Beware of the political pitfalls of decentralising power - Yorkshire Post Letters

Keir Starmer, recently, emerged from his long hibernation to reveal his vision on entering No 10. He calls it “a new politics” although, on analysis, I find it about as new as John Wayne’s winter underpants in a fading sepia format.

He inevitably attacks the Conservative government’s sad performance which he labels as “sticking plaster politics” and attempts with his own brand of Elastoplast, at various points, to offer Labour’s alternative approach, returning to a Blairite system where free markets, once again, are seen as the way to mollify those who question the long history of Labour’s profligate spending, the left’s panacea to solve all problems.

The Blair way will also allay the electorate’s fear of a return to a Corbyn nightmare. It’s an unashamed move to the centre and a clear road to Downing Street given the Covid/Putin/Brexit shambles that the Tories seem to be immersed in.

His main claim to show any semblance of innovation resides in his call for more democratic

control by removing power from central government and launching new initiatives in the regions.

Once again, it’s another leaf from the Blairite formula where Scotland and Wales were given their autonomy. It only increased their urge for complete independence and could foster the dangerous rise of republics like Scotland under Nicola Sturgeon and the wealth-destroying enclaves of socialism that sprang up in the 70s with, for example, their idiotic nuclear-free zones.

We also have to consider the multiple tiers of inefficient bureaucracy that always accompany the institution of new political groupings. Even worse, if Starmer makes the mistake of giving such regional centres a free mandate to tax it could destroy most of his good intentions.

Regional development is clearly a good thing, as the Yorkshire Post is constantly championing, but extreme care is required to evade a glut of political pitfalls. Maybe, a drastic national redistribution of funding in favour of regions like Yorkshire would be a solution.

And it’s one thing to control the quasi-Marxist Left and their opportunistic activities but another problem to counteract Labour’s woke-saturated, moderate wing, a considerable force, who may well seriously retard the practical progress of his leadership.