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Sunday, 8 January 2017
The PM sets a path for a brighter future
We admire Theresa May for carving a
philosophy out of Brexit. The pollsters never predicted that Britain
would vote to leave the EU; Mrs May could hardly have been ready to
become prime minister ...
Theresa May, U.K.
prime minister, carries a briefing document on article 50 as she walks out of 10 Downing Street ahead of a commons select committee hearing, in
London, U.K., on Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016. Credit:
Chris Ratcliffe
We admire Theresa May for carving
a philosophy out of Brexit. The pollsters never predicted that Britain
would vote to leave the EU; Mrs May could hardly have been ready to
become prime minister. And yet she jumped into office in the midst of a
revolution; ready to serve and to do so with purpose. Britain, she
writes here, must now become “a stronger, fairer” place. Who could
disagree? Brexit has started a necessary conversation about our nation
that, hopefully, will put it on a path to a brighter future. Questions
will be asked, inevitably, about how exactly Mrs May is going to get us
there.
If Theresa May can leave the country richer and freer than she found it, the nation and its historians will judge her a success.
By speaking of “the shared
society”, she obviously seeks to distance herself from her predecessors.
Margaret Thatcher might not have meant what others inferred when she
said “there is no such thing as society” – but there is no denying that
she preferred individualism over collectivism. David Cameron’s Big
Society asked volunteers to fill gaps left by the state. Mrs May, by
contrast, identifies her key constituency as those who are “just
managing” – and argues that they “don’t need a government that will get
out of the way” but, instead, an activist state that will fight their
corner.
Watch | Theresa May's New Year message
04:06
As
Mrs May observes, the Westminster elite is out of touch with the
everyday struggles of those trying to get by on modest incomes. She
astutely identifies stagnating wages and the cost of living; poor
schools; declining social mobility; tragically low life expectancies. In
the coming weeks the Prime Minister will be spelling out what she wants
to do to help, starting with a speech to the Charity Commission that
will address the inadequate provision for mental health disorders. It is
good to see the Government finally recognising that mental health can
be just as important as physical.
Indeed,
it is detail of this specificity that voters will be looking for. If
there is no delivery, slogans can become shorthand for failure. Mr
Cameron struggled to explain what the Big Society was – and allowed the
Left to define it as a cover for austerity cuts. Moreover Mr Cameron’s
photo opportunity on a husky sledge, or his remarks about showering love
on hoodie wearers, proved to be distractions from what really mattered.
Even Mr Cameron eventually turned against the “green crap” – belatedly
but sensibly, given that costly investment in wind power distracted from
the desperate need to increase power generation.
Likewise, what truly matters to
the British people today? Brexit, obviously. But also reform of the NHS.
Pressures on services have been made worse by GPs operating at
inconvenient hours, leading to long queues at A&E, while an ageing
population puts strain on hospitals. Getting social care right is an
enormous challenge. Pressure has to be taken off the NHS; individuals
have to make savings for the future. Families must be encouraged to help
out.
In certain areas, the best thing that government can actually do to let businesses and individuals thrive is withdraw.
Then there are the strikes
crippling parts of the South. This week will see not just one but three:
industrial action on the London Underground, British Airways flights
and Southern Rail. The militancy of Aslef and the RMT in particular has
left hundreds of thousands of Southern commuters stranded – and for
what? The unions’ claim to be standing up for passenger safety has been
shot down by the rail regulator. Pay and conditions are not under threat
either. Rather, this is a political strike designed to intimidate
employers and the Government. It is within the Government’s power to do
something about it, and it might be time to consider legislation to curb
strike action on critical infrastructure.
Cynics would say that tackling union power would not fit with the
shared society – but a recognition that we all rely upon strong
infrastructure demands action by the Government. We also need more
vocational training. And for those who want to go to university, success
lies in improving the quality of schooling. Permitting the foundation
of new grammars is an excellent start.
British
Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech at the Lord Mayor's Banquet
at Guildhall in London, Britain, 14 November 2016.Credit:
WILL OLIVER
In certain areas, the best thing
that government can actually do to let businesses and individuals thrive
is withdraw. Money is not the answer to everything, but it can help.
Cut taxes and reduce regulations, and the result will be more jobs and
rising incomes. This is critical to mental health and social stability.
Common sense dictates that the best welfare programme is a family with a
steady income.
Mrs May seeks to effect a fundamental shift in the priorities of
government and will probably find a great deal of enthusiasm for this
effort. She will also find old problems that too many prime ministers
have overlooked, thorny issues that require unglamorous hard work and
challenges that demand tough decision making entirely free of romantic
ideology. If she can leave the country richer and freer than she found
it, the nation and its historians will judge her a success.
Profile
| Theresa May
CREDIT: EDDIE MULHOLLAND
Position:Prime Minister Age:59 Constituency:Maidenhead MP since:1997 Education:Geography at St Hugh’s College, Oxford Before politics:Born
to an Anglican vicar and his wife in Eastbourne, Sussex, May worked at
the Bank of England and Association for Payment Clearing Services
(APACS) before becoming an MP.
Key quote
“We know that for people in low-paid jobs, wages
are forced down even further (as a result of immigration) while some
people are forced out of work altogether”
Key moments
1999 - 2010:Holds a variety of shadow cabinet posts 2002:Becomes
the first female chair of the Conservatives and says it is seen as the
“nasty party” - while wearing a pair of now-famous leopard print kitten
heels 2010 - 2012:Minister for Women & Equalities 2010:Appointed Home Secretary, and makes it her mission to reform the police service and control immigration 2012:Blocks British computer hacker Gary McKinnon’s extradition to the US saying it would contravene his human rights 2014:Becomes the longest serving Home Secretary for 50 years 2016:Replaces David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister
