I made clear yesterday that I was not endorsing any party in the general election. I stand by that. But I admit, that like almost everyone else, I did not expect the result we are clearly having as I write early this morning.
I am disappointed by the result that is emerging. Not for reasons of party politics, but because of what the result might mean.
I am deeply troubled by a divided country.
I am concerned that there is going to be a government who have shown such indifference to the vulnerable in our society.
The prospect of a Conservative government imposing heavy cuts on our economy troubles me deeply economically when it is so economically unnecessary.
I worry deeply about the implications of those cuts on the economy, and on the incomes of so many who already struggle.
I worry that we will have a weak government that is set on tearing itself apart in an EU referendum.
I think that the stress between Westminster and Holyrood will create enormous stress on the Union.
I worry about the growth in inequality that will, I am sure, arise and the stress it will create in society.
I worry about the transfer of power from parliament to business that TTIP will represent.
I am fearful for the implications for tax competition that are inherent in this result which could shift the tax burden from business to ordinary people.
I worry about a party that has not got environmental concerns in its DNA being in office.
I am worried that we have a party opposed to constitutional reform in office.
I am worried that those who cannot survive in the world the Conservatives want to create may not be able to constrain their frustrations.
So, of course I am concerned about the result.
But I am a democrat and will work within this deeply unstable situation to promote the concerns I have pursued for many years because if anything they feel more important than ever.
The work for tax and social justice goes on. It has come a long way, and it will continue to do so. Of that I am sure.
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I am 22 years old and I dread to think of the implications of this result on my generation. Many of us now face the impossible task of trying to scale the property ladde, burdened woth debt and paying enormous sums of rent. I am also deeply saddened by our complete disregard of the environment and the soon to follow subsidy cuts to renewable energy, replaced instead by a subsidy for big business (reduced corporate tax). My focus now is on doing what I can to prevent this country from isolating itself from progress, we must stay in the EU. Keep up the good work Richard, thanks.
I am 22 years old and I dread to think of the implications of this result on my generation. Many of us now face the impossible task of trying to scale the property ladder, burdened woth debt and paying enormous sums of rent. I am also deeply saddened by our complete disregard of the environment and the soon to follow subsidy cuts to renewable energy, replaced instead by a subsidy for big business (reduced corporate tax). My focus now is on doing what I can to prevent this country from isolating itself from progress, we must stay in the EU. Keep up the good work Richard, thanks.
Good luck
I feel sorry for situations – but have sons who are there
KB – it is in the hands of your generation to work towards change-your parents generation have significantly failed to do it (with many notable exceptions)-the argument for PR must persist to stop this country being torn apart by more minority rule -Cameron’#s empty words about ‘one nation’ are disgustingly vapid and show the man to be no more than a cypher for oligarchy, kleptocracy, bankruptocracy.
I have a 14 year old son – the resistance to the bankrupt narrative will continue as far as I’m concerned. Young people must engage and say ‘NO’ we want something better.
Lots of people chit chat about their concern for fairness and the greater good, but once they’re by themselves in the voting booth, selfishness pops up and whispers seductively into their ear – go on, do it.
Shy Tories, you know who you are.
Will the conservatives push the austerity agenda through parliament, surely are not snp mp’s effectively labour on such matters.
If they cannot constrain their frustrations; their frustrations will be constrained for them.
Middle England voted for a government that believes in low taxation, low pay, low or no benefits, privatised healthcare and everything Labour used to be against. Note I said England. We now live in a divided country. Scotland decided against a selfish country, England the opposite. How English.
Labour, in opposition, will flounder along trying to be an alternative Conservative party, and sinking into the mess they made for themselves. How ironic that they will depend for support on a nationalist socialist party. Goodbye Labour, you used to be relevant but you tried too hard to be everything to everybody.
I have to say that I completely agree with you last sentence.
I do not see selfishness in this result. I see ignorance and fear born of divide and conquer; I see manipulation on a grand scale.
All I can say is something along the lines of some other famous words:
‘Forgive them, for they no not what they do’.
I do not see selfishness in this result. I see ignorance and fear born of divide and conquer; I see manipulation on a grand scale.
All I can say is something along the lines of some other famous words that seem rather apt:
‘Forgive them, for they know not what they do’.
I don’t forgive them, these people will research their new mobile phone purchase, their football team statistics, the life history of their soap opera star obsession, their next foreign holiday, their next pair of shoes etc IN DETAIL but fail to question anything the captured media (including the BBC) LIE about the economy, the rich, the tax evaders and avoiders, who has paid for the criminality of the banking class which got us into so much trouble, the poor, the workers etc etc. I do not forgive people who are happy to be ignorant. Many people over the centuries lost their lives in the long battle to win the dream of democracy but huge numbers of our electorate just don’t give a damn.
I sympathise with your frustration and anger -I think your comments apply predominantly to the English vote (so we have divided nation within a divided nation). As you say, to many people cannot see further then the end of their noses and their little corner. This is very sad but I believe an undercurrent of resistance to this is there and a change to the voting system a really pressing matter.
I can’t disagree with your criticisms as to what concerns modern people these days but do not underestimate the way in which the negative campaigning from the Tories has stirred up old wounds and prejudices through a biased media.
People who are ignorant are not happy in their ignorance because they are ignorant of their ignorance – they wouldn’t know either way. That is why we must forgive them. Their ignorance is innocent (whereas Tory MPs are far from innocent).
You’re putting too much blame on the voter – whereas ‘blame’ needs to be apportioned to those who have controlled information – the Tory campaign and the news papers and compliant BBC/ITV who have helped them to deliver it.
Not only is this wrong, but is also redolent of what happens when extemists or radicals find that people do not want to follow them in their cause. Such extremists blame the non-followers then turn around and perpetrate dehumanisation and violence on those who do not follow – the non-followers are abandoned and cast adrift to suffer no representation.
In trying to please middle-class floating voters, is this not what Labour has actually done to many ‘working class’?
It is painful to lose an argument against such cunning unreason but we must not give up on the British people to whom we must present better arguments for an alternative to what we woke up to today.
ignorance, fear, manipulation -the unholy trinity. Spot on, Mark
Again well said Simon. I reckon the Tories can’t believe it themselves. Shame on our nation.
In my humble opinion, a vote on a written constitution would end the neo-liberal dynastic reign. The majority of the UK reject the right in terms of numbers, and as I imagine the constitution would be voted similar to a referendum in my opinion the UK would choose One more sympathetic to our beliefs
But we aren’t going to get such a vote, I am afraid
Exactly.
“The majority of the UK reject the right in terms of numbers”
Not true this time I’m afraid. This sort of assumption will not help.
Hang on…..in terms of numbers that may well be true
That’s what I’m saying.
The right got more than 50% of the vote, as well as the majority of seats. Like it or not.
To pretend otherwise, as james.s does, is just burying one’s head in the sand.
The right got less than 50% of the overall vote
I have checked
What are your figures for Left v Right?
Just the Cons + UKIP is nearly 50%.
Certainly the Left attracted fewer votes than the Right.
If the Cons and UKIP are the right you claim is not true
You have just said so
I’m confident we will have a written constitution, but its an argument for the future.
Thats 50% of the vote not 50% of the people eligible to vote.
There’s more than Cons and UKIP. The DUP for example.
Further, the Lib Dems are Centrist so would count towards neither Left nor Right.
To Trog: can you not see that works both ways?
I think this a fairly pointless argument
I apologise for keeping on at this, but there is an important point to be made.
The Right won on Thursday, in terms of both seats AND votes, and we fail in our duty to ordinary people if we misunderstand that.
PR would not have kept the Right out, as james.s believes. The Right would have won.
Talking about “50% of the vote” works both ways.
Due to our superior morality and empathy, we on the Left will always assume the best in others. So sue us! However, we must not lose sight of the reality.
The Right got over 50% of the votes. We must try and understand why this happened, and how we can re-educate the “sheeple” in future.
The last time I checked the turnout was 66%, which means a third of people aren’t represented – for whatever reason. No doubt this is partly to do with the FTP system, but it really worries me that some people just don’t seem to understand that their vote could make a difference. I watched some interviews with people in a marginal seat, where voting could have made a difference, and was stunned by the political illiteracy of some of the people interviewed. Many of their so-called “facts” had been picked up from the likes of the Daily Mail or “benefits porn” TV programmes and there were others who just didn’t seem to think what happens in Westminster makes any difference to people’s lives. Haven’t they read the stories of people who have had benefits cut or lost their homes? Don’t they understand what’s going on in public services? Or don’t they care? Real people have experience of real suffering as a direct result of Westminster policies, but people don’t seem to connect. The idea that running a country is like managing a household budget seems to go unchallenged.
I’d be interested to know how many younger people voted this time. My 22 year old daughter was out canvassing for Labour (in a constituency which was actually a Labour gain) and was surprised how many didn’t intend to vote. Does anybody know of any serious initiatives to educate people about politics, so they can make informed decisions? As a person approaching my dotage years with a bit of time on my hands, I’m seriously thinking of getting involved at grassroots level, because I’m scared that so many people seem to behave like sheep.
PS. Apologies for the rural imagery of grass and sheep, but maybe it’s appropriate.
Read my blog today on East Anglia
Sorry for typo. Meant FPTP system.
Although the Tories, Ukip and DUP together polled 50.1% and thus under PR we would have awoken to the chill winds of those three parties forming the next government, we must not let these so-called “facts” and “statistics” detract from the fact that there is undoubtedly a Progressive majority of voters in the United Kingdom.
The evidence of this is to be seen clearly every day on the pages of the Guardian, the Mirror, and other such august publications.
No I didn’t say pr would have provided a different outcome. My intention was to put forward the hypothesis that a written constitution would probably have the conscience and soul of the left. I believe, if you were to canvas the opinion of most people in the UK, it would be more akin to those who would advocate a society based on the collective rather than the individual and everything that derives from that philosophy Would naturally be on the left.
Based on what?
This sort of wishful thinking will not defeat the Tory Terror.
Hopefully the Tories will defeat themselves, it could just have been the election to lose similar to 92. I just hope labour don’t go back to how they were under the leadership of Tony Blair. I agree, my hope that a written a constitution could become a reality in the near future is a tad optimistic.
I don’t believe the labour party need to make wholesale changes, they failed to defend their record on the economy and the fear factor regarding the snp playing puppet master with labour. The Tories played a dangerous game.