Wicked Witches and the Wizard of Clacton
“The Prime Minister Keir Starmer … The Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak.” As Parliament returned on Tuesday, Mr Speaker reinforced what the packed government benches in the House of Commons represented: Labour’s crushing win.
Meanwhile, two very different conferences were taking place. Convened by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the Future of Britain Conference 2024 was examining governing in the Age of AI. Among those exploring the impact of the technological revolution on areas such as healthcare, defence and Net Zero, were Wes Streeting and will.i.am. The creative industries were on the agenda, along with European politics.
From Emmanuel Macron to the cavernous Emmanuel Centre, an almost century-old former meeting place for Christian Scientists. Security staff checked bags to prevent food being smuggled in and half the seats were roped off. It was about a kilometre, or perhaps more appropriately half a mile, away from the Future of Britain meeting, but another future was also under discussion. Except it was Conservatives talking about themselves. Again. Welcome to the Popular Conservative “Beginning the Rebuild” gathering.
Launched in February, the figurehead of PopCon was then Liz Truss. The only former Prime Minister ever to lose their seat, Ms Truss has proven to be not only about as popular as Typhoid Mary but there must be a question about whether this former Lib Dem-supporting republican remainer is a cos-play Thatcherite or a Labour Party plant.
Truss should have banished herself forever from public view the moment she resigned the Premiership. Instead, she blighted the Conservatives for two years as the walking, talking embodiment of an early 21st century Black Wednesday – which back in 1992 destroyed the Party’s reputation for economic competence.
In the context of The Wizard of Oz, if Truss is the Wicked Witch of the East (Anglians), on Tuesday the equally self-regarding Suella Braverman was the Wicked Witch from the West, haranguing PopCon in a pre-recorded stream-of-consciousness from Washington.
Clearly, the Fareham MP has forgotten her day-job; representing her constituents. It can be assumed one motive for her being in D.C. was fundraising for a bid to become Conservative Party leader. Advice to potential investors: short Suella, her price is falling through the floor.
Braverman’s eve-of-poll intervention in a Daily Telegraph article reflects an ego which is only eclipsed by her lack of judgement and team spirit, qualities she shares with Truss. Beamed from across the Atlantic, her dizzying word salad included Brexit freedoms, lunatic woke virus, farcicial gimmicks, family, duty, service, loyalty. Clearly, do-as-I-say, not-as-I-do is still alive and well.
Had Ms Braverman graced Westminster with her presence, she would have found the atmosphere at PopCon pleasingly far from woke: more wake in fact – without the benefit of alcohol. Adding to the sense of Power Past, the warm-up anthem was Gerry Rafferty’s Get it Right Next Time from 1979.
Last week, the loss of two-third of seats and millions of votes sent an unequivocal message. Voters wanted the Conservatives out. Since, there has been speculation about Labour’s “loveless landslide” i.e. the lack of enthusiasm for the Starmer-led government. Reform apparently caused the loss of about 80 Conservative-held seats.
The right-of-centre PopCon gathering was so transfixed by Reform that it could have been held in the Emerald City, with Nigel Farage as the all-powerful Wizard of Oz. Speakers could not quite make up their mind whether the movement was an “existential threat to us” (Braverman) “a consequence of Tory failure” (Daniel Hannan) or “part of the broader Conservative family” (Jacob Rees-Mogg).
As little comfort as it is to those who lost their seats, including the excellent Greg Hands in Chelsea and Fulham who was vanquished by 152 votes, perhaps their defeat was down to tactical voting to oust the Conservatives from government. Never mind Labour’s vote being lukewarm, more relevant questions are whether Reform’s support is quite as solid as it seems, as well as sustainable in the long term.
In the 2010 Election campaign, Cleggmania swept the country after the Lib Dem leader’s successful appearance in Britain’s inaugural TV leaders’ debate. “I agree with Nick” became a catchphrase. It is likely that the current enthusiasm for Farage, boosted by TikTok, might similarly wane.
In immediately, er, belittling former Speaker Bercow on Tuesday, the Reform leader misread the mood of the Commons and the country, which is crying out for competence, calm and a semblance of statesmanship.
PopConners might find that their Wizard of Clacton, in whom they have invested immense powers, turns out to be nothing but a Great and Terrible Humbug. This takes nothing away from Farage’s brilliance at being able to connect with voters, but in this unflashy new Labour era, perhaps the Election will turn out to be Reform’s highpoint. Does it have the discipline for detail and dull committee work?
Should the Reform leader decide that Guess, Who’s Back is to be followed by Guess Who’s Off?, then what? Reform without Farage would be The Beano without Dennis the Menace. Its support would evaporate.
Desperate to take the Conservative Party rightwards, too many overlook that Reform was one major factor in Conservative misfortunes last week, but not the only factor. Someone at PopCon stated that leadership needs to be decided ASAP, not least because the Opposition Leader must answer Labour’s Budget statement. If that’s the criterion, why not stick with Sunak?
The sleek Future of Britain conference was the sort of event that pulses with the zeitgeist and with which fintech-bro Rishi is in tune. Meanwhile, unappealingly shrill Tory women jostle to be his successor, offering an indifferent country precisely what?
Almost 20 years later, David Cameron’s brutal putdown of Tony Blair has boomeranged on the Conservative Party: “He was the future once.”