In times of recession,society becomes more insular and politics becomes more conservative,that is with a small C.
To its extreme it leads to democracy being replaced as in the 1930's and a climate of fear.
Today the issue is the row over British jobs for British workers that is taking place at the the Lindsey Oil Refinery where the workforce is on strike after it considers that the management don't consider British workers for jobs over.
This may be a legitimate issue and listening to Unite's Derek Simpson this morning,I am inclined to agree.
However this has all the overtones of why should we lose out to foreign workers in these troubled times with all the connotations that may produce in future disputes.
I sincerely hope that I am wrong
Update Gregor Gall writes on comment is free
The strike raises thorny issues for the government. Gordon Brown will resist the pressure for what many would term "economic nationalism" because of the arguments that protectionism and trade barriers will lead to less global trade, worsen the existing recession and promote economic inefficiency. He will no doubt be aware of the political ramifications of what these policies did, when implemented, in Europe in the 1930s. But the longer his market-led solutions to market-created problems show no sign of working, the more electors will feel, as protesters in France were saying this week of their leader, he has merely indemnified the banks against their own recklessness and the greater pressure he will come under to move down this protectionist road.
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