Crack Campaign

Why are so many leaflets coming through our letter boxes? Ah, it’s local election time. Though we are only electing councillors and county councillors, the national Party Leaders are inevitably using it as a practice for the General Election in 2024. Such opportunities, though useful, are also awash with gaffs and errors of judgment.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour Leader has been mocked for launching a series of attack adverts criticising the current Government. One chides the Conservatives for a substantial Council Tax rise, asking “Do you think your council tax should be 15 percent higher? Rishi Sunak does”, a reference to events at Croydon Council. Unfortunately, this hike was a response to the former Labour administration’s almost going bust, at one point owing a ‘toxic’ £1.6 billion, costing around £50 million in annual interest alone. The replacement Tory Council from May 2022 was elected with a mandate to reduce the authority’s eye watering debts, of which the tax rise was a partial solution. Perhaps not the best of political campaigning on Labour's part. 

The Tories are little wiser. One of their Welsh county councillors has been accused of supporting the enslavement of black people. Councillor Edwards, who represents the ward of Haverfordwest on Pembrokeshire County Council, is allegedly recorded saying:

"I think all white men should have a black man as a slave or a black woman as a slave, you know.”

Whether it really was him who said it, or whether he was drunk or being ironic, time will tell. Yet it has inflicted enormous damage on his party. That this eighteenth-century attitude is still evidently found in certain sections of the Conservative Party is staggering. Although he has since been suspended, the harm is already done.

We are told that the average British voter is not terribly bright. We might say the same of those he elects. Imperfect human government always reminds us of our need of Christ’s perfect  government, in our lives right now, and in our world at His return.