I haven't written much in a wee while, at least not on here. (although you may find my writing elsewhere on the net if you look really really hard ... )
It occurred to me last night after the leadership debate that we have a great metaphor currently going on in the uk political arena for something that often occurs in the the business world.
A few months back Theresa May rose to the position of leader of the conservatives. As a result she also got a key to number 10 and the UK premiership to boot.
The Main stream media and related outlets like to set caricatures of our political leaders, more often than not based in a set of stereotypes. The reason for this is very likely because it make the process of writing about them a little less human and little more formulaic, I mean even the very word "politician" conjures up many a satirical image in the minds of the average person. For me, being just over the 40 hill, it's the cartoonish drawings of the "yes minister" intro.. and Sir Humphrey Appleby dealing with the matters of government in lunch breaks and at the club over a brandy.
But this over simplified version of the political posturing and deal making in Westminster is only a part of the story. It's fair to say that politicians of whatever colour do not get to certain elevated positions of influence and power without themselves having the personal means to get there. By which I mean they cannot be unthinking and un skilled people. (yes even Boris Johnson....)
Yes, ok , of course we all know that networks and old boys clubs are useful, in that regard politics is no different multiple business arena's. Networking and knowing where your allies are is key to success in any business. After all John Donne pointed out way back in the 17th century that no man is an island.
So where does that leave our elevated PM? Well since the election was called we have seen a vastly different approach between the Party leadership styles and their effectiveness. It puts me in mind of the X-Y McGregor management model. Essentially there are two types of management style that sit at the ends of a sliding scale. An X-type manager is authoritarian, and the Y at the other end is more of a collaborative and discursive type.
It would seem to me that Theresa May is in the former camp and Jeremy Corbin very much the latter. If you like, this is the difference between a "Boss" and a "Leader"
During their respective careers in politics one can also see shades of this in their records and the negotiations that have been publicly put on record. Much has been made of JC and his negotiations in the irish peace process. I suspect that the outcome might have been a little different if a young bullish Mrs May had been given that task...
But this also raises another parallel with business and also oddly, many a local government office. In any organisation you will have competent people. Those competent people do well, and are thus promoted. There comes a point where they cease to do so well having been promoted into a position that they are competent with but no longer shine. Some even go one stage further... (networks again?) Ergo they are promoted to their level of "incompetence" This is known as the "Peter principle"
It is here that I feel Theresa May may have hit her zenith. Her style of management is too authoritarian and perhaps a little brittle for the massive arena of debate, discussion, compromise and conundrum that is facing the UK in the weeks and months ahead. She is no doubt probably well aware of this, as a result of her experience since she took office, and thus now rueing the day she ever stepped into Number 10.
As I said, Politicians do not get to high levels without the ability to think and manage their relationships with those around them. So what to do? Imagine you're Theresa May sat in the PM's office, knowing a little too late you've been handed a poison chalice, which the other leadership candidates decided not to sip from, and that seemingly you're not the right person for this job.
What do you do? You can't resign, that's political and career suicide. You can't push anything contentious through the house all that easily due to a very slim majority. You know you're gonna go down in history as the PM who did the brexit thing, for good or ill. So how do you give yourself an exit strategy?
You call an election, which you had previously ruled out before you knew all the above, and then refuse to fight it. That's how.
As I see it, There are two possible under lying motivations for calling this election ...well actually three..
- Theresa May believed she could, would & should win.
- TM felt back into a corner and wanted out
- TM looked at the world wide situation and realised not only was she not up to the task but for reasons of avoiding world conflict Britain needs a shift to the left...The currently "trumped up" US is not a wise bed fellow.
If she truely believed she could win and further more wanted to, then I believe she would have fought, argued and stood her ground. But instead she has sabotaged her own campaign and tarnished her own public image as a means to saying she was removed from office by the elctorate, rather than her own hand.
Of course there is another possible side to this. That the woman is so unspeakably arrogant that she won't publicly debate and lead her own party, that she is scared of unscripted things or deals them unpalatable, ...and under values real accountable discourse. This ties in neatly to the X-type manager example, those who cannot deal with debate as they see it as merely dissent and thus a challenge to them, rather than constructive means to progress. But It's my position that were she this arrogant she wouldn't have been able to rise to the level she has, since she would have fallen on her sword of ignorance long long ago.
Furthermore, if she were so utterly incompetent to have made all her recent mistakes actually by mistake then once again she would have been sidelined years ago, so I get the impression she knows exactly what she is doing, although of course I can only conjecture as to why.
As part of that conjecture I watched with interest Theresa May's recent appearance in areas of religious opinion that would make Trump proud. Was this a late sign of personal opinions and and that in the early days of being in number 10, she thought - erroneously - that the UK special relationship with the US might herald a new right wing era, with changes to the global standpoint on certain freedoms and closer links to a harder line christianity. Could that be the underpinning reason for her transatlantic dash..?
Who knows? but as they say a week is long time politics, and since Theresa May took office on July the 11th last year a great many things have changed around her. Regardless of affiliations to party and political leanings, every recent UK PM has visibly aged, without exception. It is not a task to be taken lightly nor is it ever going be an easy ride.
So no, Peter in this case, is no fool, although there may be an argument for (deliberately?) having flown too close to the sun, after being dazzled by its size.
Let us see what happens when the electorate go to the polls. And if the conservatives do ultimately remain in power, I cannot but wonder how long that power will continue to rest in Theresa May's hands.
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