The message...
4 May 2013
...delivered on Thursday was nothing to do with the EU and was even nothing to do with UKIP.
...delivered on Thursday was nothing to do with the EU and was even nothing to do with UKIP.
It was a normal mid-term message to a government.
First of all lets put it all into perspective.
The Conservatives were defending a high water mark. Four years ago when these seats were last fought the Labour government was in serious trouble that went beyond normal mid-term blues. Indeed after 12 years of them in government the Conservative had been making steady local government gains for years and the then government was tired with an incompetent bully as Prime Minister. We we were also only months after the big economic melt-down. Consequently there was absolutely no chance of the Conservatives, now one of the governing parties, not suffering large losses. Sadly these losses included the two Dover seats.
UKIP will be feeling good about their results naturally. But again we need to see them in perspective. With the LibDems being one of the governing parties where else was the mid-term protest vote to go? Where else would that part of the traditional LibDem vote go that belongs to those people who find it difficult to make tough choices? It is absolutely certain that their vote was nothing to do with the EU or their policies. The UKIP vote will fade quietly away at the next General Election.
The LibDems were of course the big losers. Again this could be expected given the nature of their vote. They lost 26% of the seats they were defending set against only 23% of those the Conservatives were defending in spite of the Conservative high tide.
As for Labour.... well they really should have done a lot better if they are to have any chance at all of forming a government after the next election. They did even worse than in the equivalent election before Michael Foot's landslide defeat. It is clear that the public still remember that it is they, and the kind of bonkers high tax and high spending economics they follow, that is responsible for the severity of the UK recession. They certainly made gains, particularly in their traditional seats they lost in the Conservative 'high tide' such as Dover. But this is not enough as a time such as this.
There is everything to play for over the next two years. The British public is not stupid enough to elect a Labour government next time. But the big question is over whether they will be sensible enough to elect a Conservative government with a sufficient mandate to take the decisions needed to speed economic recovery. Even so, will Cameron and Osborne, untethered from the Libdems, be man enough to do what is necessary? I am not convinced by the latter question but it is the better option we have as voters.
- Barry, You said: " But the big question is over whether they will be sensible enough to elect a Conservative government with a sufficient mandate to take the decisions needed to speed economic recovery."
So just what might the Conservatives do to speed economic recovery?
Oh! I know, perhaps another high speed line to Landsend?
Close down more power stations?
Build more wind farms?
Close down even more of our industrial base or what's left of it?
I'd love to see a list of five things the Conservatives have planned to boost growth but they're just not there. - Philip - I have posted many times on the things needed all of which are fiercely opposed by the LibDems. There will be a difference between what a coalition does and a Conservative Government, my question though is whether Cameron and Osborne will be up to doing what a real Conservative government needs to do.
- 57 mps fiercely oppose 307!!
couldn't make it up unless a song bird fiercely opposes my cat. - You voted for Cameron Barry ,
Now you now he’s got to go , DD has started to stick in the knife now the party needs to give it a twist.
I predict the end of the lib con packed, and elections to follow, - barry,people have got the message that's why the torys lost seats on kcc,but the question is has central government and downing street.or is it a case of being out of touch from realality.
- the thing i find worrying about the photo is that they all seem to be experiencing unwanted attention from the rear.
dave seems less perturbed than the others, must be his etonian education. - Howard - those 53, or most of them, are needed for a parliamentary majority. You consistently underestimate the power of a few that can effectively blackmail a majority.
Keith - I voted Conservative as the best option. Cameron is not the traditional type of Tory who is more to my taste but we ended up with a coalition, not a government of my choice.
Brian - one word, perspective.
But...
Wait a mo, the school is changing, and they are bound to ask the right questions next time, and, who knows, but there might be another war or something and all the handsome, clever boys will go off and get killed...and the dog looks poorly too.
All in all, let us hope that these alterations to the elected power-base of Local Government leads to a more equitable deal for the citizens that have the Tory heel upon their necks. Who knows, but something good might actually come of this.
Well done, the electorate.