Balanced on the Edge of Chaos: Why I Miss the Liberal Elite

When I was two years old, Blair was elected, meaning I'd get to grow up in a centre left, pro-European, internationalist and progressive political climate.

Though naturally rebellious, there's no doubting my politics remained broadly a part of the liberal consensus. I was part of the liberal elite.

When I was 15, the Labour years were coming to an end and it seemed like we were entering a new era of politics. That was okay though. Cameron was a self-described "compassionate conservative", an environmentalist and Europhile who was prepared to work with the Liberal Democrats to introduce new LGBT+ rights and continue the liberal consensus that had served us so well.

Then something happened, when we weren't paying attention.

The alt-right and control-left turf wars were taking over the internet, but our politicians remained committed to evidence based policy making and centrist consensus building. We thought those elites, with all their flaws, would suppress the tyrannical majority.

Something amazing followed. Despite all the polls pointing to the contrary, Cameron was elected with a majority and forced into holding a referendum on our membership of the EU. It's okay though, the polls clearly show remain would win and the undecideds will always vote with the status quo.

When I was 21, the UK voted to leave the European Union.

Surely this isn't so bad though, we can still take a sensible approach in the interest of the country. There's a presidential election happening in the USA and that informed, experienced, socially liberal Hillary Clinton is bound to win. All the polls show it.

I stayed up all night during the results, fearing the worst. At least I avoided disappointment this time.

And so Trump comes into office as I turn 22. Old ideals are dead.

After the Second World War, countries stopped acting purely in their own self interest. Global politics began to resemble domestic politics, with nation states cooperating for their mutual benefit instead of resorting to war and isolationism.

Soon there would hardly be a need for nation states at all. The 90's saw the walls torn down and borders erased. Whilst physical barriers were removed, ideological differences also began to fade as it seemed ideals of limited government, democracy, human rights, and pluralism were more or less universally accepted, at least in my part of the world.

But something has happened. Something happened when we weren't paying attention.

At the time of writing, the UK is four days from a General Election. This was supposed to be a return to stable government. A few weeks ago, it was clear Corbyn would release a manifesto to the left of Trotsky and May will get a sizeable majority. After all, all the polls are giving her a lead of over 20 points. We can trust the polls, right?

With days to go, there have been two acts of mass murder by Islamist terrorists in the last two weeks in the UK alone (and three in three months). Theresa May has faced calls to resign for her incompetency to keep the public safe. Furthermore, she's polling with a lead of between just 1 and 12 points, depending which poll you believe. A hung Parliament is looking increasingly likely.

Unelectable Corbyn, painted by the media as a terrorist sympathiser, is proving more popular than May on counter-terrorism issues. His opposition to destabilising foreign wars and promises to put more police on the street are unsurprisingly popular.

Perhaps politics has been so confusing lately, than May has no idea what to say to get elected. While Corbyn just says what he believes, May has nothing but "Brexit means Brexit", "enough is enough" and "this is right because it is the right thing to do".

In this climate, it is unwise to make predictions. But what if there is a hung Parliament? What would this mean?

A Tory/Liberal coalition? That goes against the point of holding an election to stop the anti-Brexit parties from frustrating the process. A minority government? Same problem. Another election? Would probably produce roughly the same outcome.

As members of the liberal elite, we've had it good for far too long. And now we're fighting something that no one understands. It is a movement that transcends facts, polls and statistics.

If a hung parliament materialises, parties must forget their tribal instincts. The liberal consensus lies dead at the side of the road. Anarchists, socialists and conservatives need to find their common interests: free speech, honest debate, compassion and understanding. If politics is a game, humanity is losing.