Alex Massie Alex Massie

The Tories Need A Good Labour Party. And Vice-Versa.

A terrific Five Books discussion about conservatism, liberalism and libertarianism with Cato’s Brink Lindsey in which BL quotes a few essential lines from JS Mill:

‘In politics, again, it is almost a commonplace, that a party of order or stability, and a party of progress or reform, are both necessary elements of a healthy state of political life; until the one or the other shall have so enlarged its mental grasp as to be a party equally of order and of progress, knowing and distinguishing what is fit to be preserved from what ought to be swept away. Each of these modes of thinking derives its utility from the deficiencies of the other; but it is in a great measure the opposition of the other that keeps each within the limits of reason and sanity.’

Spot on and this helps explain both why it’s impossible to revoke or repeal everything the previous government has done and why, even if you could, it would be inadvisable to do so.

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