Where to start? I wrote a blog post about UK Democracy in 2010. Here it is. Nothing has improved since, in fact, things have got even worse. In the post, I said our democracy was a sham. You can have change, but only change that doesn't threaten the status quo. You can have gay marriage, but not publicly owned public services. Neoliberal capitalism rules our roost with all the politicians in its pockets.
What have we seen so far? Nothing that gives us any hope that the NHS will be protected, the postal service will improve, railways will be brought into public ownership, people will be able to afford decent housing, shit will be removed from our seas and rivers and there will be the action we need to deal with the climate crisis, and stop the genocide in Gaza. Nothing is better, everything is worse.
It looks certain that the Tories are going to crash, but we can't be sure how bad it will be. Sunak's latest bizarre gaffe was leaving the 80th D-Day remembrance early and coming back to the UK to do an interview with ITV. What was he thinking? Maybe he was thinking about living in California? - though he has said he will remain leader after the election. Of course he will.
Starmer's staggering message is that he will bring 'change' even though he and Reeves have said things will remain the same. Inspiring stuff! Given that, he has lied repeatedly about Labour's policies, it's impossible to believe anything he says. Add to that the purge of left labour MPs such a Lloyd Russel Moyle, the racist treatment of Diane Abbot and Faiza Shaheen, and the parachuting of Israeli lobbyists such as the appalling Luke Akehurst into safe seats, makes the Labour Party a shit show that many people can no longer consider voting for.
In addition, we have the horrific bias of the UK media, platforming Richard Tice and Nigel Farage at every opportunity and ignoring the Green Party which has many more councils seats, an MP, and policies which are popular with much of the electorate.
We do have some hope, but it's pretty slim stuff. A lot of independent socialist candidates, good people, are standing. Andrew Feinstein in Starmer's constituency, Leanne Mohammed in Wes Streeting's, and Jody McIntyre against Jess Phillips.
All I can say is, don't vote Tory or Labour. Please go out and vote Green, or socialist independent, and encourage others to do so. Campaign if you can. I live in a fairly safe Tory constituency where there may not be a green candidate*, so I'll be campaigning online. All we can hope is that some decent candidates will be elected and try to keep our chins up in difficult and testing times.
* I did check the candidates list, but it didn't say which party they represented! I haven't had a single leaflet or seen any candidates so far.
