There they are. In an alternative universe, the best Prime Ministers we (n)ever had.
We could be waking up today to a second Labour term for David
Miliband, off the back of successful middle ground governments under Owen and Jenkins,
as we enjoy a close and financially successful relationship with France and
Germany. Instead, we’re waking up to Boris.
We could have had a very early contender for first woman Prime
Minister with Barbara Castle. Instead we got Thatcher.
We could have enjoyed stability, peace and prosperity with
sensible Tory governments under Heseltine and Patten. Instead we got Thatcher
(again) and Cameron; so worried about his internal politics that he sold the
nation.
I posted the photo on Facebook yesterday to see what
response I got. It was a pretty good response. A couple of friends suggested I
missed John Smith and Shirley Williams. I agree.
We’ve lost the centre. Politics has become extreme. My
choice today is a right wing/Brexit Tory government or a left wing/can’t govern
Labour one. I can vote for the smaller parties, but our voting system doesn’t
help – look at what happened to the extremely well thought out policies of the
Change party.
One of my Christian friends on Facebook said I shouldn’t
worry and that God was in control. That’s a cop-out. As a Christian, I am
called to pray for my leaders – and I do – but that doesn’t mean I agree with
them or should just assume it’s what God wants. That’s the road to not voting,
a loss of democracy and the rise of extremism. At least three European
countries have what appear to be racist policies and propaganda…. And what to
make of our cousins over the Atlantic?
So, I’ll continue to wonder what could have been. And to
vote for what could still be.
