A New Direction

With Boris Johnsons resignation comes the election of a new leader of the Conservite Party. Whoever takes the reigns has a large task ahead of them in leading the UK.

The actions by Boris government throughout covid has left the UK in economic turmoil. The NHS is on it's knees and is looking down the barrel of privatisation. Crime is on the rise and there seems to be no clear ideas on how to tackle the problem. Years after the Brexit vote, the issue is still not settled, in particular the NI agreement. Record numbers of migrant crossing pose a security and societal threat.

The main issues which need addressed are as follows:

The cost of covid crises has resulted in record inflation, the UK is on the brink of recession. To tackle this the new leader will need a clear vision for the economy. The inflation is largely linked to quantitive easing (printing of money), supply chain issues of goods from China and other places which are out of our control and lastly energy supplies.

The covid crises halted supplies of oil and gas, a situation exacerbated by events in Ukraine. This has led to spiraling fuel costs. A new leader should look at all options to ensure the UK's energy security, this includes investing in oil and gas, whilst at the same time investing in renewables, the future of the UK's energy needs will be met by a combination of renewables, nuclear and fossil fuels. Relying on overseas supplies puts the UK at risk of being held hostage to fuel prices.

A decade of austerity has seen the police force underfunded, crime has risen to record levels. A new leader will need to ensure that the UK is properly policed, new policies on prevention will lead to a safer society.

Again, austerity led to a massive fall in front line NHS staff. Actions throught the pandemic has given rise to record level waiting lists. We see hospitals calling the shots, shutting down services and a push towards privatisation. The NHS requires urgent reform, middle management needs replaced with front line staff. GP's need to go back to face to face appointments or face funding cuts.

The housing crises has been caused by two things, firstly the increase in prices is caused by uncontrolled migration, when we have a net migration of 200'000 people moving to the UK each year, as has happened in the past, housing supplies have not kept up with demand. The second cause is that wages have not gone up with inflation. Again, mass migration has meant that there has been a constant supply of someone else doing a job for less. Good for business and the economy, but bad for society when it puts pressure on housing, schools and hospitals. The shortage of workers in various industries should lead to a rise in wages. However, increasing house building, and decreasing migration is the way the way out of the housing crises.

Politics in the UK is at it's lowest ever point, the polarisation of society is as it has never been before. We've seen elections and referendums follow one after the other, starting with the Scottish Independence referendum, then Brexit, then multiple elections. The UK doesn't need another decisive politician who will devide opinion. The UK needs a leader who will unite the country, a leader who will call a halt to the Welsh and Scottish Nationalists. A leader who will show a clear direction for a post Brexit United Kingdom. A leader who will inspire the youth towards an ambitious and prosperous future.