It is General Election Day here in Britain today.
For the first time in my life I will not be voting Labour at a General Election
The reason? They have done nothing to earn my vote. They have offered little resistance to such things as NHS privatisation, the bedroom tax and other austerity measures, and are in favour of spending billions to replace Trident.
They have totally patronised the Scottish people with the sole argument of vote Labour or the Tories will get in without promising any significant changes. The same scare tactics as the referendum.
The only argument Millo came up with the other day is vote Labour because it is the party of Keir Hardie. Donald Dewar and John Smith ie vote Labour because your parents and grandparents voted Labour.
They have become lazy and arrogant -witness the long serving dinosaur MPs who do hee haw and the morally bankrupt Councillors who look out for their friends and families.
Getting into bed with the Tories in Better Together wasn't the cleverest idea either.
The world has moved on, it is a pity they haven't.
Here are two songs from the days when there was actually a difference between Labour and the Tories. Nowadays you would be hard pushed to get a fag paper between them.
Billy Bragg -Which Side Are You On
Tom Robinson Band -Better Decide Which Side You're On
And so say all of us. It was drummed into me by my grandfather that "Labour is the party for people like us," and I daren't ever argue with him. I do wonder what he'd make of this sorry lot. Trouble is, where I live, there is a threat offered by UKIP and Labour is the only viable alternative. I voted tactically in the European elections and I may have to do the same again today. Breaks my heart to say it, but I may vote Lab just to keep the moronic fascists out.
ReplyDeleteIt's the same over here in Germany. I couln't see any differences between the parties any more. And the only reason voting for Labour is keeping the facists out. Look what happened in France or the Netherlands - the ultra right wings are close to parlament.
DeleteYou have to do what you have to do Robster.
DeleteThe world is becoming a scary place Walter
Could not agree more CC. As a lifelong Labour supporter I thought it would be a difficult decision not to vote for them this time, but it wasn't for the very reasons you have highlighted above. You have summed in a few paragraphs why The Labour Party has lost the trust of the Scottish people and why it will take many years to regain that trust.
ReplyDeleteFor decades, I voted Labour, as my parents did. They were staunch trade unionists, as I am. But for the past 25 years, the Labour Party bears no relation to the party my parents voted for and that's why I won't vote for them anymore.
ReplyDeleteI would vote for Labour, CC, if I had the vote. Not for particularly positive reasons, but for reasons of history and a faint hope that things would not be as catastrophically bad as they have been and will be of those fucking scumbag tories and lib-dems (and isn't Clegg becoming even more hateful, slithery and right-wing every day?)! Even if I lived in Scotland I just couldn't vote for the SNP...
ReplyDeleteThem and the Greens are the only left leaning alternatives George.Things have changed big style
DeleteWell argued post CC. If I do vote Labour today it won't be for the reasons I used to.
ReplyDeleteSwiss Adam
I'm a Labour 'all my lifer' too and did so again yesterday (I'm in Sheffield Hallam) fat lot of good that did tho' as the Tories saved Clegg's bacon in the end. I'm sure I'll be sticking with Labour anyway (certainly as long as first past the post is the system). People say there's only a small gap between them and the Tories (which I dispute anyway) but even if true it's in that gap that hundreds of thousands of lives are affected and whatever Labour might be they AREN'T the mean and nasty party. I'm pleased for you Scots as you seem to be heading to a good place but down here south of the border for us socialists it's been a shit 24 hours and we've still got 4 yrs 364 days of it to come! On a positive note I enjoy reading your blog and listening to the tunes you post. Good on yer and keep it up!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoy the blogNot sue if I can keep it up for another 4 years 363 days but wil give it a try.Clegg is a self serving tossed who sold his soul for a Minesterial Mondeo and sold his party down the river.We are slightly better of here in that under devolution we can hopefully protect health and education from the worst ravages of priviitisation.I share your pain and genuinely fear for the next five years.Also one commuted to an EU Reforendum to appease UKIP who thankfully now appear to be a bust flush
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