That seems to be the theme of the European Election results coming in so far (as at 11pm).
The Conservatives have come top which is as expected. However UKIP look as if they may come second which is extraordinary in a national poll.
Labour, as the governing party, is doing disastorously and may come fourth across the country as a whole. In Cornwall they were beaten into sixth place behind Mebyon Kernow, the Cornish nationalists !
However the most startling result is the strength of UKIP which goes to show how unpopular Britain's membership of the EU is (in its current state).
As well as a change in Prime Minister, the people of Britain seem to be sending a message that they have strong reservations about the EU.
Showing posts with label Conservative Party. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Conservative Party. Show all posts
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
UKIP, the Greens, the BNP and "Others"
Tomorrow is the European elections and although in many ways they do not really matter (the government remains the same whatever) they will be real test of the country's political leanings.
These have been extraordinary times. Not only is a tired discredited government clinging onto power and almost certainly in its dying moments. but the expenses scandal has meant that Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians are all widely mistrusted.
The real contest tomorrow seems to be between UKIP, the Greens and the BNP. The traditional three parties will be aiming to hang onto as many of their supporters as possible but they all seem likely to lose some ground. The Conservatives will be doing badly if they are not the party with the most votes.
As for the three newcomers:
UKIP- an eccentric but broadly harmless party with strong reservations about the EU. Their expense claims in Brussels look far from angelic but do you begrudge them the money more than some other politician who would have done the same ? They seem likely to do well from a protest vote although they lack the structure and discipline to be a serious political force in national politics.
The Greens- Green supporters always seem a little too pleased with themselves for my liking. However for the Euro elections a vote for them may be relatively harmless. They are relatively "nice" people and as long as they don't get too much power it doesn't hurt to have a few of them as MEPs. Likely to do well amongst Waitrose shoppers and other slightly smug characters.
The BNP- less savoury but potentially a force to be reckoned with. They are far more visible than at any time I can remember. Certainly in our part of London you are just as likely to bump into a BNP stand as a Salvation Army band on a Saturday morning in the High Street. Unlikely to score as highly as the above two but may win their first MEPs. Increasingly popular with white working class voters who are fed up with the educated middle classes telling them what to think. That is not a reason to vote for them but for put upon people they do represent the ultimate two fingered response.
The overall winner is likely to be the Conservatives but the result will show they cannot take people for granted. I very much hope to see independent Conservative voices like Daniel Hannan re-elected.
These have been extraordinary times. Not only is a tired discredited government clinging onto power and almost certainly in its dying moments. but the expenses scandal has meant that Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians are all widely mistrusted.
The real contest tomorrow seems to be between UKIP, the Greens and the BNP. The traditional three parties will be aiming to hang onto as many of their supporters as possible but they all seem likely to lose some ground. The Conservatives will be doing badly if they are not the party with the most votes.
As for the three newcomers:
UKIP- an eccentric but broadly harmless party with strong reservations about the EU. Their expense claims in Brussels look far from angelic but do you begrudge them the money more than some other politician who would have done the same ? They seem likely to do well from a protest vote although they lack the structure and discipline to be a serious political force in national politics.
The Greens- Green supporters always seem a little too pleased with themselves for my liking. However for the Euro elections a vote for them may be relatively harmless. They are relatively "nice" people and as long as they don't get too much power it doesn't hurt to have a few of them as MEPs. Likely to do well amongst Waitrose shoppers and other slightly smug characters.
The BNP- less savoury but potentially a force to be reckoned with. They are far more visible than at any time I can remember. Certainly in our part of London you are just as likely to bump into a BNP stand as a Salvation Army band on a Saturday morning in the High Street. Unlikely to score as highly as the above two but may win their first MEPs. Increasingly popular with white working class voters who are fed up with the educated middle classes telling them what to think. That is not a reason to vote for them but for put upon people they do represent the ultimate two fingered response.
The overall winner is likely to be the Conservatives but the result will show they cannot take people for granted. I very much hope to see independent Conservative voices like Daniel Hannan re-elected.
Monday, March 19, 2007
"Money Isn't Everything" (especially if you're rich!)
I should confess that I was once a "Tory Boy" -one of those youths with an unusual interest in politics and support of the Conservative Party. I haven't been to an event in 3 years mainly due to other distractions and other interests. So this was a chance to see for myself afresh what the Conservative Party is really like as it gets into position to form the Government of this Country.
"Money isn't everything" was the phrase David Cameron used in his speech to the Conservatives this weekend to sum up the shift in position by his party.
This was the finale to the Spring Forum of the Conservatives in Nottingham this weekend.
If the opinion polls are too be believed, David Cameron will be the next Prime Minister of Britain, after the unelected Gordon Brown loses the next general election.
David Cameron represents a fresh face for the Conservative Party although ironically his Eton-educated background make him the sort of Conservative Leader who hasn't been seen for over 40 years.
David Cameron speaks about the environment as often as he breaths. This weekend he mentioned as a positive the fact that Al Gore (or Saint Al Gore) approved of his efforts in the field of the environment. In reality this means more taxes on air travel. There is currently little more substance than that.
The leadership of the Conservative Party is new although the make up of delegates was more traditional. Plump County Councillors, gritty Northern Mayors, Tory Boys and "ladies" still make up the majority of the Party's grass roots.
The one thing that is still lacking is concrete policies. There are a lot of themes, words and noises but nothing substantive. The party is strong in marketing and spin but still underdeveloped in tangible proposals. Maybe this will change in time.
In the meantime, David Cameron (or "Dave" as he likes to be known), compared himself to a social Margaret Thatcher. In the 1970s the country had faced economic ruin and only Margaret Thatcher had the insight and policies to address this. Today the economy is not really a problem but the country is socially poor. Fatal stabbings occur frequently on the streets of big cities as gangs fight for territory. A generation of hoodies and feral children have no aspiration or vision to escape their circumstances. Family breakdown is rife and Britain is the worst developed country in the world for children to grow up according to a UNICEF report http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Society/documents/2007/02/14/UNchildwellbeing.pdf Intriguingly Holland is the best !
Against this David Cameron can be seen as justified in saying "Money isn't everything". It isn't, but as my friend immediately pointed out, a wealthy Eton-educated politician can more easily say that than the majority who have to work for a living. Working for a living is not something Dave needs to do.
"Money isn't everything" means that there will not be a traditional tax cutting agenda by the next Conservative government. Instead the main focus will be public services. One of the key themes of the weekend's conference was the NHS. David Cameron addressed a "Medics Revolt" of 12,000 Junior Doctors who marched in London. See the Webcameron propaganda video below:
(don't be put off by David Cameron- he only talks a short while- the doctors street protest is quite entertaining with a few rather scary characters I wouldn't want to be treated by!)
This is Cameron's modern Conservative party. The points he raises are huge. He may not have the answers but if he does, or someone else does, they could go down in history as a great leader of the nation. That remains to be seen..........................................
"Money isn't everything" was the phrase David Cameron used in his speech to the Conservatives this weekend to sum up the shift in position by his party.
This was the finale to the Spring Forum of the Conservatives in Nottingham this weekend.
If the opinion polls are too be believed, David Cameron will be the next Prime Minister of Britain, after the unelected Gordon Brown loses the next general election.
David Cameron represents a fresh face for the Conservative Party although ironically his Eton-educated background make him the sort of Conservative Leader who hasn't been seen for over 40 years.
David Cameron speaks about the environment as often as he breaths. This weekend he mentioned as a positive the fact that Al Gore (or Saint Al Gore) approved of his efforts in the field of the environment. In reality this means more taxes on air travel. There is currently little more substance than that.
The leadership of the Conservative Party is new although the make up of delegates was more traditional. Plump County Councillors, gritty Northern Mayors, Tory Boys and "ladies" still make up the majority of the Party's grass roots.
The one thing that is still lacking is concrete policies. There are a lot of themes, words and noises but nothing substantive. The party is strong in marketing and spin but still underdeveloped in tangible proposals. Maybe this will change in time.
In the meantime, David Cameron (or "Dave" as he likes to be known), compared himself to a social Margaret Thatcher. In the 1970s the country had faced economic ruin and only Margaret Thatcher had the insight and policies to address this. Today the economy is not really a problem but the country is socially poor. Fatal stabbings occur frequently on the streets of big cities as gangs fight for territory. A generation of hoodies and feral children have no aspiration or vision to escape their circumstances. Family breakdown is rife and Britain is the worst developed country in the world for children to grow up according to a UNICEF report http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Society/documents/2007/02/14/UNchildwellbeing.pdf Intriguingly Holland is the best !
Against this David Cameron can be seen as justified in saying "Money isn't everything". It isn't, but as my friend immediately pointed out, a wealthy Eton-educated politician can more easily say that than the majority who have to work for a living. Working for a living is not something Dave needs to do.
"Money isn't everything" means that there will not be a traditional tax cutting agenda by the next Conservative government. Instead the main focus will be public services. One of the key themes of the weekend's conference was the NHS. David Cameron addressed a "Medics Revolt" of 12,000 Junior Doctors who marched in London. See the Webcameron propaganda video below:
(don't be put off by David Cameron- he only talks a short while- the doctors street protest is quite entertaining with a few rather scary characters I wouldn't want to be treated by!)
This is Cameron's modern Conservative party. The points he raises are huge. He may not have the answers but if he does, or someone else does, they could go down in history as a great leader of the nation. That remains to be seen..........................................
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Cameron in Nottingham
I spent the weekend doing something I haven't done for two and half years. I attended a political conference- in this case the Spring Forum of the Conservative Party held in Nottingham.
It was an interesting weekend, maybe one more of style than substance and of soundbites rather than policies. That said, the tone was positive and in touch with real issues that effect the Country and world today. A lot has been written about the new Conservative leader David Cameron. This was my first chance to see him up close.
I am rather too jaded to write something that will do the weekend and subjects raised justice. Hopefully this will happen tomorrow. In the meantime here are some photos from today in Nottingham.
Hail from the Chief- "Dave" salutes the audience
DC on the big screen- suitable health service related photos adorn the stage !
Dave at the rostrum- the nurses to the right are just photos !
The press pack hovers waiting for action
It was an interesting weekend, maybe one more of style than substance and of soundbites rather than policies. That said, the tone was positive and in touch with real issues that effect the Country and world today. A lot has been written about the new Conservative leader David Cameron. This was my first chance to see him up close.
I am rather too jaded to write something that will do the weekend and subjects raised justice. Hopefully this will happen tomorrow. In the meantime here are some photos from today in Nottingham.
Hail from the Chief- "Dave" salutes the audience
DC on the big screen- suitable health service related photos adorn the stage !
Dave at the rostrum- the nurses to the right are just photos !
The press pack hovers waiting for action
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