Saturday, May 08, 2010
What a mess!
Okay, my head has stopped spinning but what a mess the 2010 General Election has been! As a country 29,653,638 votes have been cast and we have not elected a government but a hung parliament. This is not how democracy should work although voter turn-out was up 4% to 65.1%. This election has shown that the 3 major parties, who together have tolled 88% of the votes, have so little for the voter to choose between them, that no party can form a majority government. All 3 major parties have played it safe which has resulted in this disappointing result for the whole country. All the 29 million voters had was a list of candidates to choose from, it was the parties who decided their manifestos. There was a lack of radical policies that could whip up the voters one way or the other to give one party a majority in the house. The 3 major parties have let the public down. Of course, being an MP is a very well paid job and candidates are reluctant to endorse radical views because all they really want is that well paid job. The public are not attracted to extremists so the candidates play down their politics and try to appeal to the middle road of public opinion in the hope that they can land the well paid job for themselves.
So what do I think about wonder boy Nick Clegg? Well, his Liberal Democrat Party only won 57 seats and tolled 23% of the votes. Basically Nick Clegg lost the election, he came third and his party lost 5 seats. I do not think that David Cameron and Gordon Brown should give him the time of day, Nick Clegg is a loser! The Liberal Democrat Party has lost the 2010 General Election and their lucky 57 candidates should be very grateful that they have won their very well paid jobs as MP's. There is a place for the 57 Liberal Democrat MP's, it is called the back benches of the house.
So what do I think should happen? I think that David Cameron and Gordon Brown should both ignore Nick Clegg and tell him to sit on the back benches. The Liberal Democrats with only 57 out of 650 seats should never be offered a position in cabinet. Because the Conservatives have won 306 seats rather than Labour's 258 seats, David Cameron should become Prime Minister. The rest of the cabinet should be formed from Conservative and Labour MP's to reflect these 306 to 258 seat victories. This Conservative and Labour Party coalition should last for 12 months. There should then be another general election in May 2011 for the public to hopefully elect a majority government.
Okay, so that is central government sorted, how do I feel about Cardiff West ? Well, I am pleased that Kevin Brennan, the Labour candidate got 16,893 votes, which was 41.2% of the ballot. It is a shame that Kevin's votes were -3.6% down on the 2005 election. However, Kevin Brennan did not suffer the same percentage drop in votes as the -5.9% Plaid Cymru did with Mohammed Sarul Islam.
I am also pleased that the Cardiff West voter turn-out was 65.2% which is the national average.
Time will tell how our country is governed and we shall find out in the week to come. I just hope that David Cameron and Gordon Brown both tell Nick Clegg to get lost because Nick Clegg has not got the public vote to steer our government at cabinet level. Although I will never vote for the Conservatives, I am sure that the best men in the Conservative and Labour parties should be able to work together for 12 months as a coalition government.
Okay, my head has stopped spinning but what a mess the 2010 General Election has been! As a country 29,653,638 votes have been cast and we have not elected a government but a hung parliament. This is not how democracy should work although voter turn-out was up 4% to 65.1%. This election has shown that the 3 major parties, who together have tolled 88% of the votes, have so little for the voter to choose between them, that no party can form a majority government. All 3 major parties have played it safe which has resulted in this disappointing result for the whole country. All the 29 million voters had was a list of candidates to choose from, it was the parties who decided their manifestos. There was a lack of radical policies that could whip up the voters one way or the other to give one party a majority in the house. The 3 major parties have let the public down. Of course, being an MP is a very well paid job and candidates are reluctant to endorse radical views because all they really want is that well paid job. The public are not attracted to extremists so the candidates play down their politics and try to appeal to the middle road of public opinion in the hope that they can land the well paid job for themselves.
So what do I think about wonder boy Nick Clegg? Well, his Liberal Democrat Party only won 57 seats and tolled 23% of the votes. Basically Nick Clegg lost the election, he came third and his party lost 5 seats. I do not think that David Cameron and Gordon Brown should give him the time of day, Nick Clegg is a loser! The Liberal Democrat Party has lost the 2010 General Election and their lucky 57 candidates should be very grateful that they have won their very well paid jobs as MP's. There is a place for the 57 Liberal Democrat MP's, it is called the back benches of the house.
So what do I think should happen? I think that David Cameron and Gordon Brown should both ignore Nick Clegg and tell him to sit on the back benches. The Liberal Democrats with only 57 out of 650 seats should never be offered a position in cabinet. Because the Conservatives have won 306 seats rather than Labour's 258 seats, David Cameron should become Prime Minister. The rest of the cabinet should be formed from Conservative and Labour MP's to reflect these 306 to 258 seat victories. This Conservative and Labour Party coalition should last for 12 months. There should then be another general election in May 2011 for the public to hopefully elect a majority government.
Okay, so that is central government sorted, how do I feel about Cardiff West ? Well, I am pleased that Kevin Brennan, the Labour candidate got 16,893 votes, which was 41.2% of the ballot. It is a shame that Kevin's votes were -3.6% down on the 2005 election. However, Kevin Brennan did not suffer the same percentage drop in votes as the -5.9% Plaid Cymru did with Mohammed Sarul Islam.
I am also pleased that the Cardiff West voter turn-out was 65.2% which is the national average.
Time will tell how our country is governed and we shall find out in the week to come. I just hope that David Cameron and Gordon Brown both tell Nick Clegg to get lost because Nick Clegg has not got the public vote to steer our government at cabinet level. Although I will never vote for the Conservatives, I am sure that the best men in the Conservative and Labour parties should be able to work together for 12 months as a coalition government.
Comments:
<< Home
I agree with what you say in general but the first bit contradicts itself. You say a hung parliament is not how democracy should work. Surely, it was our well-evolved democracy that created the situation in which we're in?
Since, as you also say, no party was bold enough in its manifestos, the public felt nothing much between them and spread their vote a little more evenly than usually. Consequently, as 'just deserts', no party can form a government due to their lack of ambition.
Ironically, the Liberals received more votes than in 2005 but fewer seats. This is one of the advantages of our first-past-the-post electroal system. Reform it, as you hint at, and expect yet more hung parliaments. At least at the moment, one hung parliament every 36 years is almost bearable.
My own opinion is that, while the Liberals shone on the TV debates, they were seen as ill-prepared to deal with the massive financial deficit this country faces, and with riots and murders in Greece, voters here chose to stick with the two-party system which they were familiar with, safer in the knowledge that the 'big hitters' were more likely to sort the economy out.
Since, as you also say, no party was bold enough in its manifestos, the public felt nothing much between them and spread their vote a little more evenly than usually. Consequently, as 'just deserts', no party can form a government due to their lack of ambition.
Ironically, the Liberals received more votes than in 2005 but fewer seats. This is one of the advantages of our first-past-the-post electroal system. Reform it, as you hint at, and expect yet more hung parliaments. At least at the moment, one hung parliament every 36 years is almost bearable.
My own opinion is that, while the Liberals shone on the TV debates, they were seen as ill-prepared to deal with the massive financial deficit this country faces, and with riots and murders in Greece, voters here chose to stick with the two-party system which they were familiar with, safer in the knowledge that the 'big hitters' were more likely to sort the economy out.
# posted by 
: 9 May 2010 at 22:52
: 9 May 2010 at 22:52
Excuse me Stephen, so the Liberal Democrats "only" got 23% of the vote. Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the mighty Labour party only poll an extra 6%. With 29 million voters thats a difference of 1.7 million, more people watched Eggheads on that Thursday (I checked).
In a true democracy 23% of the government should represent those who voted for them, 29% represent Labour and so on.
You are correct that the three major parties did play middle of the road politics, but wait a minute isn't that the Liberal Democrat line? Perhaps the other two really do have nothing different to offer.
However I suspect that you are right in predicting a new General Election in a very interesting year's time
John.
Post a Comment
In a true democracy 23% of the government should represent those who voted for them, 29% represent Labour and so on.
You are correct that the three major parties did play middle of the road politics, but wait a minute isn't that the Liberal Democrat line? Perhaps the other two really do have nothing different to offer.
However I suspect that you are right in predicting a new General Election in a very interesting year's time
John.
# posted by : 10 May 2010 at 18:40
: 10 May 2010 at 18:40Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]