A super-belated Happy New Year.
I have left behind the urgent need to finish my entry on Fracking for the moment to point out a quick fact: it's a UK Election Year!
On May the 7th, the Coalition Government of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats formally ends and voting takes place across the country in order to determine what will replace it.
It's highly unlikely to be a repeat scenario... and for the first time in a good while, the result is really hard to predict.
This is arguably mainly down to the presence of UKIP, and their success in the May 2014 European Elections has without doubt scared the established mainstream parties. Also, despite the failure of the SNP to secure independence after the Scottish Referendum on 18th September, 2014, the party has found itself in a strong, indeed arguably stronger, position ever since, and it is possible they may hold the balance of power come the morning of May the 8th.
Whilst, as I said, it's hard to predict the outcome, and despite the occasional spats taking place in the various televised Leaders' Debates currently taking place, it is relatively easy to consider who may work with who (and who may not) in the case of there being no overall victor after it.
Labour have made it clear they are targeting an overall majority and do not wish to work with the SNP, but UKIP have said they would consider a partnership with the Conservatives... and Nick Clegg (as LibDem Leader) still has faith that his party will prove the Kingmaker, regardless of who that main (but not overall) victor is.
As a Greens' supporter for 2015, I have been happy with what I have heard from Natalie Bennett et al. Whilst a lot has been said of her "interviewing skills", she has performed well enough in the debates, and we must remember that, either way, we don't vote for people, we vote for parties. This is not The Voice, after all.
I suppose what really annoys me right now is that a lot of detractors (who, at best, 'skip read' the various Party Manifestos), are attacking the Greens for being potentially economically disastrous...
Now, no matter what you might think about that, or indeed whether you think it was US sub-prime mortgages, Gordon Brown selling gold or just plain bad luck that caused the economic crash of 2008 in the first place, you must admit that it is rather sloppy to worry about the Greens creating an economic mess when we are already in one.
I say: give them a chance! If they fail then we can at least all say that they had a go. It gets me down when people say "it's time for something different"... and then don't see it through.
Of course, saying that, I'd rather people voted Labour than UKIP... but then, I'm not bonkers.
So: 1. Remember to vote! It CAN make a difference no matter what Russell Brand might say as there is always a wide-range of options on a ballot paper. The last day to register to vote IS MIDNIGHT TONIGHT!
And: 2. Read the manifestos rather than just relying on TV performances to help make up your mind.
Cheers,
ZeeOx
