Title: The Party of Davos is the biggest loser in Britain’s election | The Economist
Headings: The Party of Davos is the biggest loser in Britain’s election
Bagehot
The Party of Davos is the biggest loser in Britain’s election
The long climb back

Content: This columnist admits to attending the forum on several occasions and to carrying a good deal of ideological baggage.) Davosites are defined by their adamantine belief in economic and social liberalism and their position at the top of various global organisations. They support globalisation and multilateral institutions and disdain parochialism and nationalism. They idealise business and loathe nimbyism and restraints on trade. Michael Oakeshott, a philosopher, said that political rationalists place no value on the tried-and-true, and believe that “nothing is to be left standing for want of scrutiny”. Davosites are rationalists par excellence. The Party of Davos achieved its greatest success in Britain from 1997 to 2016. Tony Blair and David Cameron may have worn different-coloured rosettes, but they were both paid-up members of the party. Ditto their various comrades-in-arms, such as George Osborne on the right, Peter Mandelson on the left and Nick Clegg in the middle. Under Mr Blair the Labour Party made its peace with Margaret Thatcher’s pro-business philosophy by fawning over businesspeople.