Tacking

I always enjoy reading other people's political journey's, so following Darrell Goodliffe it's worth mentioning Allen Green, both of whom have more recently taken against the prevailing direction of the wind and headed left (albeit from very different starting points).

Much of what comes to be the basis of our political choices is based almost wholly and exclusively on our own experiences and the circumstances we are faced with ourselves, so it is almost perverse to think about the world from any perspective except our own. To do so would be to base our judgements on supposition, but is this any worse than basing them on the prejudice of our personal biases?


So I have to agree to some extent with Allen that one's choice of party is not the most important thing. Parties are not fixed in stone and the sails they mount can be changed quickly when the hands are on deck.

This explains why some parties may be prepared to walk the policy plank with such maddening willingness (well, at least while trying to accord with the principles they espouse), yet it also leaves it open to question which party appeals most to those principles I hold dearest.

And so in recent days and weeks both Brown and Cameron have been trying to woo me with splashy policies that might appeal (electoral reform is but one).

I'm glad that they are both prepared to compromise their previous commitments as this shows they doubted the status quo would float on the coming tide - since that is always drawn like bilge water from the same selective experience which leads to individuals forming their self-affirming beliefs in the first place.

The British public is not stupid and it simply does not matter how much is promised. It is a matter of trust and there's only so many Damascene conversions we can accept before we start doubting we aren't paying the penalty by going round in circles rather than heading towards the destination.

NB. apols. You may have noticed an extended sailing metaphor - I can get carried away sometimes... did I mention the America's Cup is almost ready to begin again?