So the election is all over, but we won’t find out for a couple of days what the result is. Some colleagues weren’t bothering to vote because, as they said, ‘they never vote’. Others were waiting until they finished work. Of course most of the talk between staff and borrowers (I work in a library) was about The Apprentice, on Wednesday night. We had no local elections here. But I voted last week, via postal vote.

Whilst I don’t understand most of the system of voting for the European elections, I would never dream of not voting. And the same would apply to a general election. With all the expenses scandals in the newspapers every day, people can become apathetic. It is said that the BNP and UKIP might do well in Europe. The Greens might also, hopefully, do well. I had seven parties to choose from for Europe, and one independent. For me, there was only really a choice between two – the Green Party (GP), and the Socialist Labour Party (SLP), led by Arthur Scargill. There are good points about both and bad points about both. My younger sister (who is also quite left-wing and progressive)and I were torn between the two. The SLP were calling for an elected head of state and some of their policies were very progressive, which I supported. However, they were in favour of clean coal, and whilst they did mention renewable, it wasn’t mentioned that often, from what I read on their website. The GP on the other hand were very good on transport and renewable (as expected) but vague on other points. Both also have strong LGBT agendas which is good. In the end I managed to decide on one.

In the press over the past couple of days, there has been the call for Gordon Brown to resign. Following this, there has been a debate about whether, in fact, now is a good time to resign, and the benefits, or lack of them that will occur. The problem for me is that they are not progressive enough. I could never vote Tory, no matter how good their environment policy was and the fact that they are in opposition to the third runway at Heathrow, which I am, I have to look at the bigger picture, like social justice etc. Cameron’s new friends in Europe are a cause for concern too. But Labour has not really been any better on most issues (there are exceptions to these). I lost support when they voted in favour of the third runway at Heathrow i.e. in favour of big business. The Lib Dems are more interesting, but without PR there is not much of a chance they will get in.

I live in a conservative controlled area of a town that has a prominent Labour MP (who is in the cabinet). I also live in a town with quite a high ethnic minority. The town adjacent to mine, which is within the borough, is having local elections for the first time, although their new council will only have the equivalent powers of a parish council. A lot of letters and articles have appeared in my local paper from various members of the public, as well as councillors and members of the clergy, to use your vote wisely and not vote BNP. There have also been a lot of letters in reply to this from people angry at being told who they should and should not vote for. They see this as being patronised.

I understand how these people feel. They feel betrayed by politicians who have been morally, if not legally, corrupt. And now they are being told who they should vote for, granted in an election in Europe that might not directly have influence on their lives, but also at a local level which will, and they are annoyed at this. I think it will be a long time before people are no longer bitter about the politicians and about their behaviour. Just like I think at the next general election there will be a swing towards the Conservative party and the Left will be in the wilderness again (largely we are already there). I can’t claim I’m particularly optimistic about these elections, but I will be watching them with interest. What the Labour Party needs to do now, is, I think, shift back to the left. Take up causes of helping the poor and take back the mantle of progressive politics. Cameron and his Tories aren’t going to do that. People are scared that we might end up back in the situation we were in the seventies with the three day week and winter of discontent. But instead of worrying about the past, use it to forge a progressive, just, future that Barack Obama is doing in America.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 5th, 2009 at 9:50 am and is filed under Environmental Issues, In The News, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.