The Night is Dark and Full of Terrors

In the Game of Thrones universe many people would claim the Starks of Winterfell are the 'good' guys. They act with honour and purpose so it's easy to see them in that light. Likewise those same people would say the Lannisters of Casterly Rock are the villains of the piece as they do things which are not always honourable or moral - politics is similar. We in the Tory party are branded as heartless villains because we pursue policies judged by our enemies to be harsh and without morality. It is important to remember though that while Tywin Lannister was harsh and Cersei a bit mad the Lannisters are not all that way. Tyrion the Imp may be a drunken whore monger but he is perhaps the only character in the series that puts the good of the nation and the people ahead of his own personal grudges and vendettas. Even Jamie Lannister in later seasons becomes a more likable figure after the revelation that he only earned his kingslayer name after the mad king had ordered him to burn the city of Kings Landing to the ground.

My point is that perception matters. We allow ourselves to be painted as heartless and to an extent we embrace that reputation despite the facts painting a rather different picture. After all under a Tory administration unemployment has plummeted to it's lowest levels in years, more young people than ever before are going to university and by the end of this parliament Britain will be living within her means - ensuring future generations will not be paying off debts accrued not by their fathers but their grandfathers and great grandfathers etc.

Yes we've made mistakes, tax credit reform being one of them, and we will probably make a few more before the job is done but we must never lose sight of the good we are doing nor should we ever accept the narrative that we are in some way less moral than our opponents. We must instead be confident that our actions are building a better future free from the tyranny of statism and socialism and that because of us Britain can stand tall again.