Political Realities, Political Dreams

Emmanuel Macron

Emmanuel Macron

While the Trump presidency teeters towards impeachment and Britain blunders into Brexit and a dreadfully divisive general election, one might ask, ‘where is there hope?’ Had France elected Marine Le Pen they too would have followed UK and USA down the path of chaos and division. Instead they voted overwhelmingly for Emmanuel Macron. Macron has blown apart the entrenched tribal party-political divisions of French history. He has selected a gender balanced cabinet of 11 men and 11 women. What is significant is that he has brought in people from many different backgrounds and political parties, and importantly from non political backgrounds in civil society. He will have many challenges ahead.

Macron seems to want to follow a Nordic model, creating a system that is good for business, focused on modern cleantech innovation, with strong environmental and social policies and deeper integration at the European level. Bringing in Nicolas Hulot, the former Green presidential contender, to head the Ecology ministry seems a good move. The wide spectrum of talents he has brought into his cabinet looks very encouraging.

Unemployment, and especially youth unemployment, is high in the old rustbelt of north-east France, and along parts of the Mediterranean coast, and it was these ‘left behind’ people who voted for Le Pen. Macron has said he wants to renovate one million poorly insulated homes. This seems a very sensible move as it creates more jobs relative to the money invested than just about anything else, while cutting fuel poverty and improving the energy efficiency of the economy as a whole.

Here in UK More United have Crowdfunded to support candidates who support their pro-European values of openness, tolerance, social inclusion and cleantech innovation. Let us imagine what would happen if they grew exponentially over the next couple of weeks and had a decisive impact on the general election. Who might be in a cabinet of all the talents, inspired by what Macron is doing in France? Caroline Lucas of the Green Party keeps winning polls and accolades that say she’d make a great prime minister. I’d like to see Molly Scott Cato as chancellor, Vix Lowthion at education, Andrew Cooper at energy…but these are all Greens: we’d want others. Dr Louise Irvine at health perhaps shared with LibDem Norman Lamb. Vince Cable could be good back at business. Labour’s Chuka Umunna would be good on electoral reform, and Jeremy Corbyn clearly has a talent for community engagement and social inclusion. The old one nation, pro-European Tories like Ken Clarke and John Major might have a role to play in reversing Article 50 and working with the EU. Bringing in people from outside politics might be crucial, like Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, authors of ‘The Spirit Level’ to look at how to make Britain a more socially just society. Jeremy Leggett and Hugo Spowers would be brilliant showing how cleantech innovation could be used to transform the British economy. I might even find a role for myself in my own dream team!

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