by David Birchall

Created on: June 19, 2008

New Labour sounded the death-knell for ideology in the UK. The removal of Clause 4 ended a lifetime of close association with unions, and freed up the party to do, well, whatever they liked.

They chose to support big business, particularly freeing up the banking sector to the point where investment bankers now expect six figure bonuses, at least. They refuse to countenance tightening up on non-doms. They trust the market to do what old Labour thought the state had to do. Now hospitals, schools and prisons are run privately. They happily followed the US into war, echoing the neo-liberal partnership of Thatcher and Reagan. They are increasingly authoritarian, to the point that it is a Conservative that now champions Britons rights to a fair trial.

These are all, of course, classic Tory positions. The distinction is indeed blurred today, and so elections become increasingly about personality. When Labour decry Cameron as a 'shallow salesman' they must acknowledge that Blair was the one who made such a leader acceptable.

Politics is now solely about gaining and retaining power. It does not matter how, or what happens to the country while they have it. Thus we unemployment, inflation, crime and education statistics changed so they appear to be improving. Somehow it is true that crime is falling and more people are in jail, despite Labour's policy to be a rehabilitative one.

Systematic lies enter into politics as well. The expansion of Heathrow should not be allowed by a party apparently so concerned with the environment. With no ideology to guide them, Labour find it easy to preach one thing, and do another.

What this means is a severe lack of voter choice, opportunistic, short-term politics, and pandering to the tabloid press. This is leading to the rise of far-right parties, as the main parties vie for the centre. But more importantly, I feel, it is increasing apathy. Why vote when it a choice between identical twins? This apathy is felt all the way to the EU. When Irish voters vented their ire at the EU treaty did governments retreat, did they abandon it? No, they viewed it as a minor annoyance. It will probably be altered just enough so legally Ireland do not need a vote, and it will pass.

New Labour is almost out of time. Unless something changes dramatically, the Conservatives will win the next election. Perhaps then Labour will move to the left again. If not we really left in a centre-right dictatorship, swapping leaders every ten years or so, while policies will go unchallenged by democracy.

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