Just as the dirt was settling at Arlington…

It's been two weeks since the late Senator Edward Kennedy was interred at Arlington National Cemetery. And as Kennedy's colleagues return to session and debate healthcare, across the pond one politician isn't done with the tributes.

Former Conservative leader Michael Howard, in his weekly missive published in his district's papers, expressed displeasure toward the tributes of the Massachusetts Democrat which implied that only left-wing leaders are capable of showing concern for the underprivileged. In the column Howard writes of how the right cannot concede the moral high ground when it comes to delivering on policies. Additionally, he claims that every Labour government has left power with unemployment higher than it was when they entered 10 Downing Street, and that while the left can show they care about the issues affecting underprivileged voters, they are not competent in dealing with them.

Howard, however, does not go into detail of any particular cause taken up by Kennedy, the Labour Party, or any left-leaning government, and relies on calling successful the Centre for Social Justice, a think tank created by Iain Duncan Smith. Smith, Howard's predecessor as leader of the Conservatives, was forced to step down in October 2003 following a no-confidence vote by his own party, which occurred during an investigation into how much he paid his wife to be his secretary. While Smith was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, inaccuracies in his résumé and his general ineffectiveness during Prime Minister's Questions dogged his two-year turn at the helm.

It is dangerous for one to believe or say that anyone who does not lean for one political party or persuasion must invariably not care about the disadvantaged. And yes, there are right-leaning politicians who show care and successfully deliver for the underprivileged, and conversely left-leaning politicians who are more interested in proposing programmes to help but only for the sake of lining one's pockets or garnering insurance re-election votes. Ultimately, it cannot come down to party-wide politics for voters to truly determine which candidate will best deliver and serve them. Specific solutions must be proposed, backgrounds proven, and risks evaluated.

Senator Kennedy will be remembered for his persistent and adamant support for his liberal causes and beliefs, including his partnering with George W. Bush to push through the education act No Child Left Behind. One wonders if MP Howard is wondering how glowing a recap of his 26-year career in the Commons will be when his tenure comes to an end no later than June of next year.