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Recently, the airwaves have been flooded with images coming from the great, stolid nation of the United Kingdom-- there have three prime ministers within three months. The country doesn't look very "united" and one could question whether it is still a "kingdom." Chaos in government is usually not a good thing.
There have been other times when governments have unexpectedly changed in Britain, like when the Tories lost a general election in 1945 at the end of World War II and Churchill was ousted. But, even that doesn't quite compare with the current situation in the country.
Unlike our form of government, where someone can come out of nowhere with money and a quick pitch to become President--at least in England, you need to have some experience in governing before you get the big job. The new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has had seven years of working in government before taking on the top job. That makes you breathe a little easier.
What has been going on "across the pond" though seems to me to be a reflection, at least in part, of their decision to leave the European Union. The UK is now finding out that there are costs to be paid when you decide to "fish and cut bait" and go out on your own. The UK economy has declined about 10% since the Brexit decision was made.
There are, of course, other issues going on. The world-wide, post-COVID inflation surge has been hitting everyone. Inflation and prices have been going up everywhere, some of it related to the war in Ukraine. Everyone is feeling the pinch.
It is not an easy time to be in power. (The Democrats are feeling that now in Washington.)
That being said, I am not rooting for the Tories to fail in the UK. Tough decisions have to be made. Budget cuts will be needed. And, perhaps most importantly, a new, workable solution needs to be found in dealing with the rest of Europe. The trade issue and how it affects Northern Ireland is probably the biggest "sticking point."
In short, I am hoping for the best for the new Prime Minister. He is young, with some experience and is very smart. He will need all of that young energy to turn his country around. Nothing will be easy.
The British way of changing government has always been a marvel to me. Before the new Prime Minister took office, he had to go through what is called the "kissing of the hands" ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Actually, there was no "kissing" but the metaphor is clear--the nation, as still symbolically connected to the royal family, must give its okay to the new leader. This is part of the stable, unchanging Britain that we like.
I doubt that England will ever become the 51st state. But, as the lottery says, "Hey you never know!" I like the way that they deal with chaos in government when it hits them. Things get tamped down pretty quickly. New leaders take over to try to straighten things out. People want change but they also want stability, not chaos, in their politics.
Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident and a former state Assemblyman.