A promise in the year of election

Are we ready for change? Don't believe the hype

I've been very quiet on here and for that I can only apologise. I am not going to go into detail, but if I had a delorean, a flux capacitor and some plutonium I would happily go back to the start of 2024, hit the reset button and risk altering the space time continuum.

Anyway, a lot has happened in the first half of 2024 and as we hurtle into the second half of the year, it's worth taking a breath and think about where we are and what is to come.

This is certainly the year of elections with South Africa and India having recently gone to the polls with results showing change coming. Has the legacy of Nelson Mandela and the ANC reached a natural conclusion? Can the country move on from such a legacy as it has since apartheid ended 30 years ago?

In the world's largest democracy, prime minister Modi is due to be sworn in for a third time, but having lost outright majority, will need to form a coalition government. How will this progress in a country not even 80 years old as an independent state?

Results in Russia were as predictable as the sun rises and sets each day. With only Kremlin approved opposition providing any form of official alternative on the ballot paper, Putin enters his 25th year as president (don't be fooled by the 4 year hiatus which says Dimitry Medvedev was president between 2008 and 2012. That was a constitutional necessity as Putin had already served two four year terms.) That constitutional necessity has since been corrected. It's almost as if Russia is still an autocratic state, just as it was under the Tsars and Soviet leaders. But that's my opinion. It is not necessarily fact.

Which brings me nicely onto the US where the king of “alternative facts” Donald Trump looks set to be going head to head against President Biden in November's race to the White House. Will it be a convicted criminal who is looking to be only the second president after Grover Cleveland to return as President after a four year break, or someone who was born 11 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor? So much for the land of the free and youthful American dream!

Grover Cleveland - the 22nd and 24th POTUS

Whilst the previously mentioned elections are pretty much constitutionally set in stone the UK doesn’t like to miss out on these things, especially as we now miss out on all things European (EU elections are also taking place this year). In an act as unexpected as seeing the Northern lights kn London, Rishi Sunak decided to ask the King's permission to dissolve parliament and call a general election. Cue panic and fear from his own MP's, calls of Bring it On from the opposition and the electorate sharpening their knives ready for the expected Tory massacre on 4th July.

Normally, the governing party will be well prepared ahead of the call for a general election and so can hit the campaign trail hard from day one to tell “the people” why change is bad and that they should be trusted to carry on. There is no need to rock the boat. However, these are far from normal times and let's face it, haven't been since 2016, when a vote, which can no longer be referred to, took place. We have had 5 prime ministers since then. Five. The Tories have gone through leaders quicker than a teenager gets through a box in kleenex. Indeed one was outlived by a Lettuce. She wasn't a gem.

If the opposition and public weren't prepared for this election then surely the government was? Clearly not as even Tory MP's have questioned the logic, with some even buggering off on already planned half term holidays.

We are still waiting for official manifestos to be published so in the meantime we have been treated by tidtbits of information and promises being fed to us and, more importantly, why the other person is not suitable for the job. On the bright side at least we don't have any convicted criminals to choose from. Make of that what you will.

Until polling day, we will be treated by lots of photo opportunities with politicians of all parties in hi vis jackets, sleeves rolled up, ties tucked in, uncooperative children and no doubt a stunt or two to show they can also be fun. There may be an occassional gaffe, shutting yourself in a fridge to avoid questions or giving a protester aright hook,for example. Call it election campaign bingo if you like.

These campaign appearances are also carefully planned, sometimes to the minute. This is so politicians and leaders can reach as many people as possible in what is actually a short space of time. Diaries may need to be jigged or interviews hurriedly arranged. What shouldn't happen is a monumental cock up. Especially when the polls have you trailing so far behind that Britain's answer to Donald Trunp (although with a clean DBS form) is snapping at your heels.

D Day. 6th June 1944.

We saw and heard many stories this week from the last few surviving veterans of that horrific, yet heroic day. Their stories are as inspirational as they are terrifying. There is not much time left to listen to these tales first hand, maybe not even the length of the next parliament. It was therefore important for last week's events to take place in France, UK and beyond. The main events of course took place in Normandy and attended by the current leaders of the allied forces. Actually even the Chancellor of Germany attended.

Of course our own prime minister would be there for a historic photo opportunity with the leaders of America, France and Germany wouldn't he?

Well no

Like someone afraid to buy his round at the bar on a heavy night out, he decided to slip away early without telling anyone and hopefully by the next day everyone would have forgotten anyway. Except they didn't. Not only that but even those who weren't there had found out and also why.

I don't need to say much more other than it was such an own goal he even managed to score it despite suffering two self inflicted gunshot wounds to his feet.

To snub such a historically important event and then come up with an even worse excuse is in itself inexcusable. But people will still vote in support. You could dress a monkey in blue an it would get voted in. At least this isn't Russia and we are free to vote for who we want.

Which brings me in a roundabout way to the point of this ramble.

I like election time. Sometimes the outcome is known, sometimes it isn't. There are all sorts of polls leading up to the vote itself. But only one poll matters.

I always vote. I am lucky to live in a time where my vote counts and that right has been afforded to me by those who fought for it in the past. It doesn't matter who I vote for and I will never say publicly. But I believe in my freedom to do so.

I will also take time to think about my vote. I won't work off click bait or a headline. What does the person who wants to be my local MP stand for? What will they do for me?

Again in the UK we don't vote for a prime minister. We vote for a local MP. The party who has the most MP's will get a chance to govern. The leader of that party will be invited by the King to form a working government.

I will check manifestos, local issues, my family's circumstances. Then I will make my decision and post my vote as soon as the ballot paper arrives. Firstly because I will forget otherwise and secondly when someone knocks on my door I can smugly claim I have already voted and they ate too late to change my mind. It's happened before - note to local campaigners, do your work before the postal ballots arrive!

Thirdly I don't want my dog pictured outside a polling station. Knowing my luck he will be doing a massive shit, hopefully over something blue.

So there we go. A year of elections.

Look out for the false promises.

Enjoy the chaos

Think hard

Change doesn't happen overnight (except on some election nights).