Part 1: Conservatives Surprise
The UK General Election in May 2015 brought an unexpected win majority win for David Cameron’s Conservative Party, with red faces for the pollsters.
The Labour Party had a disaster, almost being wiped out in Scotland and Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls losing his seat in West Yorkshire, frankly they have a mountain to climb as big as they faced since Michael Foot’s 1983 electoral defeat. The new UK and Scottish Labour leadership requires fresh faces with new ideas and a lot of patience, especially in Scotland where the SNP won a staggering 56 of 59 seats, to regain once loyal voters lost to the SNP by political attrition and inertia over decades.
Former Labour leader in Scotland Johann Lamont warned after the Scottish referendum in 2014 that Labour treated Scottish labour as a,” branch office,” (Telegraph, 2014). Former Labour 1st Minster Henry McLeish warned of the effect of losing the Scottish Labour MPs in a UK general election would have on Labour. How prescient these warnings must seem now as re-building process starts with the new Labour leadership.
The SNP, however, have got political dominance in both Scotland and representation in the UK parliament once thought unimaginable and to the chagrin of other UK political parties especially UKIP with 13% of the vote and 1 MP compared to the SNP’s 5% approximately which translated in to 56 MPs. Perhaps the time has come for PR to be reconsidered again? Depending on how much party lists and 2nd choices appeal.
More importantly let’s see how much the SNP and its much lauded 1st Minister Nicola Sturgeon put their policies in to action, and not just more rhetoric or punchy replies on US TV chats shows, they now need to produce results which benefit all of Scotland’s people, including those who didn’t vote for them- which would be a sign of some political philosophical maturity and economic reality.
However, the SNP’s Land Reform Bill suggests that land ownership is arbitrary. Instead of improving health services or education and encouraging inward investment a policy of forced sales on any land holding for sustainable development will foster apprehension with investors instead of confidence. Surely the SNP government could encourage landowners to justify their public subsidy better than confiscating assets to suit a prevailing ideological mood on land reform? Toff bashing may seem like justice for the people but better still is to concentrate on provision of a good education system and jobs to sustain people using private investment and not public subsidy or excessive taxation.
As the 3rd biggest parliamentary block in the world’s 6th largest economy, not forgetting they’re the Government in Scotland, it’s time they took their seats and put their words in to action, as is their democratic right, as there’s no need to complain anymore about not being listened to- the country and world at large is watching and waiting now.
Meanwhile David Cameron’s up and running with his slim majority of 12 (36.9% of the vote) picked his 1st Conservative cabinet and embarked on a European crusade to persuade other EU members to back his wishes on EU reform to win a UK referendum on EU membership in 2016 (BBC, 2015 & Guardian, 2015). How much this will, yet again, tear the Conservative Party apart will become more evident as the referendum approaches, the result I predict although close will be to remain in the EU (at the moment a reminiscent of the Scottish referendum of 55/45%), (Telegraph, 2015).
Personally, I think it’s better to push on with UK infrastructure improvement, housing provision in the areas where it’s needed the most and with balancing NHS or welfare needs with budget constraints so it’s best to hold the referendum as soon as possible and move on before it dogs the political agenda for the life of this new government.
With regards the Liberal Democrats? It’s best to respect the dead and the brave, namely former leader Charles Kennedy, an MP for 32 years recently deceased, and Nick Clegg, still an MP, but already reduced from Deputy Prime Minister to back bencher appearing on chat show parodying his time in coalition or Vince Cable who lost his seat and his job.
With the US and others like India, Germany and Japan wishing Britain to stay in the EU, Scotland to stay in the UK, and for the UK to play its considerable part on international stage, diplomatically and militarily. Prime Minister David Cameron should build on these wishes, as they’re given with their own national interests in mind, to further UK trade initiatives and development aid to spur growth and exports for the UK economy.
Dealing effectively with the powerful Euro-sceptics with the Conservative Party and British business will test the new Conservative government considerably. If Cameron can succeed where John Major failed, by remaining in the EU, maintaining a united party and sustaining economic prosperity to boost tax revenues, to rely less on borrowing, to pay for our services and pensions, he may turn the toxic Tories in to a political entity to admire and the UK well positioned in the EU while remaining out of the Eurozone.
It is a tall order of course, but we have come to expect our prosperity here in the UK (and protest strongly when reduced) regardless of which party holds power for the life of a parliament- which brave soul wishes to predict the 2020 result then?
LDC
References and further reading:
BBC News; London UK; Website accessed 23rd June 2015: www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/results
Financial Times Ltd, (2015); “SNP on the wrong track with land reform bill”, by Merryn Somerset Webb, 23rd June 2015; website accessed: 24th June 2015: www.ft.com/cms/s/0/11921e04-19bc-11e5-8201-cbdb03d71480.html#axzz3dukaoU3p
Guardian News and Media Ltd; (2015); “Cameron sets off on mission to win over EU leaders,” by Nick Watts, Chief Political Correspondent, 28th May 2015; London UK; website accessed 23rd June 2015: www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/28/david-cameron-sets-off-on-mission-to-win-over-european-leaders
Telegraph Media Group Ltd; (2015); “EU referendum poll tracker and odds”, website accessed 23rd June 2015: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/11617702/poll.htm
Telegraph Media Group Ltd; (2015); “EU referendum poll tracker and odds”, website accessed 24th June 2015: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/11188206/Johann-Lamont-quits-Ed-Miliband-warned-of-catastrophic-damage-to-Labour.html