What in politics hurts a nation?
This year the mature democracies of Britain and the USA have been reeling under unethical political campaign practices.
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In Britain, the June 2016 referendum results to leave the European Union (Brexit) unleashed economic downturn and political upheaval on Britain. It was unbridled ambition, treachery and betrayal in politics that so much hurt British politics and the nation.
In the turbulence that raged within the Conservative Party before and after the Brexit vote, David Cameron resigned as Prime Minister and just over a week ago quit as MP.
The Brexit and Conservative Party in brief: Day 1 – Cameron resigns. Day 8: Boris Johnson leader of the Leave EU resigned; in a week of “tears, betrayal, and Brexecutions!”
The Daily Mail comments: “since day one of the referendum campaign, the Conservative Party has seemed bent on tearing itself apart. Internecine warfare began the instant the starting gun was fired, and as if anything intensified since the British people took the momentous decision to quit the EU.
“There has been treachery and vicious animosity – some of it between people who until recently were close allies. It’s been bad for the Party, bad for the Government (which has been in virtual paralysis for months) and above all bad for the country”.
There was both a “Leave Campaign Team” and “Remain Campaign Team” in the Conservative Party. Apparently, the “Leave Campaign Team” wanted Prime Minister Cameron to lose the referendum on “Remain”, leading to his resignation.
The Prime Minister position would become vacant and an opportunity for moving into 10 Downing street as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party! Was that unbridled ambition; and lust for Prime Minister Power by any means possible?
Many people left, there was dishonest “Referendum Campaign”. Tam Dalywell (former MP) and Sir Jack Stewart-Clarke (former MEP) observe, “citizens need to be presented with objective facts and figures to enable them to make a rational decision. In the recent referendum on Britain’s continuing membership of the EU, this has simply not been the case. The ‘Leave Campaign’ conducted the most dishonest political campaign the country has ever seen!!”
And the former Bishop of Durham suggested that, “they were not voting on the EU at all but on ‘long standing social grievances”
Meanwhile, “the official campaign to pull Britain out of the EU gave £625,000 to Darren Grimes, a 23-year-old Fashion Design student at Brighton to spend on the campaign.”
Hugo Rifkind, Columnist of the Times, wrote “the wilful obscurity of the referendum debate means there is absolutely no strategy for our exit from Europe. We need a plan to stop us going off the cliff”.
The political earthquake unleashed by Brexit has brought such a rapid change that MP’s need to reflect hard to get their next steps right. The influential “1922 Committee of MP’s” stepped in and called for a swift end to the Conservative Party’s civil war by appointing a new leader as Prime Minister; and warned hopefuls to sign on in two days.
Many thought Mr. Boris Johnson would sign on. But Mr. Michael Gove withdrew his support from Mr Johnson. Newspaper headlines described Mr Gove as “betrayer” for plotting to withdraw support from Mr Johnson just hours before Party Leadership candidate launch they had jointly planned.
He went on to his own bid for Prime Minister, saying, “Boris just wasn’t up to the job. I could not recommend that Boris becomes Prime Minister. I tried to make that work and it would have been a betrayal of this country to have allowed his candidacy to go ahead with my support”. Tears flew freely again…. I was in London that week.
The political turmoil was not in the Conservative Party only. That crucial week Mr Watson, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, was to hold crisis talks with Union chiefs which he hoped would resolve the impasse in the party and caused so many resignations in parliament that Labour Party Leader, Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, could not fill his shadow cabinet.
“We must avoid a bloody Leadership challenge” in the Labour Party, he said. It was a Labour Party Political stab, with 60 Labour MP’s frontbenches and aides resigning. Labour MP’s voted on a motion of no confidence in their leader, which was passed by 172 to 40 votes. But he refused to step down.
In the race for a new leader Mrs. Theresa May emerged the lead candidate. Two Conservative Party MP’s went to see her to inquire what jobs they might expect if they supported her. She told them, “I don’t do deals. You are going to support me because I’m Theresa May!”
Mrs May, a daughter of a pastor and noted for her diligent work and integrity, was appointed Prime Minister. She stands up for ethical leadership in politics.
We in Ghana need to turn to God in prayer and specific actions for responsible honourable political campaign practices.
What does our 2016 Presidential and Parliamentary elections process feel like nationwide? What could tone down political polarisation?
Do we sense around us a desperation to cling to political power; or a desperation to snatch political power?
We need cool heads and clean hearts in our body politics. The good people of our beloved country should be treated to sincere and honest election campaign messages and practices. So that we all in Ghana win peace.