One step towards better political stability

Congratulations to Theresa May who is the new Tory Party leader, and set to be the new PM by Wednesday evening. The withdrawing of Andrea Leadsom from the Tory party leadership contest has spared us one problem. Namely we now have in place probably the strongest candidate available to lead this country in difficult times two months earlier than originally planned. She can get on now with the negotiations over Brexit, to governing this country more generally - offering a positive vision for the future, and also trying to unite the country at a time when the sharp divisions have been exposed.

But there are still issues for the Tory party. There is resentment among a significant core on the Tory right about how they feel Leadsom was forced to withdraw and also that they will be led by a leader who actually voted Remain, even if it was a reluctant one and she has said Brexit means Brexit! She also has not entered a contest among Tory party members, who are naturally more Eurosceptic and Thatcherite. Remember also the government only has a small majority of 12 in parliament. So expect Mrs May to offer Leadsom a senior position in Cabinet to placate the Tory right. But even then the Tory right will be worried that Mrs May will follow a centrist path continuing the agenda of David Cameron. So watch out for splits continuing.

 Mrs May has dropped a hint that there will be no general election until the scheduled date of 2020. This will certainly aid stability but it will cause an outcry among all other political parties who will say she does not have a mandate from her party members let alone the voters. But surely the referendum vote for Brexit is enough of a mandate particularly when we really need stability and action?

But probably the biggest concern is the continuing crisis in the Labour Party as Corbyn refuses to go continuing to talk disingenuously about a new type of politics. When 80% of his party has no confidence in him given his lamentable performances not least with respect to the Remain campaign, how can he stay? Power is achieved through parliament. His own mandate comes mainly from people who are not real Labour supporters, but are mostly Marxists and disaffected. Corbyn and his supporters would genuinely like to split the party and realign the left and have little interest in power. This is very sad above all for the country. A weak political opposition (the SNP, Lib Dems and Greens can do only so much particularly in the face of a Tory dominated press) usually means poor government.

I would contend the Conservative government has performed poorly since being re-elected. Much worse than the previous coalition, where the Tories were kept in check by the Lib Dems. But there are plenty of examples worldwide. Take South Africa. Since the end of apartheid the African National Congress has ruled with very little opposition not just in parliament but elsewhere. This has resulted in corruption and poor government effectiveness. Similarly the Liberal Democratic Party in Japan has ruled for most of the post-war period and the country's well known poor governance has been a major factor in the the country's economic performance since the asset bubble burst in the early 1990s.

 So please Jeremy Corbyn. Do the honourable thing. This country needs an effective opposition.