Saturday, May 24, 2014

Election fever hits Tonbridge....


TonbridgeBlog doesn't often do politics but it does seem very topical this week.
I hope everyone was able to exercise their democratic right and got out to vote on Thursday. You had from 7am until 10pm to cast you vote so, let's face it, you all had every opportunity. But what did you vote? It was only for the European elections after all. Not even the local council elections were held in Tonbridge. When the results come in on Sunday, if the council elections in the rest of the country are anything to go by, the country is in for another shock of the UKIP variety. If it isn't sending out a message to the main parties that people are fed up with the main parties and that the country is being led by a London centric elite then I don't know what will. It's going to interesting from now until the general election to see what happens and whether this wave of support will continue to surge into the one that really counts next May. If you're a student of politics, as I once was, these are indeed fascinating times. We've had the first official Coalition since the War, the first ever Liberal Deputy PM, the changing landscape that UKIP has brought, expenses scandals, the potential of permanent hung parliaments, a the real possibility Scottish independence. It's going to be a heck of an ugly fight I reckon. Does Cameron want to go down in history as the PM who lost Scotland and allowed the far right, or at least the well right of centre, party in Britain to gain real power and influence? I very much doubt it. The party machine will fight tooth and nail to avoid both of these happening. That's politics done for at least a month or two for TonbridgeBlog. But what do you all think????

5 comments:

Paul Bailey said...

There were precious little signs of "election fever" when my wife and I went to cast our votes on Thursday. Judging by the lack of voters "crossed off the electoral list" at the poling station, I would say the turnout was very poor. It seems apathy rules, and that all that the general public are really interested in is the latest happenings in EastEnders, or what some brain-dead, bimbo "celebrity" is wearing.

Having said that, why aren't we English allowed a vote on whether or not we wish to be joined to the likes of Scotland or Wales? Perhaps the government are afraid what our answer might be!

Anonymous said...

Just waking up to hear the European election results.

Successes for Golden Dawn neo fascist in Greece, Front National in France, and UKIP in England. It's like the 1930s all over again.

Paul Bailey said...

History has a habit of repeating itself, but the main political parties have only themselves to blame for being so out of touch with the wishes and aspirations of ordinary people!

Rab the Ranter said...

As a Scot living in Tonbridge I don't get a vote on Scottish independence but an Englishman living in Scotland does. Quite rightly so as those resident and paying tax will be the ones effected.

I would however get a vote on English independence which I think is what the UKIP are pretty much all about. Am I wrong?

Anonymous said...

In case you missed the result UKIP took 35% of the vote in Tonbridge and Malling, with 11,360, Tories on 10,940, Labour on 3,660, the Greens on 2,240 and the LibDems on 1,995.