Trump Trounced – A New Dawn?
There’s a lot more to the Yankee soap opera than just something to gawp at. For sure, the Donald’s debagging has brought plenty of whoops of delight this side of The Pond. But, beyond the lurid fascination of a tasteless talent show, the implications for every one of us run deep. As our Political Correspondent Peter Spencer reports, they straddle everything from our choices in the ballot box to the pound in our pockets.
Oh yes, the money. Specifically the hefty chunk of it that the Chancellor didn’t want to say too much about in his budget last month, but which he certainly will have to find later.
It’s not just the Russian dictator’s bloodthirsty delusions of grandeur that’ll force us to cough up billions and billions that we haven’t got – to shore up our threadbare defence mechanisms.
It’s also the connivance Vladimir Putin’s lapped up from an American President who seems to think the sun shines out of his, well, you know where.
This, in its turn, has emboldened the Russian bear to think beyond even his plucky neighbour, so ripe, as he wrongly thought nearly five years ago, for the plucking.
Thus giving added heft to the Ukrainian leader’s repeated and dire warnings that his country’s merely the front line. In the free world’s defence against an ever more voracious beast from the east.
Now, though the voters stateside have snatched both the Senate and the House of Representatives from Trump’s grasp, he is still in office for another two years. And there’s no knowing what vengeance he might exact.
There is, perhaps, a glimmer of hope to be found in American-led talks to be held this coming week between Russia and Ukraine. About the possibility of lasting peace underpinned by international security guarantees.
But best not hold your breath, alas.
And it’s not like Trump hasn’t already dug a stonking great hole in everyone’s bank accounts with his reckless and ineptly executed war in the Middle East.
Not much sign of an end to that any time soon, though even he now grudgingly admits that its impact on the cost of living in America is probably what did for him in last week’s mid-term elections.
Andy Burnham was very careful not to share the schadenfreude about all that, but he did allow himself a tactful reference to his own top priority.
That’s to say, er, the cost of living. Which he admitted he can’t do all that much about until the Iran problem is solved.
A point heavily underscored a few days back by the first hike in interest rates in three years. Coupled with a warning from the Bank of England governor that, thanks to Trump’s silly war, it probably won’t be the last.
Makes you wonder who’re the winners, and, more to the point, the losers in the battle of ideas over here.
Step forward Reform Leader Nigel Farage, who maintained just the day before Americans cast their so decisive votes that the pollsters had got it all wrong. And that Trump’s side would come good.
Mind you, Nige the Wise has also said in the past that Vladimir Putin acted rationally when he snatched Crimea back in 2014, and indeed that he was the world leader he most admired.
Since then he’s reined back on all that, surprise surprise. But a bit late in the day.
The polls now clearly show a sharp decline in Reform’s fortunes, with all the signs pointing to the Tories as the main contender on the right after all.
And, to dispel any doubts about where they stand on the Trump question, cop this take from their Fleet Street cheerleader-in-chief, Sunday Telegraph Editor Allister Heath, on last week’s outcome:
‘This was a referendum on a president who appears to be losing his capacities, who is terrifyingly detached from reality, who has fallen foul to narcissism, megalomania, delusion, impetuousness and mood swings.’
Oh, and lest anyone suspect he was being the teeniest bit mealy-mouthed on the subject, he was happy to clear up any misunderstanding. With the following:
‘This was a verdict on Donald Trump’s Emperor Nero tribute act, on his White House ballroom-sized ego, on his court of sycophants, on his increasing incompetence, erraticism, impulsiveness, irrationality and capriciousness.’
Wonder how many readers wish they’d said that. In the interests of strict impartiality, yours truly couldn’t possibly comment.
Anyway, back to Farage’s falling fortunes, there’s no doubt that ongoing sleaze inquiries, not to mention his party’s leader in Hampshire being charged with twelve counts of rape, don’t add up to a good look.
But it probably is his sucking up so shamelessly to The Donald that’s cost him more. While campaigning to get him in two years ago, he rejoiced in the boast that they were political besties.
Nice one, Nige. A survey published last week by the National Centre for Social Research revealed that almost three-quarters of us Brits reckon the US is a serious threat to global peace. Second only to Russia.
The one, maybe, aiding and abetting the other, given that Trump’s son’s wedding in the Bahamas was paid for by a Ruskie oligarch with ties to Putin.
At this point, the PM’s big bold reset of relations with the European Union has a gritty relevance.
With baleful breath emanating from Moscow, and, to put it mildly, questionable backup on offer from the White House, it’s little wonder his seeking safety with the neighbours isn’t getting him into trouble.
In fact, notwithstanding the inevitable harrumphing from right-wing media outlets, the more plausible and thus far consistent polling evidence shows the Burnham bounce is holding up nicely.
Has to be said that his direction of travel is only really an extension of the path set out by his predecessor. Difference being that he’s spelling it out loud and clear. With a smile on his face. The contrast could hardly be more marked.
As Times columnist Hugo Rifkind waggishly put it: ‘Burnham’s approach beats how Starmer sounded whenever he made a big announcement, which was as if it was being birthed from one of his nostrils with surgical tongs.’
Letting that pass, in under a fortnight Handy Andy’s scheduled to announce a great swathe of trade deals with our cross Channel chums, covering everything from youth visas to pet passports.
All in all, he reckons the deal will boost our economy to the tune of seventeen billion pounds. And the very idea will be music to the ears of British exporters, who describe the Brexit red tape bill as ‘staggering’.
Marks and Sparks admit they’ve had to rent a warehouse, just to store the paperwork. That’s beyond a Gallic shrug, more quelle horreur, en réalité.
As to whether this new cuddliness is part of Burnham’s grand plan to one day reverse Brexit, the jury’s out. The picture’s muddied by the potential political drift hard rightwards in France and Germany as well as Italy.
But there’s no disputing that the pet passport idea will delight no end of dog and cat lovers, who currently have to shell out hundreds on health certificates if they want to bring their fluffy friend with them on hols.
The concession under the new scheme will also apply to ferrets. Bizarre? You said it. Though apparently it’s more to do with their low rabies risk than their status as must-have pets.
That said, experts will tell you they’re highly sociable and affectionate, perfectly capable of loving their owners as well as one another, and can even be house-trained.
Only thing is they never seem to grow up past the puppy/kitten stage, meaning you’ve got to keep an eye on them at all times.
Bit like politicians then. You never know what they’ll get up to next.
Comments