Sunday mornings are for clearing the head. I am not implying I have a hangover. In my case this simply means a slower than normal start to the day, and the chance to think bigger pictures.
This morning, however, only one picture comes to mind. That is the ghastly image of a smiling Boris Johnson outside No. 10 on Friday, returning to power for a period of five years.
I hardly need rehearse the list of obvious consequences. A disastrous Brexit. Disaster for public services. Climate change being ignored. Increasing poverty and inequality. The list is too well known, and too certain. At the same time, it is apparent that many will vote for it. The self-destruct button is, apparently, now hard wired into large elements of the British population.
But, and this has to be said, time and again, not a majority of people in this country. If Johnson forms a government it will have been elected by a minority, even in England.
The clear headed message this morning is then the same as the one I had at the start of the election campaign. It is to vote ABC. That is, Anything But Conservative.
This may well involve voting for a choice you consider sub-optimal, and that presumes you think there are good ones available somewhere. But that will be a necessity.
The Conservatives have been seeking to destroy the foundations of our society for forty years. Justice, common interest, respect and opportunity are all concepts utterly alien to them. This time they intend to end them, for good if they can. And that's why blocking them is vital.
This morning the required thought is ABC: Anything But Conservative.
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Yes – that’s it alright – ABC!
I like it.
FPTP sadly necessitates tactical voting. It can be justified and necessary. Some fine social democrats or socialists will even need to consider voting for the enablers of austerity and the 2012 Health and Social Care Act next Thursday. Nose-peg sales will, I hope, soar and prevent Conservative victory.
Polling suggests that between 20 – 30% of voters have not yet decided how they will cast their vote next Thursday. A rushed, particularly bad brexit that provides the billionaires who want to “get brexit done” so they can impose hedge fund financing disaster capitalism to liberalise our political economy, or a transformative paradigm-change that prioritises the climate emergency, fair taxation, income inequality, the health and social care of people and fixing the housing and educational problems that affect EVERY family in the country. The choice is binary.
And tactical voting is ESSENTIAL.
Where, though, your vote can result in a Labour MP, please vote Labour. https://labour.org.uk/manifesto/
Completely agree, however, in the face of a Climate EMERGENCY, Labour is the ONLY progressive party wedded to the ONLY thing that stands in the way of Climate ACTION: Our outdated two-party voting system:
FPTP + 2 right-wing parties + 5 broadly left-wing parties = A SPLIT left-wing vote = Almost certain victory for the climate-denying right*.
* Even if they scraped in, Labour would not have the votes in Westminster to push the GND through.
If Jeremy Corbyn and Labour really, genuinely believed a climate “tipping point” is upon us (and it is) & civilisation faced near-certain collapse (highly likely), they’d form an ABC progressive alliance this very minute, with the express purpose of creating a Climate ‘War’ government of National Unity to tackle the crisis.
PS Job 1 of the new government would be to change the voting system to PR to stop the climate deniers ever getting a foothold again.
And if you live in Northern Ireland or have friends/family voting in the 18 seats, if you want to be ABC-compliant the overall aim should be to reduce the 10-0 majority that has backed the Conservatives these last two years and would impede a Labour minority government. Craig Murray has suggested that Sinn Fein supporters in safe Nationalist seats should vote for the SDLP. Six of the seven seats held by SF do meet that criteria.
Agreed, anything but Conservative. But sorry to be a spoilsport. I only used ABC once, some days ago, and the response I got was – surely you can’t mean – Anything But Corbyn.
Some are beyond hope
I was confidently assured by a banker that Corbyn actually was a terrorist last week
I asked for evidence and he assured me ‘everyone knows he is’
Another typo there, Richard? I believe the correct rhyming slang should be, “Merchant Banker”. 🙂
“Sunday mornings are for clearing the head. I am NIT implying I have a have a follicle invasion….”
I see what you did there…
Lots of “nits” here in Botswana
Grrrr
That is typing on an iPad
Nothing to disagree with here but we have to plan for a future where the outcome is not as we would like.
If Johnson (and don’t refer to him as cuddly ‘Boris’) wins a majority, then Brexits the hard way (as we expect), what can we do? If this scenario comes to pass the majority of the UK will be against that outcome, I consider that as a positive sign. Also, those who wish to remain are predominantly young and educated and also motivated and mobile.
Conversely, those who wish to leave are in the main elderly, not likely to take to the barricades but are more likely to go out and vote, so the result will be determined by those bothered to vote, but we all know this anyway.
Somehow, when Johnson wins (and let’s assume that), what can we do to change things without waiting another 5 years for the next election? Seriously, we have public opinion on our side, it’s just that the media is hugely biased to support leave/Johnson for all the usual reasons.
From what I gather, the tactical voting sites are far from helpful, the pronouncements from the Lib-Dems regarding Corbyn (which are never explained or justified AFAIK) are not helpful in the aim to stop Johnson.
So what’s the plan?
I think I’ll wait for Friday
If this chap is correct, then this election might be the last chance you get to vote. Constitutional changes proposed – page 48 of the Tory Party manifesto. Chilling.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS1BUkn1cSI&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3YIJr7W5_Qdho-LB1gK9fbkltgpLWyHepkXTGkZZ3ddXdqux2GCX_yad0
I think that overstates the case
That is chilling
But not terminal
Sadly I think Royd’s point is not an overstatement; it’s spot on and it’s dynamite. As a result of the Supreme Court embarrassment Boris and those he is working for will indeed seek to limit the power of the Parliament – the highest authority and the only democratic voting institution whose decisions are transparent and unmanipulatable. (contrast elections and referenda). It looks like Regina v Parliament all over again. I hope I’m wrong.
It’s as simple as ABC.
I’m still waiting for someone to ask Johnson why 50,000 extra nurses and why 20,000 extra police, what research have you commissioned to establish that those are the right numbers required? Why are the numbers surprising round as if they have been calculated on the back of a fag packet?
Mind you what is the point, most of us know he is a charlatan and those that don’t wont change their minds.
The Tory plan seems to be little more than “Get the turkeys to vote for Xmas”