Saturday 5 May 2007

Elections in Essex & Scotland

O.K. it's bore time. Let's talk elections.

In Essex there is little surprise that the area has a blue tinge. In this town alone 42 out of 60 seats are Conservative. Service cut backs ahead I think. What services you cry? Ah yes, possibly another late night bus withdrawn, if it still runs. East Anglia has turned blue, but there is no surprise in this. For the most part the moneyed classes predominate, and while an occasional swing to another comes from time to time, most are happier with the party that worships cash as opposed to people. In one area they attempted to modernise using the equipment used in Scotland. It failed! Isn't progress wonderful? The Scots vote meant nothing to these folks of course. Too them Scotland is another county of England. But they do resent having to pay for it. In fact, Scotland has of course carried England for years, but facts do not stop race hatred do they? Some even demand an independent English parliament, ignoring the fact that Westminster has only ever considered itself English for three hundred years. Again such facts do not fit in this part of the world.

Scotland has given the SNP the best chance it has ever had for showing what it can do. It is not enough to demand independence, a party must be able to govern, and govern well. This will be difficult under proportional representation, as this does not give one party an overwhelming lead. Pity. I am not keen on the type of PR used in the Scots election. However, the SNP will probably join with the Lib Dems and work something out. What exactly, remains to be seen.
Emotionally most Scots want independence. Rangers fans and Tories do not. One because of a twisted view of Ulster, and the other fearing for their wallets. I wonder if the folk in Perthshire have houses in East Anglia?

What real difference will all this make for you and me? Little I suppose. More boring political half truths on the radio and telly. Much too much in the way of conjecture from the chattering classes. But overall, the man in the street will see little change. Prices rise, the economy fluctuates, his job may or may not continue, his wife will nag and feel she could do better elsewhere, his kids will rebel and cause upset, the cat will be sick on the bed.

Overall, life continues as normal for the most part. Hey ho. Isn't democracy great?

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