It seems the election endures for months but we can finally see the finish line. Ironically, neither of the parties look like reaching the finish line. When this happens - as in 1974 - no one party is seen fit enough to lead the country and there is a hung Parliament.
Attitudes differ towards a hung parliament, for instance, Margaret Thatcher thought they were a drag. In a hung parliament any policy or bill proposed by the government will have to be voted for by the other parties. Nick Clegg becomes an important ally for either Labour or Conservatives when this happens. That extra lib-dem power in seat numbers could make all the difference.
All the latest polls show the Conservatives galloping ahead while Labour favour increases slightly with the Liberal Democrats losing some support. Unimaginable, but Gordon Brown seems to be doing better in light of the 'Bigot gate' gaffe.
But Tories can always rely on support from money. Certain newspapers took a recess from journalism on the eve of the final TV debate and, instead, saturated its pages with pro- conservative, anti-clegg, propaganda in a real subtle show of who pays their wages.
Whatever happens this Thursday the sheer amount of interest generated must help people to decide where they stand on politics. Whether they have leanings towards a particular party's ideals or just a frank detachment with politics altogether. Once over, people can get on with their lives and what is most important to them - like family and friends. But a general election like this one is good to keep the politicians on their toes.
Friday 30 April 2010
Sunday 18 April 2010
Nick Clegg is increasingly seen as an important alternative
Latest polls put Liberal Democrats ahead of Labour and just behind Conservatives. Latest polls put Liberal Democrats ahead of Labour and just behind Conservatives. I just need to repeat it to myself in case I haven't quite grasped it yet. Last Thursday's debate between the three leaders was genuinely interesting, but who could have predicted this outcome?
My vote is still in the balance but I had been leaning towards Liberal Democrats even before the televised debate. One of the reasons is a tax cut of £700.00 a year, which would equate to £58.33 a month extra for me. Great, that pays for my student loan repayments. And am I worried about the numbers and if they add up for the economy? Of course not - Vince Cable can worry about that.
The election has interested me since January, but now I believe that history is in the making. It does remain to be seen whether the Liberal Democrats leap can remain as high as it is, but rather than buckle under the added pressure, Nick Clegg seems to revel in it.
The Labour and Tory guns turn toward Liberal Democrats - well, more of a bunch of flowers in Labour's case - but neither tactic holds much conviction. The 'big society' idea seems to have cooled-off in recent days. It was idealistic and inspiring, but no one seems to 'get' it. Incomparable to the Barack Obama election.
The more I thought about the 'big society' the more I realised that money is the true resource of sharing. Letting communities decide in a vote how best to spend an allotted amount of tax money sounds real to me. Using the Internet to cast nationwide referendums on important laws or decisions facing the Government, that sounds to me like a bigger step towards a bigger society. Results could be broadcast along the media channels and give ministers a chance to explain their own thinking on public opinion.
Will Liberal Democrats be any different if they were to get into power and would they open up democracy even more in Britain? That remains to be seen, but if the latest opinion polls are anything to go by, Nick Clegg is increasingly seen as an important alternative.
My vote is still in the balance but I had been leaning towards Liberal Democrats even before the televised debate. One of the reasons is a tax cut of £700.00 a year, which would equate to £58.33 a month extra for me. Great, that pays for my student loan repayments. And am I worried about the numbers and if they add up for the economy? Of course not - Vince Cable can worry about that.
The election has interested me since January, but now I believe that history is in the making. It does remain to be seen whether the Liberal Democrats leap can remain as high as it is, but rather than buckle under the added pressure, Nick Clegg seems to revel in it.
The Labour and Tory guns turn toward Liberal Democrats - well, more of a bunch of flowers in Labour's case - but neither tactic holds much conviction. The 'big society' idea seems to have cooled-off in recent days. It was idealistic and inspiring, but no one seems to 'get' it. Incomparable to the Barack Obama election.
The more I thought about the 'big society' the more I realised that money is the true resource of sharing. Letting communities decide in a vote how best to spend an allotted amount of tax money sounds real to me. Using the Internet to cast nationwide referendums on important laws or decisions facing the Government, that sounds to me like a bigger step towards a bigger society. Results could be broadcast along the media channels and give ministers a chance to explain their own thinking on public opinion.
Will Liberal Democrats be any different if they were to get into power and would they open up democracy even more in Britain? That remains to be seen, but if the latest opinion polls are anything to go by, Nick Clegg is increasingly seen as an important alternative.
Monday 12 April 2010
24 days to go until the election: but does it really matter?
I found out some useful facts on voting in the general election. In my constituency - Kingston and Surbiton - we are Liberal Democrats. So although Labour is in power, my town is still very much Liberal Democrat. Issues like the council tax rate is set by local councillors who are also Liberal Democrats. The important point being that Labour knows the majority of Kingston and Surbiton voted yellow. So it is not whether you voted Labour, but whether your neighbours did as well to gain an overall majority.
I did some number crunching also. The BBC news website has a good guide to your local election called Election 2010. Only 49,750 people who could vote in Kingston and Surbiton did so in the last general election, which is quite a small number when you consider that Kingston alone has 147,000 possible voters. Just over half of these votes counted for Liberal Democrats in the last general election of 2005, whereas a third counted for Conservatives. It doesn't look likely we could ever be a Labour town.
Yet, if the majority of Kingston and Surbiton did vote Labour then we would suddenly become Labour. The Election 2010 BBC website has a list of the potential local MP candidates. There's a point in all this, and I guess what I'm saying is to use your vote.
I get the impression from talking to friends and spending a whole afternoon on the Have Your Say forum on the BBC website that people are disillusioned. A general consensus being that politicians are all the same, only out for themselves and that nothing ever changes. This may be true and if people find politics boring it's because we feel powerless in the process. But I think not bothering to vote is not the way to go.
Imagine if everyone voted in Britain. I can only see it sending shock waves through Westminster that actually people are interested in the way the country is run.
I did some number crunching also. The BBC news website has a good guide to your local election called Election 2010. Only 49,750 people who could vote in Kingston and Surbiton did so in the last general election, which is quite a small number when you consider that Kingston alone has 147,000 possible voters. Just over half of these votes counted for Liberal Democrats in the last general election of 2005, whereas a third counted for Conservatives. It doesn't look likely we could ever be a Labour town.
Yet, if the majority of Kingston and Surbiton did vote Labour then we would suddenly become Labour. The Election 2010 BBC website has a list of the potential local MP candidates. There's a point in all this, and I guess what I'm saying is to use your vote.
I get the impression from talking to friends and spending a whole afternoon on the Have Your Say forum on the BBC website that people are disillusioned. A general consensus being that politicians are all the same, only out for themselves and that nothing ever changes. This may be true and if people find politics boring it's because we feel powerless in the process. But I think not bothering to vote is not the way to go.
Imagine if everyone voted in Britain. I can only see it sending shock waves through Westminster that actually people are interested in the way the country is run.
Monday 5 April 2010
New Tory lead - can Labour repond
Over the weekend, The Sunday Times reported that the Tories claim a clear lead over the Labour party. This only happened in the last week and has to be put down to one of two things. Either the new poster campaign by Saatchi and Saatchi depicting a smug looking Gordon Brown while he states "I doubled the national debt - vote for me," or the clear Tory policy not to increase our national insurance, i.e less tax on our pay cheques.
By not increasing our tax, David Cameron looks to have won extra support. What a turnaround after the budget, where Tory policy looked slim, and the Chancellors debate where both Alistair Darling and Vince Cable ganged up on George Osborne. David Cameron's optimism should not be underestimated. Especially since his unveiling of the 'Big Society' plan.
Modelled on a programme used in America - most notably by Barack Obama - the plan is to create a big society where citizens become more active in their community. Cameron even quoted the famous JFK statement: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
Such a national change in attitude is to be stimulated by a national citizen's service where every 16-year-old will be put on a two-month programme in which they learn to be socially responsible. Another project would have every single adult in the country to be part of a community project, almost like a neighbourhood watch, but with greater say over police and services.
It sounds very honourable and exciting, but sceptics would say that the budget deficit requires more focus. But it cannot be bad to try and copy Barack Obama. This country needs change for the better. David Cameron might be right about 'broken Britain' for various reasons. The pound is failing, there are wars hanging over our head, knife crime and violence continues across the country and a real loss of identity has occurred over religion and race.
If someone is willing to sort these problems out then vote for them regardless of which party it is. Even wavering towards a Tory vote, there is still plenty of time for Labour to make some kind of response.
By not increasing our tax, David Cameron looks to have won extra support. What a turnaround after the budget, where Tory policy looked slim, and the Chancellors debate where both Alistair Darling and Vince Cable ganged up on George Osborne. David Cameron's optimism should not be underestimated. Especially since his unveiling of the 'Big Society' plan.
Modelled on a programme used in America - most notably by Barack Obama - the plan is to create a big society where citizens become more active in their community. Cameron even quoted the famous JFK statement: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."
Such a national change in attitude is to be stimulated by a national citizen's service where every 16-year-old will be put on a two-month programme in which they learn to be socially responsible. Another project would have every single adult in the country to be part of a community project, almost like a neighbourhood watch, but with greater say over police and services.
It sounds very honourable and exciting, but sceptics would say that the budget deficit requires more focus. But it cannot be bad to try and copy Barack Obama. This country needs change for the better. David Cameron might be right about 'broken Britain' for various reasons. The pound is failing, there are wars hanging over our head, knife crime and violence continues across the country and a real loss of identity has occurred over religion and race.
If someone is willing to sort these problems out then vote for them regardless of which party it is. Even wavering towards a Tory vote, there is still plenty of time for Labour to make some kind of response.
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