The UK general election is on July 4th. I will vote. For whom? Not for the Conservative party, although I did vote Tory in 1992 and 1997. They are not a serious political party. They don’t deserve to be the opposition, let alone to form a government. In 2015, David Cameron promised a referendum to appease the cancerous anti-EU right wing of his party and keep them in the fold. A fatal mistake. You excise cancers. Cameron shouldn’t have worried about the MPs threatening to cross the floor to UKIP. He should have expelled them. The cancer has since utterly consumed the party. The hard right wing have dominated government for a decade. Idealogical idiocy and rancour have taken priority over actual policy implementation. His weak gamble to try and win a majority in GE15 and save the Tory Party, will in just over a month likely see it destroyed. An utterly predictable turn of events. And no more obvious example in my lifetime of personal ambition being put ahead of the national interest.
I won’t vote for the Liberal Democrats, although I did vote for them in 2017 and 2019. There’s nothing much wrong with the Lib Dems, but ultimately, they are the party of protest. When both the Tories and Labour are just so dreadful that you can’t bring yourself to put an X in either of their boxes. Nor will I vote for the Greens, because they are pointless unless you live in Brighton. And nor will I vote for Reform, the new branding for Farage’s Brexit party. Because they are c*nts. The wor cloud above sums up the feeling of every decent man, woman and child about the Reform party.
I will vote Labour. As I did in 2001 and 2005. Because, because, because. Yes, because they aren’t the Conservative party. The anti-vote. There is a bit of that. But also because Starmer is a generally decent bloke who I believe wants to do what is best for the country. Because he has largely excised the Corbyn shaped cancer out of the Labour Party. Because he is nearer the centre of politics. Because of policy? The accusation that he has no plan, has no policies is daft. But Labour are light on any radical policy. Low on inspiration. Negative hype. Blair’s New Labour they are not. And yet, there is a policy which will surely not be in the manifesto but to which I am pinning my hopes.
The single most significant issue affecting all our lives in Blighty. The issue that no soul will speaketh of by its name. Brexit Britain. No one seems willing to mention it. It’s a hot coal that no political party outside Reform wants to pick up. But the single most radical, most economically beneficial policy is a grown up, sensible deal with the EU. The obvious first step? Rejoining the myriad of organisations which were never controversial but which were caught up in ridiculous Tory infighting. Erasmus, Horizon and Euratom for example. The second step is to rejoin the Customs Union. What a massive boost for business that would be. What a massive boost for the economy. What a huge win for the Labour Party to take into the 2029 General Election. The second step, in a second term, would be a negotiated bespoke membership of the Single Market.
That’s my hope for the next parliament. They say it’s the hope that kills you. We will see.
The Mexile 
I’m thinking Labor may win a solid majority, enough to push things through that are unpopular, things that have no chance in a split parliament. You may well get your wish.
LikeLike
Labour are absolutely nailed on to win a very solid majority. But even if the results weren’t as good as one hoped, and they needed a coalition partner – that would be the very pro EU Lib Dems.
I’m almost more interested to see just how far the Tories fall. I’d love to see them slip under the 100 seat mark.
LikeLike
Amazing isn’t it only a month to the big reveal! Old Blighty had it all, an original seat at the table and the ability to rule its own nest. Burning it’s bridges in 2016 she will now crawl back to ask forgiveness.. Do you think the hoi polloi will vote to rejoin the Eu if it comes up for discussion at a future date or will it fall by the wayside?
LikeLike
I think it’s almost certain that a second referendum would see a decent majority vote to Rejoin. But that’s not going to happen, not for a long time. It’s just too complicated. And it’s a two way negotiation, and who would blame a few EU states for believing the organisation is better off without us?
There’s a bunch of ways this could go in the future. I think there’s a decent chance of something along the lines of an Associate Membership being created, not just for the UK, but for other countries/new members who want to keep one foot in, and one foot on the outside.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes of course that makes sense.
Then there are all those retirees who were slighted when Brexit ripped the rug from under them forcing them to leave the bangers and mash villas on the costa del packet and go home. I wonder how many of them perished on the Covid sword? Probably better off in Britain than in that maelstrom in Spain during that event.
Interesting times ahead.
LikeLike
The point where enough old Brexit voters had died off (and young folk had gained the vote) to change the result of the referendum came and went years ago, early 2019. Had we had a post pandemic referendum, it is fair to say that Covid would have put the nail in Leave campaign’s coffin.
The Tories aren’t touching Brexit because it’s clearly been a bit of a disaster. Labour? They’re just coasting to victory. Not saying much of anything about anything. I guess it’s a sound tactic. Why rock the boat, ruffle feathers or otherwise potentially upset anyone?
LikeLiked by 1 person