Saturday 9 May 2015

That was the week that wasn't.

A lot has happened over the last week, some good, some strange, mostly bad.

I have loads of really great work on - all challenging and exciting with a big creative aspect, all pathetically badly paid - I'm seriously considering getting a part time job to subsidise my career.

The weather is still faltering between good and bad. We've had sunshine, rain, fog and gale force winds.

I went for a meeting in a posh cafe during the week and a man started projectile vomiting. This being England - nobody mentioned it.

And now to the bad.

I stayed up all night on Thursday watching the election in real time. Anyone who reads this regularly would understand where my political alliances lie. I'm not really Ed Millibands biggest fan, I thought the mansion tax was a silly idea and I thought that he came across as too decent and sensible to fight his corner, but I certainly never expected things to be so bad. I started feeling betrayed by it all, but quickly realised that people are voting tory because they are scared. They have seen the demonisation of the poor and the sick and the alien and don't want to end up like that - so they are hiding behind the conservatives. I was particularly devastated in my own constituency - a superb candidate who has worked incredibly hard and was immensely popular - losing quite heavily to a truly despicable and talentless idiot Tory lick-spittle - and seeing UKIP snapping at her heels with 7000 votes - it's just impossible to understand, I'm totally exhausted thinking about it.

The first thing I did on Friday was renew my labour party membership and force myself to cheer up. Clegg and the LibDems had it coming, they were dead men walking the day they entered the coalition and particularly after the tuition fees farce. Everybody in Scotland got what they deserved - it was less about labour losing, the votes had to come from somewhere - and there was nowhere else for them to come from. I'm delighted that Farage is gone, but he's so addicted to publicity that he'll be back in a light entertainment role - I predict Big Brother. The huge UKIP vote can be explained in one sentence - all other extreme right wing parties showed barely anything - the BNP vote eliminated, they are all flocking to UKIP as a trojan horse. Hopefully it will destroy them by revealing what they are, but it will be a very ugly sight. The tories may have power and believe thy have a mandate - but I predict huge infighting and lots of competition for the top job, Theresa may is already looking twitchy after being kept in a post she clearly loathes and is desperate to leave. Nothing will go smoothly for the next few years, Boris Johnson will be a constant thorn in the side of everyone until someone realises he's a fucking idiot and quite dangerous. It's all going to be really grubby for everyone.

I think the labour party should stop and think - have an interim leader for a year before moving forward - possibly Chukka Umanna, who - being black and having a funny name - will rile a lot of people who will find it impossible to get past his 'difference' and reveal themselves to be what they really are (I'm back to UKIP here). I feel probably more optimistic and galvanise that I ever have, I have seen worse, I remember the 80's - I never thought I could see something like that again. I anticipate more savage, cruel victimisation of the less fortunate in a society that is constantly pulling back to the 1930's and dividing along class lines.

Whatever you do now, don't be poor. Don't get old or sick. Don't expect anyone to be there when you fall. Try to fit in, keep your head down, don't be different or an individual - be passive and conformist, be grateful for what you get and don't complain. Or - just day no. I shall.

2 comments:

Anna said...

Excellent post... Having met and talked to Sarah Owen (and stuffing lots of Labour party envelopes..) and seeing what that terrible old Sloane, Amber Rudd has 'done for this town', I'm more depressed than I've ever been. Where is the common sense of voters? Do they really think that they/theirs won't be affected by the billions in cuts? Well, cuts for the poor, aged, sick, that is... Turkeys voting for Christmas...

Anna said...

Excellent post... Having met and talked to Sarah Owen (and stuffing lots of Labour party envelopes..) and seeing what that terrible old Sloane, Amber Rudd has 'done for this town', I'm more depressed than I've ever been. Where is the common sense of voters? Do they really think that they/theirs won't be affected by the billions in cuts? Well, cuts for the poor, aged, sick, that is... Turkeys voting for Christmas...

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