Business Is War

In 2010, Britain's soon-to-be Head Boy campaigned on a sort of damp proto-Milibeing One Nation burble, which was abandoned the moment it became clear that the Liberal Democrats had no particular interest in their own manifesto provided they could keep their little red boxes. Then George Osborne attempted to revive confidence in the economy by saying we were half-way to Greece; Daveybloke tried to steer a moderate course on Europe by vetoing the Continent; and it has all been sharp right ever since.

One of the problems with political extremism is that once you start squeaking there is usually nowhere to go but higher. Hence, presumably, today's demented rant by the Head Boy himself when up before the beaks at the Confabulation of Business Interests. Four years into a global economic crisis which was caused by profiteers taking bad risks, Britain's Head Boy castigated Whitehall for destroying livelihoods by being too risk-averse. The jumped-up PR junior whose administration stole the NHS for Serco, said rah-rah for G4S and is selling schools to the highest bidders mourned that civil servants are too willing to say "no" instead of "yes". Daveybloke blamed the civil service for interfering with the Government's mistakes, implied that EU procurement rules and stakeholder management were somehow responsible for holding back the British Empire and, barely a week after Remembrance Day, compared the Bullingdon Club's urge to look after its chums with the "overriding purpose" of winning the Second World War. Of course, all Conservative leaders like to think of themselves as the reincarnation of Winston Churchill, and Daveybloke is looking increasingly qualified thanks to his healthily expanding rear dewlap and collar overflow factor; but it seems ever more doubtful whether these alone will suffice.