I got a lot more openly political than i’m really comfortable with during the election.
It turned out that if you scratch the surface, the discontent i feel over certain issues becomes raw and apparent.
The election’s over. And i have work to be getting on with. Before I put the political eejut back in his cage, i have a few questions to ask of a member of the new parliament.
Lets be fair, i don’t blame David Cameron in any of this. It’s no secret that i dislike his politics and his agenda. Socially, politically and economically we have no middle ground, and he would not be a man i would want running my country. But he’s in power.
At least i know that i disagree with him, and at least, in some mythical world where he knew me and cared about my opinion, he knows that i disagree with him. Two very clear positions. He ran for office with a certain world view and a certain agenda, and he’s in power.
But if we knew where Brown stood and we knew where Cameron stood, it’s clear we only thought we knew where Nick Clegg stood.
He gave a speech this week calling this political “ground zero.” He talked up the new government as making the most sweeping political changes for 200 years. Which really shows that all we have is Tony Blair mark 2; someone who is looking to write his own legacy from the minute he takes office. He wants to be seen as some great and noble reformer, a hero of the people. He must hope we don’t see him as a bullshitter.
I’m no great fan of the previous government. They were immediately flawed simply by being the government. It’s the Zaphod rule; those who want power are the least suited to it. But we should not let their many failings blind us to the political reforms they pushed through. Is Nick Clegg forgetting the devolution of Scotland and Wales? If he thinks he can change the face of UK politics in anyway that approaches that, good luck to him, but he needs to be honest first.
Does this great reformer, this modern Robin Hood and hero to all, not think that jumping into bed with the least progressive political party in the commons might hinder this at all?
The population of the UK has swelled dramatically. It really is a whole new country. It will swell even more in the years to come. Millions of voices, millions of faiths and beleifs, millions of questions and opinions. And yet, Clegg has jumped into government with a party who want to reduce the number of MP’s. Who want to reduce the number of constituencies and therefore reduce the number of voices joining in on the debate. That means less representation, folks. That means less democracy.
In a government who will put alternative voting to a referendum, but not give you a say on the reduction of MP’s and constituencies, prepare for less of a say than ever before. A large part of the country -in fact the majority of the electorate- already have the sinking feeling that their vote has not counted. And that feeling will be here to stay.
You don’t matter.
I don’t matter.
It won’t matter.
So he’s right, really, and i was wrong to call him a bullshitter; this will be the largest change in British politics since the 1900’s. Because it will be one giant backward step.
So my final question, on my final political blog before i let you all rest easy again;
How much medication does Nick Clegg need to sleep at night?
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