Gavin, 17 April 05
An election is called and the country is gripped with apathy.
The last parliament saw historic marches, bigger than those of the chartist movement. Protests were ignored and the Prime Minister was shown as a liar in claiming there was credible threat to anything other than economic interest for invading the lands above the world’s second largest oil reserves.
The election campaign started with the DTI secretary prematurley announcing the death of the last mass motor manufacturing industry in the country. This has been followed by losses in the retail sector with the closure of Littlewoods’ Index chain. And that’s the ruling party’s trump card – the economy….
Tories and Labour have both come to the conclusion that the present way of organising society is highly inefficient. They have imaginitive schemes to tighten the country’s borders, banish turkey twizlers or promise cuts in taxation with the billions they can save from efficiency savings.
Yet when it comes to the details there is more than a little missing. Included in the health efficiency savings is a suggestion to ‘streamline’ PCTs and abolish SHAs as layers labelled bureacratic and unnecessary. The idea being that this would save money and allow greater control by GPs locally. However further savings have also been suggested by consolidation of the roles such as HR and commissioning functions amongst local groups of GPs. Double savings and increased efficiency. That these are the precise sorts of functions the existing PCTs undertake seems to have been missed and we can look forward to further disruption in health services while they attempt to turn these tricks with smoke and mirrors into a working reality on the ground.
It makes no sense to try and question policies – the Tories have even taken to reducing them to a graffiti style scrawl on their election posters. Immigration bad – but we’re not racist; murderers nasty people – we’re not trying to scare you; smirking grin bad – two fangs better… no discussion of issues. Is it much of a suprise that people are turning off from politics more even than at previous elections.
Had space ships crashed in central London as a diversionary ploy of aliens in government – outside of the confines of yesterday’s Dr Who – it might have raised some interest. That belching, farting shape changing extra terrestrials were inhabiting the bodies of the cabinet might just explain John Prescott.
Andrew Neil’s weekly politics show has an introduction where he prances in lilac lycra, accepting humiliation for a chance of odd viewers – very odd viewers indeed if they are enticed by such a sight. Were politicians to offer themselves in public stocks outside parliament there might be a few locals turn up for the spectacle. I suspect however that the apathetic have already made up their minds.
