WHAT POLITICAL PARTY CHOICES ARE THERE?

In England and in the UK as whole (because of the imbalance in parliamentary seats between the constituent countries) there are only 3 parties ever likely to be part of a UK Government at the present time.

These are …

1. Conservatives
2. Labour
3. Liberal Democrats

CON: The price of everything and the value of nothing.

The Conservatives know the price of everything and the value of nothing. They run the country like UK plc screwing down the workforce to the lower pay values possible. They believe in business and money, freedom, and the rights of the individual (if they are successful in monetary terms) to choose. They remove rights and laws protecting those at the bottom of society and by inference or direct statement blame the most vulnerable for being a drain on the country. They are not in hock to the Unions but are instead the bedfellows of big business and the rich and are funded by them. Traditionally they are also the party of the landed gentry and the hereditary principle. The usual colour they are represented by is blue.

LAB:  should change its colour from Red to an increasingly bluish lavender

The Labour Party was once a party of principle who believed in sorting societies ills to make a better future for all the people of the UK. They believed that all essential industries and utilities should be owned by the people and run for their benefit. They set up the National Health Service offering health care free, to be available as required rather than on the ability to pay. They carried through and enhanced the Beveridge Liberal vision of a welfare state. They are still in a large part funded by the Unions who are themselves funded by a large proportion of the UK population. However the post Thatcherite Labour Party is a shadow if it’s former self and should change its colour from red to an increasingly bluish lavender. It has accepted most of the 1980s Conservative ideology meaning there isn’t much to distinguish it from the Tories, except you can expect them to be a bit less concerned about the price of everything and more likely to know the value of something, although recently they have gained the notoriety of being in charge during the 2008 financial crisis. I believe they actually did the right things (as compared to the Conservatives who would have let the banks go to the wall at the time) but got no thanks from the electorate due to the preceding years of profligacy.

There was a remarkable similarity between the two UK conference sets recently of the Conservatives and Labour party. Both had a blue background and both included the Union flag. Similar in design and similar in basic ideology with slightly more social minded policies from Labour.

LIB DEM:  They are represented by a golden yellow colour (that sums them up!)

The once mighty Liberal Party now the Liberal Democrats who came up with the majority of the welfare state is now likely to only get into Government as bedfellow to either one or other of the big two mentioned above and has been in this position since World War 2. They claimed to be principled prior to the 2010 election spouting ‘an end to broken promises’, fairer student funding, a fairer UK electoral system, and Mr ‘read my lips’ Clegg stated that he would never go into coalition with the Conservatives as they were not progressive in their hopes for a better society. They are represented by a golden yellow colour (that sums them up!). However all that got ditched in 2010 and now they are no different to either of the above. Indeed it could be argued that they are worse. At least you know that you are going to get brutalised by the Conservatives and incompetence from Labour. After 2010 you could anything at all from the Liberal Democrats!?*!

Danny Alexander in shock as he is told he is not a Conservative but a Liberal Democrat MP.

There must be something better, surely! Anyone?

If you want to pick a party that is likely to get into power in a UK General Election then (barring in one English Constituency i.e. Brighton Pavilion where the Green Party of England and Wales got its first representative) you are completely bereft of a choice that offers any moral, just, principled argument based on anything but how much everything costs in monetary terms. I do not believe the English people are so mercenary. There must be something better, surely! Anyone?

Fortunately in Scotland there is the SNP

Fortunately in Scotland there is a fourth realistic choice the SNP. The SNP in its first majority Government within the Scottish Parliament has done things that Labour should be fighting for i.e. free prescriptions for all, free university tuition fees, the return of at least a partial student grant, keeping the NHS from being privatised, etc. Unfortunately they are never going to have a majority in the Westminster Parliament as they only stand in Scottish constituencies.

It is about time Scotland learned that it could have a new future away from the above UK ‘choice’ (is it really a choice?). Only by voting YES in the forthcoming Scottish Independence Referendum can they have a new start. Will they chose this? I hope so.