‘Tis the season to be jolly. Achieving this might prove something of a challenge for many Conservatives. We might “wish” for a Happy New Year but fear we are staring into an abyss of electoral annihilation. One technique I have for cheering myself up is to follow the Twitter account for Javier Milei, the President of Argentina. Most of the tweets are in Spanish, of course, but a translate function is available. Not only is he great fun but the libertarian adventure he is embarking on could prove an important model for other nations if he succeeds – a big if, I certainly concede, given the scale of the task. His election on November 19th could prove, in hindsight, one of the most important dates in 2023. Ironic that Thatcherites should rely on Argentina for tidings of comfort and joy. But then, as Lady Thatcher herself once remarked, “‘it’s a funny old world.”
What has made celebrating Christmas something of an act of defiance has been the effort to erode, not merely its religious, but even its cultural aspect. The M&S Christmas advertisement featured “celebrities” destroying traditional festive items. (John Lewis then followed the anti-Christmas theme with an unpleasant advertisement with a giant Venus flytrap that vomits presents, as a replacement to the fir tree.) Katharine Birbalsingh, the heroic headmistress, wrote to M&S to say:
“When our nation is on its knees, trying to keep our spirits high for what we can all achieve together, this is not the time for you to encourage people to ignore the inspirational spirit of Christmas of self-sacrifice, gratitude, giving of one’s time and finances to help one’s fellow man, of children’s laughter, of magical tales of Father Christmas, of kindness and of beauty, and instead tell us to ‘do whatever we want for ourselves’. ”
Naturally, it was Birbalsingh who was denounced for defending Christmas. Conservatives are expected to surrender when traditions are attacked. Any attempt at defence is described as “waging a culture war.” Even using the name is becoming rather brave. The Scottish Labour Party held a “Winter Gala Dinner.” My local council invited me to the Hammersmith Winter Festival. Will the miserablists persist until the United Kingdom, like Narnia, is a land where it is always Winter but never Christmas?
We should keep a sense of perspective, of course. Andrew Selous, the Conservative MP for South West Bedfordshire, told Parliament on Tuesday:
“As we head back to our constituencies today, and as our constituents gather with their families to celebrate Christmas, we should have a thought for the 360 million Christians around the world who live under fairly serious forms of persecution, and who will not be able to celebrate Christmas as freely and as easily as we can, if at all. People in North Korea probably will not be able to celebrate Christmas at all, for example. Three of the 11 countries where there is extreme persecution of Christians are Commonwealth members: Nigeria, Pakistan and India. We should perhaps say a little more about that.”
All the more reason for the 2.5 billion of us around the world who are Christians to celebrate enthusiastically – when able to do so. For many Conservatives, an important motivation to persist with political endeavour is a strong Christian faith. There were a couple of conferences this year – the National Conservatism conference in May and the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in Greenwich at the end of October – which helped embolden this cause.
Millions of non-Christians will also celebrate. Perhaps that might include going to Church just to enjoy the architecture and singing carols. The less energetic might put on ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ starring James Stewart. As well as topping list of favourite Christmas films, it is also about home ownership. “Satisfying a fundamental urge, for a man to want his own roof and walls and fireplace.” At one stage George Bailey, played by Stewart, declares:
“This rabble you’re talking about. They do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn’t think so. People were human beings to him.”
A belief in the family and in property rights are basic to conservatism. How many couples are stuck in rented accommodation with an aspiration to get married and have children but waiting until they can afford to buy a house? Your own home with your own family is central to our understanding of Christmas even in the absence of religion. Cooking a feast in your own kitchen. Exchanging presents in your own sitting room, perhaps after watching The King’s Christmas Message. The scene can never be the reality for everyone – and some will not want to be part of it. But those in future generations who yearn to have that same pride and stability should not have their dreams thwarted by the housing shortage.
I will not repeat now, all the detailed policy prescriptions required: of design codes, zoning, sales of surplus public sector land, boosting the Right to Buy, flexibility over the Green Belt, street votes to add mansard roofs…crucially, of course, a bold liberalisation of planning restrictions. I simply assert that it would be entirely possible for us to have millions of beautiful, traditional new family homes built in this country and that such a big increase in supply would inevitably mean a big fall in prices. It is a political choice. Existing owners would see the value of their asset fall. But some could be placated if Inheritance Tax was abolished – they might have less wealth to send cascading down but more of it might reach its intended recipients rather than the Exchequer. It would help ease the transition to a real housing market if Stamp Duty was also scrapped – something that would help buyers while sustaining prices. Some might still be unhappy. You can’t please everyone. The tax cuts would mean spending cuts. Again a political choice – but not an impossible one.
So as we sit round the hearth, those lucky enough to have one, let us resolve to restore our mission of a property owning democracy. Let us make wider home ownership our New Year’s resolution. When there has been such an advance in prosperity there is no reason why housing should be such an important exception. The nation’s children and grandchildren should not be thwarted from achieving their birthright.