Political Promises

I live in Scotland, a beautiful country and part of the United Kingdom. Are you aware of our general election? Right now we citizens are bombarded by interpretations of political fact and related plans to make us happier, wealthier and healthier.

Wherever you live in the world, I expect you’re accustomed to the promises and commitments made by politicians. I hope, in your world, you know, as I do, you can trust every politician’s word to guide you to a proper decision about who should run our country. This is something we can even tell it to the Marines.

Mind reading and second sight

As part of the electorate we should be grateful to have politicians who are both prescient and honest. One need only look at the quality of their manifestoes and pledges to realise how truly effective they are. Hold one up to the light (a manifesto that is) and the transparency shines through. I always feel comfortable when I can see through things, don’t you?

Joined up thinking

Years ago I attended conferences in London with a view to understanding doing business with the UK government. Broadly speaking there are three types of policy action … simplicity itself:

• Make Policy
• Interpret Policy
• Deliver Policy

I thought it would look like the diagram, with a clear joined-up connection between making, interpreting and delivering policy. And that all this would be based on a solid foundation of fiscal and business-like understanding. After all, it’s where our money goes. Is it unreasonable to expect prudence and joined up thinking?

Disjointed reality

I discovered the model look something more like this. Is the making of policy at General Election time a sales pitch to the electorate? It appears not to be particularly connected to either interpretation or delivery. The conferences I attended were interesting because they provided an excellent chance to see new faces. I suppose, different people, at different levels, do different things and don’t talk to each other.

Before you discount me as jaundiced and, true enough, all things look yellow to the Jaundiced eye … the Institute of Fiscal Studies states that UK voters are ‘left in the dark’ by the politicians. I’d only change one word, I’d substitute kept for left . Imagine, according to the IFS, our politicians are actually no wiser than we are when it comes to making real policy or getting to grips with the nuts and bolts of reality.

Self-righteousness has it’s own rewards

Here we have the sixth largest economy in the world and our politicians, the blind leading the blind, with profound mendacity and aggressive self-righteousness. No wonder 16 and 17 year olds don’t have the vote, they’d see through the falseness immediately and probably vote Green. I hope our young people mark well and remember for the time when they are enfranchised.

Here I sit, angered and saddened by the depths people will stoop to ‘win’ our election. It hurts. I feel powerless and frustrated.

And people wonder why a guy like me writes thrillers about corruption.

© Mac Logan