With our UK election less than a week away, I’m still undecided as to whose name on the ballot paper I should gift my cross.
This election campaign has been the most irritating of almost any I have known during my lifetime.
It was brought about by the arrogance of a prime minister who thought she could increase her Commons majority and steamroller us into a life of subservience and obedience. If she gets her way on June 8th she will be able to manipulate us into accepting almost any new law without question or opposition.
Her party’s campaign is being disguised as a vote for a strong hand in the Brexit negotiations but I feel the reality will be an attack on our personal freedoms and working practices.
By focusing on the threat of terrorism or immigration – or both, her government will be able to introduce restrictions on our free movement, fulfill her long-held wish of enforcing identity cards and allow unwarranted monitoring of our everyday online communication with little accountability.
She will also be able to start selling off the most profitable parts of our National Health Service to the highest bidder – privatisation by the back door.
Fortunately, she has been surprised by the popularity of her key opponent, Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn.
At the start of the campaigning, most polls forecast a massive majority for her party with much of the press portraying Corbyn as a ‘leftie clown’. However, he has surprised many of his critics – both within his party and beyond – by being adept at answering difficult questions and portraying himself as an honest, plain speaking politician, who cares deeply about a fair and equal society. There are many who see his views as being old school socialism but if you pause to think, most of his support is a reaction to the self-interest and increasing inequality that Capitalism has brought to society over the last couple of decades.
At this point, you are probably thinking I am going to be voting Labour but you would probably be wrong. I use the word ‘probably’ because I am still undecided who I shall back on the big day.
What I do know, and care passionately about, is that whoever ends up in power, we need a strong and effective opposition to represent all our views and to act as a brake for the excesses of the governing party – whoever they are!
With an effective opposition, we protect Democracy – without it, we slip into a totalitarian dictatorship!