It’s easy enough to at least understand the tactical thinking behind Tory leader Cameron’s supposedly “inclusive” rhetoric (we could debate whether it is or is not really inclusive, but that’s a topic for another time), but one problem that comes with it is that it inevitably shifts the center of debate to the left.
To see quite how much, check out this new piece by the Guardian’s Polly Toynbee:
“Cameron has put a stake through Margaret Thatcher’s legacy. New Labour has triumphed beyond its wildest dreams: this is Blair’s brilliant legacy – to be outflanked on the left is an extraordinary achievement he should mark as his glory moment…Wobbly and fractious, Labour politicians look on glumly. What should they do now? Easy. Do exactly what Cameron has done. Rush out and embrace him. Promise to back him all the way against the reactionaries in his own party. Welcome him to the land of the political living, praise his concern for the poor and the planet. Make retreat difficult and hug Cameron close as a prodigal son.”
Now, Toynbee is a writer who can usually be relied upon to be wrong about everything, but it’s difficult not to see this piece as a harbinger of what is to come.