8th May 2015 and the Conservative Party hold a majority government in the United Kingdom. How did this happen?
Before the night, polls suggested that it was a tight run race, with the strong possibility of a Labour-coalition government being able to take the election. This seemed like good news, with SNP, Plaid Cymru and The Greens likely to take seats in the coalition.
This, however, was a mirage. Exit polls told a very different story, one that turned out to be fairly accurate.
The Conservatives made massive gains on Labour & the Lib Dems, as did the SNP. It seemed the Blair years had worn away the trust of centrist and Scottish voters, as had the chronic mismanagement and drift to the right. Every main party had voters saying ‘any one but them’. For the conservatives they ended up being the lesser of two evil. ‘At least there not UKIP/Labour/Lib Dems’.
The conservatives appear moderate to those who agree with financial models laid out by the party (defend the rich, fuck the poor), more consistent in message and powerful than Labour and the Lib Dems. No one like the Lib Dems any more, they crashed down to earth so hard, it’s hard to see any recovery for them. Labour & Milliband suffered badly at the hands of Fleet Street, bullied and cajolled from every angle by a ubiquitous press. Think about it, you’ll all know at least one person who reads the Sun, Telegraph or Mail. Those propaganda machines (no fucking about here, that’s what they are) have pushed the social conversation massively to the right.
Also, UKIP have been a huge driving force this election. Many feared their policies, many feared their MPs having any modicum of control, but most feared their supporters increasing numbers. This threat was hugely overplayed, as First past the Post system is innately in favour of the Established parties. Yet, with the threat of far-right politics, the only slightly far-right seemed safe, the lesser of two evil. The conservatives have a strong voter base, always have, and adding to that pile seems like a good bet.
The SNP, of course, were also a humungous player in this result. They stole huge swathes of Scotland from the Labour, and rightfully so. The Labour Party was in part from Scotland, and it forgot it’s roots and it’s beliefs as it increased it’s power. After the drastic defeat at the hands of Thatcher, the party shifted dramatically towards conservative politics, trying to keep up with the public will. The same has happened again here. The SNP deserve this victory and the Scottish people deserve that government. They united in one voice against austerity, against current Westminster politics, against Trident and for devolved, localised governance.
The UK voted conservative. Because we don’t live in a liberal democracy, we live in a conservative constitutional monarchy. We live in an isolationist, protectionist, snobby, selfish, money obsessed nation. Where the poor are background dressing to our special snowflake lives that have to be preserved at all costs. You wanna blame someone for this result, you can blame the politicians, you can blame the papers, but really it’s us. We allow this farce to happen, we allow ourselves to be led into this losing battle because we put so much stock in it. One day a year, we hitch all our hopes and dreams on a horse race, that has been set up and organised in the favour of the worst people to lead.
We need to unionise, we need to strike and we need to do it soon. We will not be taken for this ride again. We paid for the saddle, we should be on it, not wearing it
