Genetics and the Art of Government

For those of you lucky enough to live in foreign climes (foreign to the UK I mean, obviously I live in foreign climes to some of you but, being English, I would never admit to that) I have one thing to say - stay there.

I say this not to be rude, but because we have a Labour government. The last time we had a Labour government the country stopped, fell over and waved its little leggies in the air. There were strikes, three-day working weeks, power-cuts and the binmen refused to collect refuse (love the English language for allowing me to write that!).

I don't actually have a problem with many general Labour policies - I am all for a fairer society and I love the National Health Service. No, what I object to is the appalling execution of policies.

Take, for example, the British aviation industry.

It may surprise some readers to discover that we actually used to have an aviation industry. Not only did we have one, it was one of the best in the world. Innovative designs would roll out of the hangar doors every week. From the Spitfire, which is still the best looking piece of flying metal ever produced, to the English Electric Lightning, which only now with the introduction of the brand-new Typhoon is finding its climb-rate equalled, we made the best.

King of this pile was the BAC TSR.2. Only plane buffs will have heard of this but, on its maiden flight in 1964 it outstripped anything in front-line service at the time. It managed to reach supersonic speeds without the use of afterburners and could accelerate away from the Lightning chase planes with only one afterburner lit.

A year later the incoming Labour government, despite issuing strong denials, cancelled the project, destroyed the plans and jigs and sent the one flying airframe away to be used as target practice. And this was done in order to buy American F111 aircraft - aircraft which were less capable in every respect and which proved to be just as costly to run. These were in turn dumped in favour of the Panavia Tornado which utilised avionics developed for - you guessed it - TSR.2.

Labour then nationalised the aviation industry thereby turning small, effective, innovative companies into a bloated, expensive leviathan.

So - what has this got to do with the current incumbents?

My belief is that governments inherit the genetic identity of their previous selves. We have had wildcat strikes, appalling management of business and denial following denial. We have a government fundamentally incapable of accepting responsibility for its actions while simultaneously distrusting its voters to the extent that it, under the pretext of saving them from 'terrorists', places them under 24 hour surveillance to an extent unrivalled in the Western world.
Of course, this means that when the conservatives get in next time a general election is held, as get in they will, we will have the joy of watching miners and police fighting and of bashing the Argentinians.

Maybe it's time for a change. Maybe we need to give someone who hasn't got in before a crack of the whip.

If only Screaming Lord Sutch was still alive.