One of the reasons that the Conservatives failed and were removed from office so resoundingly in 2024 is that we stopped arguing for our own beliefs and accepted many of the nostrums of the left.
Some of this was linguistic, the word ‘progressive’ was used in a positive way, as were similar words such as ‘modernise’. Politically correct terminology was accepted so that the word ‘they’ now seems to be used as both a plural and a singular term in the same way that the word ‘you’ is. Language is important as it sets the parameters of debate, what may or may not be said, and how it ought to be phrased.
However, it was not only linguistic niceties that were accepted by the Conservatives. The state and politicians also became hostile to abundance. Business, in principle, has always favoured abundance as it leads to profits. But this became seen as selfish and a poor use of resources from the early 1990s onwards.
Governments aimed to restrict the use of energy and to ration infrastructure because it helped their equalising agenda. This made everybody equally poor, and it was in fact a deeply socialist project dressed up as environmentalism. This has led to rationing and an expectation of limited usage as a virtue, as if we were limited by wartime restrictions.
This summer has shown it most clearly in two areas, both of which have led to discomfort for millions of people. The first is water. Not only hosepipe bans, but bossy instructions to have a shower rather than a bath. This is nonsense and entirely a matter of governmental choice. There is plenty of water in this country and no need to use it carefully. The marginal cost of a gallon of water is negligible. It is all about infrastructure.
