So Tory-boy David Cameron won the leadership election. That really should not bother me, not being a Tory and all. He really ought to represent everything that I despise, I ought to find him odious. And to be fair at times I do. The problem is however, that in respect of the voluntary sector (in which I work) he speaks sense and has been doing so for quite some time.
So whereas at the moment the voluntary sector is in an abusive relationship with the Government (after every slap in the face we come back for more), in Cameron we see a sexy potential new partner. A partner who is whispering sweet nothings in our ear, and in doing so is showing up quite how bad things have got in our current long term relationship.
I had got to thinking that maybe I was just being seduced by a Siren, luring me onto the rocks and that he really wasn't as sound (in voluntary sector policy) as i thought. But then colleagues of mine went to the National Council for Voluntary Organisations annual lecture a couple of weeks ago. They are all much more radical lefties than I and yet they came back impressed. Innovative ideas and nothing you could disagree with.
It reminds me of the Alan Alda character who has just cropped up in the West Wing - a Republican you like - shit! It's much easier having certainies, us v them, good guys v bad guys, but the lines are now blurred.
Of course when Labour were in opposition they made much the same noises that Cameron is and then once in power their views changed. I have no reason to believe that the Tories would be any more trustworthy, but what they will do in the meantime is eat away at a core component of Labour's support.
I'm not ready to jump ship. I know that there are an awful lot of good people working for Labour, but this Government needs to get its act together. One Govt department that I have dealings with operates in a way that borders on corruption, whilst another is plainly incompetent and in trying disguise its incompetence it creates even more problems. The brunt of which are born by the voluntary sector because we are just dying to alter our services on a whim in order to deliver the Government's agenda. Yeah right!
My only hope is that a senior cabinet minister who may one day be PM has now been made aware of the chaos. Perhaps - perhaps - s/he will pull the rug from under Cameron as far as the voluntary sector goes. I hope so!
