The Election
This is my one and only post pre-election, so for those of you not interested in such matters, here's an LJ cut.
For the rest of you, however...
If you are one of those who believe that the Conservatives are a changed party, think again. If nothing else made it clear that the Conservatives were still very much the same as they were in the lunacy of the mid-80s, that should. They are a dangerous party: dangerous to the societal structure of this country; dangerous to anyone unfortunate enough to be earning below average earnings,or living in rented or council accommodation; dangerous to the fragmentary remains of Britain's industrial heritage; dangerous to anyone living an "alternative" lifestyle. (In case you're wondering, no, I do not like the Conservatives, and if you want to know why, this is as good a summary as any I've read.
Does this mean you should vote for Labour? Of course not, they are only very slightly better, even if only by virtue of not being the Conservatives. As swisstone says in his excellent blog post, choosing between the Conservatives and Labour seems to be much like ancient Romans choosing between Nero and Caligula.
So, is this a thinly veiled attempt to get people to vote tactically for the Lib Dems? No, not at all. It's a full-frontal call, at Brian Blessed-esque volume, for you to vote for the Lib-Dems - tactically, strategically, and any other -ally they can. Labour and the Conservatives between them have had the entire 65-year post-war period to themselves and, a few notable exceptions aside, have failed this country. Will the Lib-Dems be any better? Even looking at it cynically, they could hardly be much worse. At the very least, if the Lib Dems do actually pull off a miracle tomorrow and garner the majority of the vote (without an unprecedented shift towards them in the polls, the chances of them being the largest party even with a 40% share of the vote would be impossibly slim) it would force a major rethink in the policies and procedures of both Conservatives and Labour.
Moreso than any election previously, tactical voting will play a major role in keeping the Conservatives out of government (or at least out of a majority government). The Independent has devised a useful little tool to help you determine whether or not you are in a constituency where a vote for the Lib Dems would make a huge difference. Use it. :)
More important by far than voting for whatever candidate you do finally opt for is simply that you exercise your democratic right, a right people have given and continue to give their lives for, and vote. If you don't, you absolutely deserve whatever government you end up with.
For the rest of you, however...
If you are one of those who believe that the Conservatives are a changed party, think again. If nothing else made it clear that the Conservatives were still very much the same as they were in the lunacy of the mid-80s, that should. They are a dangerous party: dangerous to the societal structure of this country; dangerous to anyone unfortunate enough to be earning below average earnings,or living in rented or council accommodation; dangerous to the fragmentary remains of Britain's industrial heritage; dangerous to anyone living an "alternative" lifestyle. (In case you're wondering, no, I do not like the Conservatives, and if you want to know why, this is as good a summary as any I've read.
Does this mean you should vote for Labour? Of course not, they are only very slightly better, even if only by virtue of not being the Conservatives. As swisstone says in his excellent blog post, choosing between the Conservatives and Labour seems to be much like ancient Romans choosing between Nero and Caligula.
So, is this a thinly veiled attempt to get people to vote tactically for the Lib Dems? No, not at all. It's a full-frontal call, at Brian Blessed-esque volume, for you to vote for the Lib-Dems - tactically, strategically, and any other -ally they can. Labour and the Conservatives between them have had the entire 65-year post-war period to themselves and, a few notable exceptions aside, have failed this country. Will the Lib-Dems be any better? Even looking at it cynically, they could hardly be much worse. At the very least, if the Lib Dems do actually pull off a miracle tomorrow and garner the majority of the vote (without an unprecedented shift towards them in the polls, the chances of them being the largest party even with a 40% share of the vote would be impossibly slim) it would force a major rethink in the policies and procedures of both Conservatives and Labour.
Moreso than any election previously, tactical voting will play a major role in keeping the Conservatives out of government (or at least out of a majority government). The Independent has devised a useful little tool to help you determine whether or not you are in a constituency where a vote for the Lib Dems would make a huge difference. Use it. :)
More important by far than voting for whatever candidate you do finally opt for is simply that you exercise your democratic right, a right people have given and continue to give their lives for, and vote. If you don't, you absolutely deserve whatever government you end up with.