In un articolo pubblicato sull’ultimo numero della rivista inglese “Look Left” e disponibile anche su Medium, viene fatto un ritratto di Clement Attlee, chiedendosi se il suo modello politico possa avere senso nella realtà odierna.

But in terms of Attlee’s principles, if they could be called Attleeism, they were a synthesis of cautious radicalism with an unashamed sense of patriotism. He was unquestionably a cautiously radical child of the British establishment. He would not have had the almost cliched working-class backstory which seems to characterise modern-day leadership contests. But he wasn’t any less aware or less angry at the poverty and the social injustice he witnessed. He found his radicalism in the streets of London’s East End before the first world war, where he worked as a social worker.

L’articolo prova a ricostruire il carattere del Primo Ministro britannico: un uomo riservato e modesto, quasi enigmatico a sentire i suoi contemporanei, animato da profondo patriottismo e rispetto incondizionato per i suoi avversari politici.

His synthesis of patriotism with radicalism is indeed a very important framework. His modesty is a virtue to be promoted and celebrated as much as possible. In the words of Attlee’s American counterpart, President Truman: “it is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit”. And that was particularly true of Attlee. He accomplished a lot and didn’t seem to care about personal credit.