Gosh - what has come over the Tories? In the Eighties, if you tried to speak to the Government about compassion and relationships they would reach for a policy. Then, when Thatcherism had really entered their souls, they would reach for a dictionary instead.
I assume that the new cuddly Conservatives have been catching up on some research. Good for them. A sense of well-being within the context of caring relationships is indeed far better for people of all ages than becoming anally obsessed with accumulating wealth. And as the saying goes, you can tell what God thinks of money by the sort of people he allows to have a lot of it.
Decent relationships are at the heart of human development, from conception to death. Those who come from a background of good relationships make good relationships. One day they will bring up their own children in a way that passes on those good relationships to their grandchildren. On the way they will be mentally and physically healthier (less prone to cardiovascular disease, cancer and musculoskeletal problems), be less drawn to drug dependency, have better self-control, be less likely to be violent, be more empathic and compassionate, be more likely to actively participate in social organisations, and they will live longer.
Can we translate this into a political agenda? Easily! Let's start with the health service. Patients get better quicker if they trust those who care for them - in other words, if circumstances allow them to form a relationship. Just as applies to an infant and mother. What counts is how easy and comfortable it is to attain proximity.
Currently the last remnants of local hospital provision are being closed and services centralised, all to save money. This always goes against the wishes of those in the community, who do not want to be miles away from their family when they give birth, or do not want their children to be the other side of a county so that a visit is two bus journeys away. They do want the care for themselves and those they love to be given by professionals they have come to know and trust.
If the Conservatives became the party that respected democracy and committed themselves to reversing the false economy of centralisation, then I, and many others, would also have a change of heart and party allegiance.
Robin Balbernie is a consultant child psychotherapist in Gloucestershire with a special interest in work with babies and toddlers and their parents
