Do All Political Careers Really End in Failure?
| Published date | 01 September 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/20419058231198582 |
| Author | Bill Jones |
| Date | 01 September 2023 |
SEPTEMBER 2023•POLITICAL INSIGHT25
Enoch Powell, the controversial
onetime Conservative minister,
delighted in making sweeping
‘lapidary’ statements. One, his
most famous, has become so accepted
that it has acquired the status of received
wisdom: ‘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.’
But how true is Powell’s oft-cited
dictum? Do all political careers end
in failure? Yes, it is often the case, in
democracies at least, that political careers
end when elections are lost and the
defeated retire into relative obscurity. But
does this really qualify as a failed career?
And does Powell’s sweeping generalisation
Do All Political Careers
Really End in Failure?
Bill Jones examines political history and argues that when it comes
to political careers failure is the exception, not the rule.
really encompass most politicians and their
projects?
Subjective and objective
judgments
Let’s assume Powell intended ‘failure’ to
mean ‘objectives unfulfilled’. Whether a
politician has achieved their objectives
involves both a subjective and an
objective judgement. Subjectively, many
politicians would – honestly – say that
their careers have been successful, even
© Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo
Political Insight September 2023.indd 25Political Insight September 2023.indd 2514/08/2023 12:2414/08/2023 12:24
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeStart Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting