You raise an interesting point, Mr Hawkes. Strategy often does have an impact for decades, particularly if it impacts infrastructure and policies that are subsequently difficult to change or reverse. Even if they're supported by most in power or opposition they may still span decades; for example, I believe the current UK's STEP nuclear fusion programme is planned to deliver a prototype in the 2040s, a couple of decades or so in the future.)I understood in the mid 70s there was an expectation that the UK would receive the proceeds from the North Sea oil and gas directly into a national wealth fund but, if my memory is correct, the incoming 1979 Conservative government scrapped that idea so the oil companies took ownership of the oil to sell on the world markets, with the UK receiving just tax on the profits, not the full revenue to invest in a sovereign wealth fund. The then government further set the policy for future decades by privatising energy companies.When climate change was explained to Mrs Thatcher she apparently, given her science background (a degree in Chemistry from Oxford and an early career as a research chemist), understood it but, sadly, Nigel Lawson - who I assume was scientifically ignorant (another PPE from Oxford ...) - talked her out of taking action thus losing the opportunity for the UK to possibly becoming leaders in renewable energy. Yes, subsequent governments of all persuasions have failed to address this mistake.Milliband's proposals are aggressive and possibly unrealistic in the current economic and world political climate but at least he's now trying to address this disaster. The more that climate change remediation is kicked down the road the more it's going to cost future generations in, firstly, fixing it and, secondly, suffering from its affects a lot more than if actions to mitigate it had started a few decades ago.Yes, Mr Hawkes, these decisions on policy and strategy do have lasting consequences for decades. A different, perhaps more positive, example is, that for all its difficulties, we still have the NHS that was created by the post war Labour government. It's surely better than some fragmented insurance system that many may not be able to afford to get adequate health care, let's hope if we were to have a Reform government they won't rip it to pieces and replace it with a US style system that some of Nigel's friends would like to implement and exploit here. (Ok slightly off topic ....)m
Michael Ixer ● 24d