Nesrine Malik (Don’t celebrate the prospect of the Tories in opposition – that’s the real danger zone, 21 May) is surely on to something when she argues that the Tories might present an even greater threat when out of office. For decades, the political right has outperformed the left in terms of sheer intellectual energy, ideas, networking capacity and money.
Even now, conservative thinking exerts a powerful hold over Labour. It is clearly no coincidence that the party is still haunted by the fear of a rightwing press pack, incipient nativism, the mobilisation of ignorance, mockery, and the effectiveness of Tory attack dogs. Lacking both a clear overarching philosophy and the intellectual heft to underpin it, Keir Starmer has responded by wrapping himself in a union flag and adopting what can best be described as a “small target” strategy.
It certainly feels as if the battle for ideas is still dominated by the right; the guardrails against change are still in place. As a result, Labour refuses to condemn the illegal immigration bill on moral grounds, argues that the new draconian public order laws be allowed time to bed-in and supports a hard Brexit, having consistently failed to point out all its manifest failings.
The National Conservatism conference last week certainly appeared weird and out of touch, but it should definitely not be dismissed as irrelevant. Its backers are serious, motivated, powerful and relentless. The ideas and beliefs of this radical grouping need to be taken on and defeated, or the ever rightward ratchet will continue with renewed vigour. Now is no time for yet more appeasement from the left.
John Bailey
Farnborough, Hampshire
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