Roaming The Earth

The Tories may have abolished the fiscal recognition of marriage uniquely and in itself. They will never come back round to it, which is indicative and symptomatic of why they are now well into their final generation as a party. But they have at least re-opened the space for discussing it. If the Labour Party were true to that name, then the Labour Party would be fully in support of such recognition. Historically, that was most definitely the case.

Labour may have presided over the bargain basement global sell-off of great tracts of the British economy, including many key national assets. They will never come back round to the proper protection of British industry and business as such, including the most obvious means where the most important assets are concerned, which is indicative and symptomatic of why they are now well into their final generation as a party. But they have at least re-opened the space for discussing it. If the Conservative Party were true to that name, then the Conservative Party would be fully in support of such protection. Historically, that was most definitely the case.

And the Lib Dems have positioned themselves against both the State protection of marriage, and the State protection of jobs, national sovereignty, and cultural distinctiveness. On the first point, they are faithful to Roy Jenkins rather than to the Governments in which he served, including as Chancellor of the Exchequer. On the second, they are faithful to the means generally employed by the Liberal Party rather than to the ends that those means were intended to serve in an age when Britain had practically limitless cheap resources, vast captive markets, and command of the seas, none of which applies today. No wonder that the Lib Dems no longer even do the voters the courtesy of pretending to want to win outright.

But where is the party in favour, both of the State protection of marriage, and of the State protection of jobs, national sovereignty, and cultural distinctiveness? One is now the pro-labour logic of the Conservative position, the other is now the conservative logic of the Labour position. Neither party can any longer follow that logic, as once they would both have done axiomatically. That is why they are finished. But such are once again the terms of the debate. Who are the dinosaurs now?