A New Dawn

We were in England only 4 days yet this is my 4th blog post of the trip, this one nothing really to do with me.  Its just that from the moment we touched down we were immersed in the result of the amazing General Election.

May 7th had been election day in Bermuda too, but for the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George. But in England it was the real thing and what an election it was for after 5 years of Coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, every poll suggested this one would be even more of a mixed bag.  The Tories would get 280-290, Labour a few less, the Scottish Nationalists would probably get most of Scotland and the rest would be shared around.  That meant no single majority and the probable need for either of the Tories or Labour to deal with at least 2 of the other groupings.

History shows that the pundits got it completely wrong!

The Tories won on their own whilst Labour and the Lib-Dems were hammered.  With the SNP winning 56 out of 59 seats in Scotland, this is likely to mean tough times ahead in Parliament for all parties.

But what joy in those smarty pants pollsters with all the technology and clever questions getting it so wrong.  Much of the drive from Gatwick to Birmingham was spent listening to these pundits trying to explain how it hadn't been their fault rather the electorate who didn't answer the questions properly.  But most of the rest was spent listening to the left leaning BBC enable ex-Labour MP's in explaining how they lost (not their fault nor Ed Milliband's) and how disastrous the next 5 years would be under the Tories.

The right leaning newspapers however gleefully reported the demise of every party but the Tories and the SNP going over in glowing, tiny detail how Milliband's menhir, Ed Balls' arrogance and Nigel Clegg's perfidy had ended up biting them in the backside.

What surprised me though was to hear so many people say that the result was the end of democracy in Britain.  But then again that was the BBC asking the 'right' people.  If they'd asked the 'wrong' people, the answer would have been different.  At least everyone had the chance to vote.  Its nobody's fault that it didn't turn out how everyone wanted.  Someone always has to lose after all.  Ask Nigel Farage. UKIP had 3 times as many votes as the SNP but only won 1 seat, not 56.  That's the Westminster System for you.

Milliband, Clegg and Cameron at the VE+70 service at the Cenotaph.  Perfect timing!

What was it Churchill said?  "Democracy is the worst form of government ... apart from all the others".