Y
You may have anticipated that Rishi Sunak’s recently concluded “health week” would be free from the usual divisive issues that have dominated government messaging. However, that assumption would be incorrect. In the midst of the spotlight on waiting lists, with a record 7.6 million people in England waiting for care in June, a new culprit for the NHS crisis has emerged. A source close to the health secretary, Steve Barclay, informed journalists that NHS trusts and other health bodies have been wasting resources on what they perceive as “woke virtue signaling” instead of prioritizing patient care and reducing waiting times.
Yes, the blame for the health crisis is being placed on woke health managers. Barclay had previously urged health organizations to abandon a diversity program, which is now being linked to the increase in waiting lists. This creates a new divisive issue.
Amidst the pressing material problems facing the country, why does the government persistently search for wedge issues and cultural divisions? It is safe to assume that the Tory party believes this approach benefits them, but upon further examination, there is little evidence to support this claim.
Firstly, it is important to acknowledge that a government attempting to change the culture of a modern western nation simply cannot succeed. Our individualistic society does not respond well to being dictated to in such a manner. Even if politicians were to demand changes in values or behaviors, people would ultimately make their own choices. Governments have repeatedly urged individuals to marry and have more children, but their pleas have fallen on deaf ears.
Culture wars in the western world are largely futile because our leaders lack the necessary power. It is ironic that a party claiming to champion small government believes it can influence the cultural beliefs of friends, neighbors, and colleagues. If the British government had the ability to reduce snobbery or dictate the presence of portraits of the Queen, it would be governing a far less free country.
This demonstrates that culture wars only find support by positioning themselves as rebellions against authoritarian powers. The most powerful people in the country present themselves as rebels against an unspecified elite, including everyone from civil servants to university departments to residents of certain boroughs. However, this strategy ultimately fails to achieve its intended purpose.
Using divisive cultural issues as an electoral strategy has its disadvantages. By dividing the electorate, parties inevitably alienate potential voters and exclude them from their support base. Successful parties are able to unite individuals with various beliefs, reaching across demographics and bridging differences. Conservative values that resonate with a larger portion of the population typically revolve around economics, such as lower taxes. Culture, on the other hand, is specific to certain groups and can exclude others. The more emphasis placed on cultural issues, the narrower the target group becomes and the more people are excluded.
Smart parties leave room for cultural diversity among their voters, promoting ideas like being tough on crime while also addressing its root causes. Precision in cultural issues can cause alienation. Enemies can be useful in uniting supporters, but if they are too vague, they may absorb potential friends. In fact, some Tory definitions of “woke” have even included a significant portion of their own MPs.
There is evidence suggesting that endless culture wars have contributed to a leftward swing among young voters in Western countries. The housing crisis alone does not fully explain this trend, as even millennial homeowners are inclined to vote against the Tory party. A recent report found that there are young left-wing individuals who share capitalist beliefs on low taxes and view big business as an opportunity rather than an opponent, but they do not align with Tory social values.
Interestingly, some of the government’s wedge issues seem to alienate their own supporters. Conservative voters, for example, generally support the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. On the other hand, focusing on cultural signaling regarding small boats instead of implementing sensible immigration policies diminishes trust, even among those who agree with the overall government agenda.
Furthermore, culture wars create a perception of being “on your side” versus “out of touch”. As the government diverts attention from pressing matters like rising mortgage rates and NHS waiting times to focus on issues that are not widely relevant, it is the government itself that appears out of touch rather than the Labour opposition.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
