Empty...

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... running on fumes and coughing to a standstill. Not my car, but our inglorious bastard of a government, and the party behind it. Empty. Of ideas, direction, or of any practical purpose to their electorate. And like all empty vessels, they make the most noise. And noise is what they are: interference, like short-wave static on the airwaves, a random and annoying background clamour of utter irrelevance. Even Tory insiders are predicting The End: the end of the 'Conservative brand', according to a Tory activist, Matt Stephens [i Weekend]. His phraseology just about sums up the UK politics of the last quarter of a century or so: politics as marketing: image and 'brand' trumping substance and purpose.

And now we observe the disturbing and rather distasteful spectacle of two former prime ministers - both defenestrated by their party, and neither having had the good grace to stand down, honourably, from politics as a result - apparently returning to the fray, with the support of a good chunk of the parliamentary party that ousted them in the first place. If this was 1950s Italy, it might just - and only just - be understandable; but here? Now? We deserve better than this. Let's hope that the increasing volume of the voices of dissent can eventually swamp the white noise of distraction, filter it out and silence it for good, before more are beguiled by the siren call of Tory cynicism and buried in graves as shallow as their intentions.  

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