'All political careers might end in failure – but you can still do some good along the way'

By Gavin St Pier

As the weeks tick by, more candidates are publicly declaring their intention to stand in June’s general election. No doubt a few more potential runners considered their positions with their friends and families over the Easter holiday period. For those undecided, it’s sobering and grounding to keep in mind this maxim: ‘All political careers end in failure.’ This statement is attributed to the late and former 20th century MP Enoch Powell.

The quote in full came from Powell’s biography of the 19th century statesman Joseph Chamberlain, when he wrote: ‘All political lives, unless they are cut off in midstream at a happy juncture, end in failure, because that is the nature of politics and of human affairs.’

No doubt Powell might also have had in mind Chamberlain’s son, Neville. History has characterised him as a failed Prime Minister, following his triumphant return – to a hero’s welcome at the time it should not be forgotten – from a conference with Adolf Hitler in September 1938 waving the Munich Agreement declaring ‘peace in our time’, only to find Poland invaded by the Nazis less than a year later. (An alternative view that Britain was simply not remotely ready to take Germany on in September 1938 and the Munich Agreement bought valuable time to continue rearmament does not fit the popular narrative.)

Powell may also have had his own career in mind. Irrespective of views of his politics, he is generally regarded as one of the finest orators of his generation, with whom no one in the current generation of politicians could compete. Initially he was elected as a Conservative and served as minister in the 1960s before being slung out of the party by Edward Heath after delivering his infamous ‘rivers of blood’ speech, foretelling of civil unrest as a result of ‘too much’ – in his view – immigration into the UK from its former colonies. (Powell might have raised a wry smile, had he lived long enough to see his old party 48 years later adopting a policy – ironically, perhaps, under the leadership of a Home Secretary whose Ugandan-Indian parents sought refuge in the UK from Idi Amin – to relocate refugees and asylum seekers to Uganda’s neighbour, Rwanda.)

Powell managed to continue his career as an Ulster Unionist MP for another 13 years, being regarded by some as the best party leader the Ulster Unionists never had. Indeed, all political careers end in failure.

The phrase came to mind, perhaps prematurely, watching the latest political Icarus, Rishi Sunak, apparently flying too close to the sun. He had enjoyed a stratospheric rise to the top of government, having been first elected only in 2015 and finding himself in the second most senior job in government in 2020 as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

A few weeks ago, Sunak seemed a strong contender to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whenever Johnson’s political career ends in failure (as the maxim dictates it will). It seems Sunak has been the victim of political hatchet job to snuff out his ambitions of higher office. His crime appears to have been a failure, when #Partygate was at its peak, to provide the unqualified, unctuous support expected of cabinet ministers these days for the Prime Minister’s transgressions.

President Vladimir Putin inadvertently eased the pressure by starting his ‘special military operation’ with the invasion of Ukraine. (In doing so, it’s worth noting in passing, Putin has firmly ensured that history will record his own political career as a monumental and historic failure for Russia.) I hope there isn’t too much schadenfreude in the Channel Islands for Mr and Mrs Sunak’s tax position, given a healthy chunk of our fiduciary and other financial services sector has been legitimately built off the back of the UK’s long and consciously chosen policy to give tax breaks to non-UK domiciles, such as the Chancellor’s wife.

We really don’t want the indignant outrage in the UK to be so complete that, in a knee-jerk response, they actually dispense with the rules that require structures and planning involving the services our jurisdictions can provide.

Just when poor old Rishi thought things really couldn’t get any worse, he got slapped with a fixed-penalty notice for turning up to a meeting early, finding himself in the middle of an illegal gathering masquerading as a birthday party for the Prime Minister – a party so bad they didn’t even get to cut the cake. How unlucky was he to be ambushed by an unopened ‘Colin the Caterpillar’?

Sunak seems to have let slip a chance to burnish the ‘man of principle’ that all politicians naturally claim for themselves by failing to resign on principle, having been handed his fixed-penalty notice. He seems to have been persuaded that had he done so it might look like attempted regicide because of the pressure that it would put on Johnson to do the same thing.

However, by prevaricating for hours before making his position clear, his political calculations have been exposed for all to see, leaving him indebted to a Prime Minister who knows his loyalty is not unquestioned.

But in any event, even if we’ve not yet seen the zenith of Sunak’s political career, we can rest assured that it will end in failure at some other point.

For those looking to do their bit for their community, to give back and to improve government by standing for election, don’t be discouraged – but keep this maxim in mind. It will help keep your feet on the ground. You may be full of ideas, energy and enthusiasm for betterment, but you will never achieve all that you want or all that others expect from you. Bank your victories and successes, knowing that while all political careers end in failure, you are hopefully making a positive contribution and doing good en route to that destiny.