Where are the inspirational political leaders?
Over half of people in the UK lack trust in government according to Carnegie’s annual Life in the UK report. I find this unsurprising. Our daily lives have been buffeted by covid, a cost-of-living crisis, extreme weather and increasing global turbulence. We have had to adapt to new circumstances and yet our political leaders seem stuck in a rut persisting with old ways of solving new problems, engaging in a war of words distant from daily realities and unable to provide an inspiring national vision of a different future.
At a time when we need innovation and radical new ideas there seems to be a dearth of political leadership. From my perspective it would be wonderful to hear politicians implement radical new ideas. Here are five I would like to hear. What would you add to the list (or remove from mine!)
Have a national resilience strategy
When was the last time you heard a politician talk about the need for national resilience? Without long-term policies we are heading to a future where our national infrastructure will be at risk from extreme weather, where food security becomes increasingly challenging, where more people will die from extreme heat, where more homes will be flooded and where supply chains are threatened by global conflict.
Surely it is time for a politician of any colour to argue for policies that create a more self-sufficient and resilient UK.
Tax resources not wages
Government after government seem intent on taxing the things we want whilst avoiding what they perceive as contentious areas. A recent example is the rise in National Insurance hitting those sectors which need a large workforce such as the NHS, care homes, etc.
Rather than this approach why don’t we tax resource use which would have environmental benefits, reward innovation and boost efficiency? Obvious areas include a frequent flier levy, road pricing and a carbon tax. I realise that these policies would be unpopular with high resource industries, the wealthy and those in rural areas, but I am sure it is possible to put in place incentives which hasten a fair switch to more efficient resource use.
Create a sovereign wealth fund
The UK has been in the privileged position of having access to many natural energy resources such as North Sea oil and gas. But what has happened to the wealth created by these assets? Have they benefited the country or ended up oversea or in the hands of a small minority?
How different things could have been if we had followed Norway’s lead and channelled revenue into a massive sovereign wealth fund, to ensure long-term financial stability and benefit future generations. The fund protects the Norwegian economy from the volatility of oil prices and creates a stable financial foundation for the country.
Why doesn’t the government consider radical solutions such as this to fund future investment?
Increase life quality not life expectancy
We perpetually talk about waiting times for NHS treatments, surely our ambition should be to reduce demand by creating a healthier population and measuring that instead?
A national policy aiming to deliver a healthier UK could have significant impact. It would force government to address the underlying causes of obesity challenging the food industry to change, it would take a fresh look at mobility championing concepts such as the 15-minute city, it would look at the underlying causes of mental illness and would force a review of care facilities. Yes, these are costly, but surely better than continuing having to fund ever-increasing demand on the NHS.
Truly tackle inequality
The Carnegie report revealed the negative impact of ‘persistent and entrenched inequality’. In nearly all areas measured by the report’s index income inequality was the single biggest driver of poor wellbeing.
Despite this, the gap between the wealthiest and poorest continues to grow and successive governments seem incredibly reluctant to do anything substantive to reverse this trend. The wealth divide not only increases social division but has environmental implications with those on higher incomes the biggest carbon polluters. Truly tackling inequality would be the biggest step that any government could take to create a more just and sustainable society and yet it currently seems a distant pipedream.
The Carnegie Trust is committed to producing an annual Life in the UK index assessing the overall well-being of the UK. I fear that the current picture of stagnation will not change without some significant new political leadership.