Kayfabe

It’s all consensual make-believe.…

You can think of climate policy at a subnational level (or national and also international level, for that matter) as a form of kabuki, the Japanese theatre full of gaudy costumes and ritualised displays (not to be confused with bukkake, which is a different thing about emissions altogether).

Or, if you want a more modern variant, Kayfabe.

noun [ U ] /ˈkeɪ.feɪb/ us. /ˈkeɪ.feɪb/ in wrestling, the practice of trying to make people believe that wrestlers are particular characters, when in fact they are only pretending to be those characters: Kayfabe requires the acts of wrestling matches to fall under the illusion of reality.

Cambridge Dictionary

Some expressions of this

“Isn’t it pretty to think so?” (Last line of “The Sun Also Rises”)

“Stuff it up the hole in your culture” (from “The Future” by Leonard Cohen)

Songs

You don’t want to sound dumb, don’t want to offend
So don’t call me a faggot
Not unless you are a friend
Then if you’re tall and handsome and strong
You can wear the uniform and I could play along

“Real Men” by Joe Jackson

Why does it persist?

Because it’s in the interests of enough “powerful” players that the illusion continues. It meets psychological, economic, social goals. And so everyone keeps playing their role…

General issues with Western “democracies”, but exacerbated in (Greater) Manchester by relatively specific factors

Political parties

Labour – too busy falling into line

Conservatives – anti-environmental (long before Sunak’s u-turn)

Greens – too busy trying to win seats to be part of a broader social movement

Media

In a death-spiral, mostly reprinting press releases and horse-race journalism/churnalism.

Scared of losing access to “elite figures”.

Academics
Tamed by the REF

Neoliberal, affiliated to a version of what they find convenient to believe the Labour Party represents.

Activists

London-focussed, and lacking the skills/desire to focus on CA level. Hopelessly mired in the smugosphere, riding the emotacycle

“Civil Society”

Friends of the Earth – ha ha ha ha

Trades Unions – unwilling/unable to crritcise Labour