Prime Minister David Cameron has responded to criticism that he is a “mouse” with a firm commitment to end “dithering” in Britain. I gather that Ed Milliband will respond with a manifest pledge to create a culture of decisiveness. Nick Clegg will respond with a cast-iron promise to “make Britain bold again.”
Actually I made up the Clegg/Milliband responses but you would not bet against it would you? This is all so much hogwash, no wonder that ordinary folks just give up on the political class. As part of his purge on dithering, Cameron has promised a raft of new policy measures for the Autumn. Just like he promised a referendum on the Lisbon treaty. But then he dithered and er…changed his mind. And then there was the firm pledge to tackle the deficit before, he dithered and now we all just pretend that there are gazillions of wicked Tory spending cuts when, in fact spending is going up. So, needing no dithering to reach this conclusion, Dave: I do not believe a word you say.
There is, of course, a wider point. Governments cannot change a country. It is the people who change a country. Governments can create an environment where folks are free to make their own calls and to act without restraint or economic impediment (or without economic incentive to do nothing) but Government cannot really change the way society acts. Cameron seems to think that passing a raft of new laws and committing the Government to additional expenditure that it patently cannot afford he will stop us all dithering and make Britain a dynamic place. Or does he really believe such errant nonsense? Hmmm, I am dithering as I try to work that one out.
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