Virginia Blackburn has criticised Andy Burnham's leadership, suggesting that most Britons are watching his premiership in "slack-jawed horror." In an opinion piece, she argues that the time has come for change and calls on the Conservatives to look to the 1980s for inspiration.
Nostalgia for the 1990s vs. the 1980s
Blackburn notes that there has been recent nostalgia for the 1990s, citing Cool Britannia, Oasis, New Labour, Kate Moss, and Princess Diana. However, she argues that as the Tories convene this week to plot their future, they should focus on the previous decade—the 1980s. She describes the 1970s, an era she says Andy Burnham loves, as a nightmare, with unions "running amok," three-day weeks, strikes, and uncollected litter.
Thatcher and Reagan's impact
Blackburn recalls that when the 1980s began, the country seemed to "shift up a gear." She describes the "great 'romance'" of that decade as being between Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, who swept away the past and were loved by the public. She highlights the Falklands conflict and defeating the miners' unions as among Thatcher's greatest triumphs, giving the country pride again.
Call for Kemi Badenoch to harness 1980s energy
Blackburn argues that the current Government attempts to give away sovereign territory rather than defend it. She suggests that if Kemi Badenoch can harness the energy that revolutionised the country over 40 years ago, she could be on her way to Number 10. Blackburn reminds readers that Labour did not win the last election; rather, the Tories lost it after stumbling in power.
She concludes that most of the country is watching in horror at Labour's actions, including an unelected prime minister threatening to seize private property, and asserts that the time for change has come.
