Political intrigue

One of the pleasures of being on Facebook is that you can, if you so wish, have a wide circle of 'friends' of different political persuasions. My virtual friends include members of political parties on the right and on the left. Indeed, I describe my page as eclectic.

Some of my friends are people I know in the 'real' world. What I find disturbing is the number of people who spend their lives in a political cocoon, only being open to discussion with like-minded individuals, offering each other re-assurance and regarding anyone outside the cocoon as 'the enemy'. You will find such people in all political parties, but especially in the small parties of the left and right.

The small parties of the left and right spent much of their energy on attacking parties on 'their' political wing. In fact they wallow in the enjoyment of attacking each other, indeed are animated by attacks on fellow members of their own party. It is all low grade stuff, but is regarded as important by those engaged in it. For the most part people in the real world know little and care even less about the machinations and skulduggery which goes on. Nevertheless such activity can be fun, as it is mostly knock-about stuff, but after a while it becomes repetitive and boring.  I should know, I have engaged in it in a minor way myself, as an outsider lobbing in the occasional comment.  But some love it, feed on it, promote it,  devote their lives to it, even though it is of no significance or interest to the wider world.  The same can be said of the 'politics' within academia, the churches and trade-unions, all of which I have witnessed.

Far more serious is the political intrigue and skulduggery within the three major parties, as the memoirs of former politicians evidence. The Conservatives may be pleased with the efforts of Mr Darling, but they have had their own embarrassments over the years.

In Tunbridge Wells members of my party deposed the Leader of the Council, de-selected him as a candidate and then suspended him from the party!  I can state categorically that I had no part in any of this. The impact of these actions will be felt cross the borough as it has led to a radical change of approach to town centre regeneration.

The first rule of party politics, if one is ambitious, is to trust no-one as you crawl up the slippery pole. Be assured, you will be given a hard shove as you slide down.  Above all, beware 'friends', particularly those who ooze empathy and sympathy but have agendas in which you will not figure. 

It is bad enough in the large parties, but is more pronounced in the small parties as they have the luxury of not being diverted from internal intrigue by the possibility of  exercising power.  Destructive forces are at work, sometimes with a professed positive objective but with a hidden destructive objective.  Members of a party may undertake an internal campaign aimed at the removal of individuals who are perceived to be a liability.  The objective is regarded as positive. However internal strife weakens a party and it this which is the real objective of some on the outside who encourage the campaigns. The internal strife is a means to an end. It is a classic ploy. So is entryism.  Militant almost destroyed the Labour Party.  Beware the motives of friends in party politics, trust no-one, particularly outsiders. They have their agenda which may not be yours, indeed it may be destructive of yours.

Brutal world is party politics.