I've never signed up to a political party, no matter what the colour, or the provocation, but I've envied the conviction of those who do and rather admired them too. All that earnest discussion, the personal involvement with the issues, the stuffing of propaganda through letterboxes.... A different and rather grown-up world .... at least so I'd always thought. Now I find I'm feeling rather superior.
Like thousands of others I've successfully ignored the political process where possible and simply swept in to give whoever the benefit of my opinion on polling day, depending on how the rest of my life was going. I mean, yes, sure, I've had the debates about the rights and wrongs and shouted at biased radio presenters (despite my best efforts, I still can't call them journalists, I'm afraid) on Radio 4 during the most recent several years ... and actually find that (even local) elections, the physical act of marking the ballot paper in the wobbly booth, still gives me a buzz, but that's been the extent of it. And I don't see the joining situation changing any time soon, though the nonsense currently being talked about the coalition is enough to motivate me to join that if it were possible.
The fact is that our last government did its best to bankrupt the country, for selfishly idealogical reasons and we've known that for quite a few years now, just as we've known that it'd be up to the next lot to sort the mess out. We didn't know what would happen and how recovery would be achieved, but we've known that.
We've also known for the past year, if not before, that coalition means compromise - in other words, two parties that disagree on fundamental issues would need to put the country, the country's future and by definition, our future first, putting their ideology on hold to do so. It follows that statements made prior to the election by subsequent partners in a coalition could not be expected to hold after the fact and to believe otherwise is at best phenomenally naive and at worst incredibly, childishly unrealistic.
Both parties have 'reneged' on manifesto pledges, of necessity. Quelle surprise!
Both lots of supporters have been disappointed. One lot, however, has finally proved themselves to be unworthy of a say in the solution to present difficulties because like small children prevented from doing exactly what they want, they're having tantrums up and down the country. Their solution is as grown up as my 5 year old, sent to her room for refusing to eat something, shouting Im never going to eat tea again! as her brother and I sat downstairs, hands over our mouths to hide the snorts of laughter. Their solution is to say We'll show you, the party we've loved and nurtured and slaved for, for the decades since we were last in power. We're not going to vote for you in our local elections. So there! and It's your fault, Nick. You alone did it!
Talk about walking straight into the jaws of the commentators hovering, like sharks, around the coalition, waiting for blood to trigger their feeding frenzy. Who's side are you on? The ex-government? The smuggies in the media? It's called cuttting off your noses.... Not only that, but how bloody ungrateful, naive, disloyal and just plain flakey can you be?? Yep, I'm talking about you, Lib Dem voters and party activists, up and down the country.... Are you ashamed? You should be.
As for the bust and descredited liars or fools from the previous administration, who come slithering out of their holes to snipe and bitch about the furtherance of policies they instigated, in an unattractive, misguided attempt to score petty political points. Can they possibly believe it's in the National interest? Give me a break....
