A VERY British Revolution

Well the last week's events have been truly amazing. When I started writing this page a year ago I chose the title deliberately, for it emphasised to the world at that time that we in Britain do things differently.

I've said many times over the years and indeed echoing from Churchill and also from a famous British Film 'This Happy Breed', that we do things differently here. We take our time to react and are often charged with being too slow to act, too slow to react. And yet place a great cause before the People and nothing will stop them until they have dealt with the matter, defeated whatever it is that is threatening our security and way of life, and then return to normal life.

That is what we see playing out again now both here at home and being commented on throughout the world. 'What is it with those Brits?' 'How is it that they go and do things so easily just by voting without violence, having heated debates that compared with our own regimes, are like an afternoon chat over a pot of tea, and yet they sweep aside unpopular government, or worn out government or corrupt policitians.

Once again, we are establishing ourselves as the mother of parliaments.

Let there be no mistake about that whatsoever.

A year ago as the expenses scandal broke I remember thinking 'if only we could have a coalition as we did in wartime!' 'If only we could do this, for surely is not this recession the equivalent of the drastic action required in those dark days of 1939 when we needed a government of national unity?'

And on Sunday I briefly thought that what was in our grasp was about to be lost, hence my angry response.

But in retrospect it was good politics being played out.

There is no doubt but that the Labour Party recognises that it is worn out and unable to ever match anything that was being earnestly discussed, debated, neogotiated and thrashed out in our Capital over the weekend.

Again that international comment - 'how do they do it when they haven't even got a written constitution?'

I am amazed to discover just how many nations and peoples were following events and the enormous interest millions showed across the world in the way in which Mr Brown offers his resignation to Her Majesty The Queen, who in turn invites Mr Cameron to form a Government.

Three images are with me. The Queen and her new Prime Minister shaking hands, the PM and his Deputy PM Mr Clegg on the most famous doorstep in the world and the photograph of our new National Security Council in session.

Surely it is power to the people.

And now we have a task and purpose to fulfil.

I wish David Miliband success too in his leadership campaign, for Parliament always needs a vigorous Opposition and he is the right man to lead the Labour Party and build upon all that his Government achieved in office and which the PM generously acknowledged yesterday. And I for one can truly thank his Government for many of the measures that became law that have made my life much easier than it was three decades ago.

Now we must move on. There is a deficit to deal with and the British People have, this evening, embarked upon an incredible development of this very great Island People and Constitution. Few can fathom us out. Worry not.

We are that stabilising influence that is recognised throughout the world and not least by the existence of the Commonwealth of Nations.

It is no coincidence that the first international call to Number Ten was from the Oval Office.

The Special Relationship is very much in place and we are, let us not forget, fighting a vicious war in Afghanistan and we need our troops back as soon as we can bring them home without abdicating our treaty obligations and international agreements.

Tonight, we may be a different Culture yes, but totalitarian regimes, corrupt regimes, can see for themselves the evidence of true democracy.

I am VERY proud of this our VERY British Revolution.

Kenneth T Webb
The Editor
Liverpool CityLife

12 May 2010