Saturday, April 22, 2006

Upcoming Elections

In many parts of the country there are local elections in May. No really there are elctions coming up. So far though i have only seen one elction leaflet (Liberal Democrats), two elction posters (one Labour and one Conservative) and one Party Political Broadcast (Labour).

I'm rare in that i take an interest in politics, most do not. I can happily predict that the turn out for this elcetion is going to be abysmal as no one seems to want to take part. Also these are local elections and so far i havent seen anything about local politics. The only Party Broadcast that i have seen has very high production values etc but is a straightforward negative attack on the new Tory leader - meanwhile i still have too many bins, local council workers have the pensions threatened, and local taxes are increasing.

The major stories in the headlines at the moment are some woman called Elizibeth makes it to 80 (not suprising given that she has had the most pampered life possible) and that the wife of the Prime Minister has invoiced the Labour Party £7,500 for hairdressing during the last national election. So much for the Labour Party being the party of the trade unions and working people. (The Tory party released the information that Sandra Howard the wife of the then Tory leader invoiced her party for £65).

Many people are on the TV claiming that she is damned if she doesnt do her hair becuase the press will rip her appart for looking rough and damned if she does becuase that is a symptom of style over content. What a load of bollocks. Yes it is unfortunate that the press will focus on her image so she needs to have a hairdresser. However, just as many activists give up their time and slog around streets all year round knocking on doors out of conviction not becuase they are paid she should pay for her own bloody hair.

Despite the fact that i would have left the Labour party at least 100 times since T. Blair came to power this is another time in which i wish io was still a member so that i could rip up my card and send it back.

This vacum and drift in British politics is only going to have bad effects. Many will/have stopped voting and many people who still vote are incresingly looking at the more extreme parties. Britian is sleepwalking into its own Wiemar Republic period.

posted by gerbil at 8:36 am

5 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

The same thing is going on over here. Only about half of the people turn out in these elections here in the states. There is a feeling of malaise, and I am very disgruntled with Democratic Party….though I would never, ever vote for a Republican.

4/22/2006 12:19 pm  
Blogger gerbil said...

My biggest fear is what is going to happen when the economy goes south. All economies have good times and bad. We have recently had some good times so common sense says we are due some bad. When work becomes rare the extream parties benifit by pointing the finger at all those people not quite the same as you and me. Working class people in this country no longer feel that they have any connection to either of the big parties.

4/22/2006 2:18 pm  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would think your Tories would be back in at that point, yes? No?

4/23/2006 9:21 am  
Blogger gerbil said...

The tories in the 80's divided this country in ways never seen before. Personally i would have to have counselling before i could give the tories my vote. The problem is that both the big parties have relied on the core voters not voting for the other and both have chased some 800,000 middle class/middle of the road floating voters. As a result both sets of core voters feel extreamly disenfrachised and fear that they will move to the extreams. I have heard, what i think of as "right thinking people" say that they would be willing to vote for any one even the BNP (Facist) if it got rid of the current lot. Our elctoral system is currently screwed.

4/23/2006 10:19 am  
Blogger gerbil said...

as is my spelling........arrrrrrrrrr

4/23/2006 10:22 am  

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