and how its blamed on Corbyn. Marknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-87004498135374418772021-11-23T09:24:37.136+00:002021-11-23T09:24:37.136+00:00Will it make any real difference to 'ordinary&...Will it make any real difference to 'ordinary' people, or to the life chances of our children, in real terms if Keir/ Labour gets elected? At this point far from convinced. I have always been a past Labour Voter.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com