The last two elections have been low-key affairs with turnouts to match. Today is different. Today is not the same. It is the first election following a rotten parliament. It is an election under the biggest financial cloud since the 1920’s. It is the election where the voters are reluctant to put their trust in status quo politics. It is an election where we have a massive 40% of the electorate still undecided or unsure where to put their cross. All results are possible.
There is a mood among the public for a change in the way we select our leaders. The Tories promise the recall of unpopular candidates, the increasing use of ‘primaries’ to select candidates and a reduction of MPs to 500 with redrawn boundaries. However they still support ‘first past the post’ – because it suits them. Not because it is fair. 200,000 voters spread across 150 constituencies currently decide how we are governed. What nonsense! Under this system, it is possible for the party getting the lowest support to have the highest number of seats. This is farcical. The Tories also stand for greed and stupidity.
After 13 years of tinkering around the edges and having had reform of parliament in their 1997 manifesto, New Labour rediscovered reform too late and with too little enthusiasm to convince. They also have an appalling record on civil liberties, corruption and the economy. Throw in an illegal war and accompanying lies and it is time for them to depart, regroup and rediscover their values or rip themselves into oblivion.
The LibDems are on record as having tried to reform parliament to no avail thanks to blocking moves from both the other parties. They have argued for electoral reform for years. They are woolly in several areas but their MPs are more known than their Tory counterparts. [Challenge: name 10 Tory shadow cabinet members]. In Vince Cable they have a respected and rated figure. They did not flip their homes unlike MPs in the other parties. They did not claim second home allowances for MPs living in Greater London.
Above all else we must reform our rotten system. Therefore the Liberal Democrats will get my vote and I fervently hope there is a hung parliament out of which emerges a Single Transferable Voting system and an end to old corrupt politics.
Today – it matters.
Hi. Well done in terms of choice and precisely the same decision I've come to here on Islay. To boot we also have a very honest hardworking MP, who I hope is successful tonight!
ReplyDeleteThe next battle is to successfully attain a reform to the system and an abandonment of all these supposed "old values" that have proved to be riddled with hypocrisy and embraced by the "old" parties. Admittedley not all members , but the respective Parties ought to have been on top of the job .A long night ahead.
JSA.
Stuart, I know your feelings about the candidates in the High Peak, after six weeks, no money and little support (friends and family aside) we have run the best campaign we could, analyse, prepare and work will be our mantra to upset the odds maybe it will take time, firstly at the Borough elections to overturn this undemocratic merger with Staffordshire Moorlands and then build from there...We could do with some good people.. A
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