The undoing of the Telegraph mirrors a broader crisis in conservatism, which could leave a gap for Ukip to fill
To echo Professor Jay Rosen at New York University, the resignation of Peter Oborne from The Telegraph is ‘one of the most important things a journalist has written about journalism lately’.
The fact that the paper, or so Oborne accuses, could no longer decouple its advertising arm with its news content wing is itself huge news – something that should make us worry about journalistic standards more broadly.
The clickbait culture of such stories like the women with three breasts, which lo and behold was not true, along with the absence of big stories like Tesco false accounting, and even bigger ones on HSBC that Oborne himself worked on and was forced to send his research elsewhere, together spelled doom for the kind of independence that The Telegraph was typically noted for.
It would be too easy to say that The Telegraph is just a hymn sheet for whatever the Conservative party says at any given time (hence being dubbed the Torygraph).
After all it has given its support to the party through thick and thin, in times when the party has managed to capture the nation’s heart (somehow), and even when support slumped and other newspapers and their owners were throwing their weight behind Tony Blair.
But the paper was a lot more than that. It challenged the Conservative party from a small ‘c’ conservative position wherever it could. The Telegraph has never been afraid to attack David Cameron from the right, for example, and it’s no surprise that Cameron in his early days as leader of opposition, and then PM, that he looked for allies in liberal Guardian-reading Tories, rather than the high Tories and villa Tories among the Telegraph’s readership.
Though it doesn’t directly affect me, for example, a left winger and Labour supporter, I have always worried about what would happen in the absence of conservativism on two fronts: the drift of working class conservatism into other political expressions, namely with Ukip; and the further empowerment of neoliberalism.
As Phil Burton-Cartledge said in a blog post last night, the undoings of the Telegraph, with its high profile resignations and messy affairs with editors (with a lot of sub-editors cleared out of the newspaper’s towers), sort of resembles a crisis in conservatism more broadly. But with the view now, certified by Oborne in his resignation letter, that the Telegraph has lost its way – maybe indefinitely – another intellectual crisis of conservatism is forthcoming.
After all, where now will independent-minded conservatives, who don’t simply regurgitate the party line at CCHQ, look to for their daily news feed? Sure ConservativeHome is very good, but it doesn’t have the reach. Tim Montgomerie speaks his mind, but perhaps he is still too much like ‘think-tank’ material. Philip Blond? Well, the same problem again.
The next election, whether we like it or not, will rest a great deal on arguments around what it means to be centre-right and fiscally responsible, particularly in regards to carving out a dividing line between the Conservatives and Ukip.
Depending where in the country you are, Ukip will try to be the political chameleon, changing its colours where it suits them. But the real battleground is capturing real right-wing politics from that shadly liberal David Cameron.
But while you’ll find no love of Cameron from me, Ukip represents a very dangerous set of politics, quite distinct from conservativism proper, and more aligned to dog-whistle politics of the far right, or libertarianism where the crassness of money and power matter more than shared values and the retention of traditional institutions.
Say what you will about the Telegraph, but it was never given to the vice of market liberalism, or the city slickers and their contempt for ‘family, faith, and flag’, to borrow a phrase. That was, perhaps it could be argued, until the Barclay brothers took over, with whom according to Oborne a lot of the problems at the paper become most apparent.
Which leads me to my other worry about the absence of conservatism and the stranglehold of neoliberalism. But rather than explain what this means in detail, I’ll simply quote Oborne himself:
“The coverage of HSBC in Britain’s Telegraph is a fraud on its readers. If major newspapers allow corporations to influence their content for fear of losing advertising revenue, democracy itself is in peril.”
I think the Oborne resignation letter was important because it told some very stark truths: primarily that the Telegraph was not truly independent. Rather than making me jump for joy, this potential black hole for small ‘c’ conservativism worries me. Perhaps there is life left in Blue Labour? But we shall see.
Carl Packman is a contributing editor to Left Foot Forward and the author of Loansharks: The rise and rise of payday lending
45 Responses to “Why even left wingers need conservatism”
subtleknife666
I’m sorry to say I’ve never been to Asia. I must remedy this at some point. I’m 60… so many places to go, so little time and money… *sigh*
The majority view. Hmm. Well, the right-wing media have succeeded in convincing many people that immigrants, asylum-seekers, people with brown skins, Muslims and so on are a Bad Thing.
In fact immigrants make a huge contribution to the UK economy and I have no problem living next door to people with skin of a different colour or a religion I don’t share.
I rather like the spicy cooking smells I can sometimes detect.
My nephew recently got onto the first rung of the property ladder by buying a flat in Ilford. My Daily Mail-reading friend said “Oh dear, he won’t be seeing many white faces there”. I was at a loss for words and didn’t reply at the time.
Knowing my nephew well, he won’t be bothered by the ethnic makeup of his neighbourhood! Next time it comes up, I’ll mention that fact.
damon
So far in Sri Lanka in nearly three months, I’ve averaged less than £100 pounds a week.
Often less. Rooms have averaged at about £7.50 a night, and food and transport is so cheap it’s almost negligible. My bus rides today came in at under a pound and my main meal of veg rice and curry was 60p.
My biggest extravagance is buying a big jar off coffee every couple of weeks (as I have my own kettle with me). I’m not that much younger than you myself, and intend to spend as much time as possible overseas like this. It was a bit of a cold winter I heard.
As far as the other stuff goes, well yes – I agree with the spirit of it.
Integrated multicultural communities can be a success.
My own Irish mother has become very friendly with several of the Indian neighbours who have moved in around her in the last decade. It might help that its all semi-detatched houses so they are people who want to get on in the world. It might be different if she lived in a struggling area that was tatty and full of transient short term residents.
As for cooking smells, I’ve got to learn how to make some of the curry dishes I have here.
Just simple dhals and curried runner beans and other veg side dishes.
It’s my favourite food in the world and I’ve been eating it once or twice a day, every day I’ve been here.
Anyway, are we about done here?
Guest
Oh yes, of course you claim that isolationist anti-trade views are widely held.
As usual, you then bang on about foreigners are better than the British as you *trumpet* that you’re doing what you’d deny others.
YOU are not welcome in some places because of your hostility to the people there – or at least you think so.
Guest
Ah yes, it’s fine for the rich to do things the poor can’t be allowed.
As you keep trumpeting about how you’re doing things you’d deny others. On and on!
Guest
Right, of course in your world, which obviously bothers you immensely, it MUST be that all the Other here came illegally, as you talk up your myths, not bothering to check basics.
As you call allowing people to escape your kind of government a fraud, when even the UKIP’s Dear Leader strongly supports asylum. And I see, your objection is that there’s not enough poverty so it’s only “African” (bias more) people sleeping on the streets and not British people.