Back in 1997, the last time the Labour Party came to power after a long period of Tory rule, the soundtrack to the election was “Things can only get better”.
Now, more than a quarter of century on, Sir Keir Starmer’s warning to voters is that “Things will get worse before we get better”.
It is a depressing message that fits with the times we live in. Faith in politics and politicians has never been lower; the Brexit debacle has destroyed Britain’s economic prospects and international reputation; and conflicts involving global superpowers have made the world feel a much more dangerous and unpredictable place.
Under Tony Blair, Labour was propelled into government on a wave of hope and optimism, captured perfectly by Derry-born musician Peter Cunnah’s hit song. Within a year, Northern Ireland was also filled with the promise represented by the Good Friday Agreement.
But tomorrow, in a speech widely trailed in Sunday newspapers, Starmer will talk of “tough choices” that need to be taken to address an “economic black hole” inherited from the Conservatives.
There is no doubt that the previous 14 years under Tory governments have wreaked enormous damage to the UK’s economy, public services and social fabric.
The economy has stagnated, with wages flatlining but taxes rising to their highest level in decades. Food banks proliferate as millions of children live in poverty
Meanwhile, the NHS is teetering on the brink of collapse, with GP services in crisis and patients waiting years in pain for operations. School buildings are crumbling and headteachers cannot afford even basic resources.
The situation is even worse in Northern Ireland, where stop-start government has hampered attempts to ameliorate the worst excesses of Tory austerity or put in place the long-term reforms and investment required to rescue the health service.
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However, even if the devolved institutions had been more stable, does anyone really believe that life would be materially better?
The issue is actually one of collusion rather than division: time and again the parties have collectively ducked difficult decisions and relied on handouts rather than rolling up their sleeves and addressing the problems in our economy and society at a structural level.
Tin-eared MLAs even had the gall to embark on a lengthy summer recess within months of returning from a two-year hiatus, while it is nothing short of scandalous that the executive has failed to produce a programme for government after almost seven months – and this despite dozens of meetings with civil servants to supposedly hit the ground running.
After a lost decade when we have been served so poorly by our politicians, there can be little confidence that things will get better any time soon.
Even if the devolved institutions had been more stable, does anyone really believe that life would be materially better?
