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By johnredwood on October 6, 2025
When a government is as unpopular as this one, and adrift looking for ways back, good opposition can influence or force changes.
People on this website are ever ready to criticise all political parties and leaders, and most agree the government is failing. Fewer are willing to get behind constructive opposition and campaign for solutions. You may feel better for letting off steam about most MPs, but they are the ones you helped elect with plenty of choice available. If you dislike all the choices you need to stand yourself or back new people who can transform existing parties or create new ones.If too many do that it gets more difficult to get a government that you like, as it splinters the vote for causes you believe in.
We are closest today to changes in the government approach and policy to three things. They may give ground on extreme net zero policies now the damage they are doing to jobs and big industries is becoming more obvious and now the Unions are opposed to their approach. There is already talk of relaxing the ban on new oil and gas drilling.
They may need to propose tougher measures to look as if they are getting some control of our borders. The new Home Secretary claims to be tougher but so far has not announced the policies to justify the words. Reform will continue to headline the issue. The Conservative have tabled draft legislation and set out an administrative scheme which would control the borders.
They need a new approach to tax and spending. They will find this the most difficult to change as the Labour party is by instinct a high tax party. Many members and Ministers want to tax the rich more, with schemes that tax the better off too much. They think making the rich poorer by making them pay more is a good thing in its own right. They like levelling down as well as levelling up.They forget the huge revenue and talent loss experienced by the 1974-9 government when tried taxing the rich more
We need good campaigns to highlight obvious waste and bad management, from Bank lf England losses to HS 2 runaway costs, from a surge of people qualifying for benefits with no need to look for work to the big productivity loss in public services.