Britain At war With Itself

The morning of the 12th May when Nick Clegg and David Cameron announced their coalition government dawned grey but became bright and sunny later on. It was difficult not to see it as an omen. Elsewhere, in Scotland, however, the day was inseasonably cold and the Highlands saw a flurry of snow.
Metereology aside, many people will rightly see the new Conservative/Liberal Government as a fresh beginning. The very nature of the press conference- friendly banter in the garden -was designed to contrast with the stark, authoritarian  style of the outgoing Labour administration. A wave to Obama's relaxed style was clearly intended.

Quite apart from the more obvious - and undoubtedly more pressing problems- like the enormous debt crisis,  the trade deficit, the war in Afghanistan, the problem of immigration etc., the Coalition government has its work cut out for itself.

Britain in 2010 is not a happy country - too many divisions, inherent antagonisms, and ideological chasms divide the nation and make it a country that could be described as "being at war with itself".

The most obvious point of contention is the Scotland/England rift - not helped by the election itself, in which the Tories managed to secure only one Scots MP. David Cameron seemed very aware of the problem when his first visit was to Holyrood in what was outwardly an amiable atmosphere. English media were somewhat reluctant however, to dwell on the hostile reception Cameron got in Edinburgh, mainly from students and people dependent on state benefits.

Which brings us to the bitter class divide marring today's Britain. Both Cameron and Clegg with their public school and Oxbridge background may simply not be aware how many Britons are resentful of their shared patrician background. The constant harping- on during the campaign about "Eton-boy Cameron" was an indicator of how the public wasn't prepared to take prisoners (Tony Blair's similarly privileged education had never merited such an epithet). It remains to be seen whether either leader even grasps the acrimony of the conflict, and doesn't just think their affable personalities and non-confrontational ways will diffuse the problem, and placate their enemies.

Also, both Cameron and Clegg will be introducing a more metropolitan and open political approach. Again, that will not just alienate the Celtic fringe, but also Middle England. Suspicion, prejudice and a latent xenophobia undoubtedly present in the Shires, will not take easily to these urbane, multi-lingual gentlemen, one of which even has a foreign wife.

So far, Cameron's promised concept of a "Big Society" hasn't found a resounding echo with either the public at large nor the media, and few could actually come up with a definition (although The Times' leader of May19 tried its hand).

There is a possibility that both Tories and Liberals will be too preoccupied with proving that they're no longer "the nasty parties", i.e. give a lot of PR effort to inclusiveness, anti-homophobia prograns etc- all very virtuous and welcome of course, but not really addressing the underlying civil divisions and inherent differences that have scarred Britain over the last decades.

What this country needs is "political healing", a bridging of the gaping chasms that are class, region, British ethnicity, and the ever-widening gap between rich and poor. Here's hoping that the new Coalition government has it in them to finally create what a previous Prime Minister called "a nation at ease with itself".