Tis the Season to Be Angry

Ben Wildsmith

The late Pope Benedict was described on Saturday as a ‘doctrinal enforcer’ and that is very much how I see my role here at Nation Cymru, and, indeed, in life generally.

So, whilst I accept that many of you may be suffering the effects of last night’s frivolities, I must urge you to set aside your indulgences and refocus upon the rotting corpse of the body politic.

The tone of walking platitude Rishi Sunak’s New Year message suggested a stranger who had knocked on your door mid-party to explain that he’d run over your dog.

‘Hi everybody…’ the PM began, affecting his best corporate-casual bounce. What followed was less ‘Happy New Year’ than ‘You have my deepest sympathy’. The gist was:

• Things have been bloody awful.
• It’s all Putin’s fault.
• Everything the government has done was for your own good.
• Ukraine
• Ukraine
• Ukraine
• 2023 will be worse but you get a day off for the Coronation.

Squinting through a hangover at your dying Christmas tree, you’d be forgiven for replacing Bing Crosby with Leonard Cohen and heading for the potting shed with your service revolver.

But no! I exhort you, dear reader, to rise from your slough of despond and hear the clarion call of rebellion. Are we really, after twelve years of Carry on Torying, just going to let them shrug and tell us that’s the best they can do?

Zero-sum

Here’s a couple of recent developments to fire you up a bit.

You might have noticed that there’s a spot of industrial unrest going around at the moment. I think I’ve touched on it once or twice here.

Well, in The Times this week a ‘government source’ divulged the strategy that Downing Street has come up with to resolve the strikes that are paralysing Britain.

They have, apparently, calculated that the unions will run out of money in April so intend to negotiate in bad faith until then in the belief that the strikes will collapse.

To put it another way: our elected government is willing to see its citizens deprived of healthcare, transport, education, post, and administration until its public sector workers are forced to accept pay cuts.

No attempt to resolve the issues will be made, this is a zero-sum game that pits the private sector against the public to the detriment of both.

Plan B, presumably, is to accuse postmen of eating the Easter Bunny.

Abolishing democracy

Meanwhile, the Telegraph, which caters to the barmier end of bewildered Boris fans, seized upon Mark Drakeford’s resignation timetable to call for an end to devolution.

Now, call me old-fashioned, but I was given to understand that the approved route to changing policy was by voting for something different; not by abolishing democracy altogether and handing power to another body.

Got to be a bit awks for Andrew RT Davies at Conservative Central Office.

‘So, what’s the plan to make sure I romp to victory and become First Minister?’

‘About that, dear boy, polling suggests that we can win an extra thirteen votes in Tunbridge Wells by abolishing the Senedd so if you could carry on exactly as you are now that’d be a real help.’

‘Oh.’

Displeasure

Do you see a pattern emerging here? The Tories have managed three prime ministers in six months, without troubling the electorate for a mandate, whilst admitting that the UK is in a parlous state and set to deteriorate further.

If anybody expresses displeasure through the ballot box, they threaten to take it away, and those who protest at work face being starved out and vilified to the wider public.

The message is: even we know we are useless, but you are stuck with us and there is nothing you can do about it.

As you hoover up the pine needles, take a moment to reflect on Baroness Mone on her yacht with Ultimo bras stuffed full of your cash, or of ex-Tory Chairman Jake Berry telling us that the way to deal with the cost-of-living crisis was to ‘get a better job’, or of Gavin Williamson becoming Sir Gavin Williamson.

The mince pies are finished, the gas bills are coming, and it’s time to get even.

Bonne chance, mes braves, may the New Year bring what you deserve.