The Conservative and Labour parties no longer deserve their names
Laura Dodsworth’s The Free Mind goes to over 14,500 subscribers in 111 countries each week. Become a paid supporter to access every article and support independent writing.
I’ve been thinking about names a lot recently. I was married a few months ago and am in the process of changing my name. ‘But why are you changing your name?’ asked one friend. Good question in this day and age. On the one hand, a name is just a collection of symbols and sounds; a gurgle from the mouth, a scribble with a pen, black lines like ant tracks on a screen. On the other, a name is an inextricable part of your identity, freighted with personal, familial and cultural importance. In modern times, to change your name when you marry is a deliberate re-designation of your identity — and this is controversial.
For my many faults, I like to think I am honest. I’ve honestly considered what changing my name would mean. It doesn’t feel truthful or fair to take my last husband’s name into a new marriage. But my surname wasn’t just his name, it became my identity for decades, personally and professionally, as a creative and writer. Changing my name will not create the ‘good’ traditional family unit, as I will linguistically unite with my step-children while separating from my own children and this makes me sad and uncomfortable. A new name is a fresh start and I welcome the potential for transformation. But I will use one name in public and the other in private — is that honest?
After all the deliberation, there is no good answer. But at least it puts me in a position to say to both the Conservatives and Labour, I understand, you’ve had those names for a long time (the Conservatives since 1834 and Labour since 1890) and it is difficult to accept that, in fact, your identity has changed. If you will not stay true to your origins then you need new names.
When was the last time that the Conservative Party was actually conservative? At its core the Conservative Party should be monarchist, unionist and, ultimately, patriotic.