A Sad, Sad Day

[lupestripe]

The BNP gain two seats (largely thanks to the media scaremongering actually giving them publicity and thus being counter-productive) whilst UKIP have made significant gains too.

In fact, it has been a great day for Eurosceptics and parties on the far right throughout Europe. This tells me something - either people are widely opposed to the EU or the EU needs a massive overhaul in the way it is governed and administered. From my own point of view, I sincerely hope it's the latter rather than the former (I think if managed correctly, the EU can be a fantastic thing) but sadly, I fear it's not.

To me, the results of this election are merely one more reason to leave the country as I am becoming increasingly disenfranchised with where this country is heading (although, I accept, the local elections couldn't have really gone better really from my own standpoint).

Still, that's the delight of democracy I suppose. I just wish that the media had delivered all of the facts as I certainly did not see balanced reporting or indeed any real discussion or debate on the options that each political party presented forth. People were just too obsessed with the far right. And look at what we got.

In fact, the only articles I read in the Press were about the dangers of the far right - and all that did was give them publicity. Indeed, the BNP's policies were the only ones I didn't have to search for when I was trying to make my mind up on who to vote. In some ways, I wonder whether the rise of the far right is what the media actually wants - indeed the timing of the expenses scandal was certainly interesting regarding these elections.

P.S. I have always believed that every election is important and should not just be used as a "protest vote". I have always believed that not voting for who you truly believe in is counterproductive and damaging to democracy.

Comments

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

This is one of the reasons why I would fight to hold on to the BBC. Yes, it was castrated but it is still the only vaguely unbiased source out there.

I have never been a big fan of the national soveriegnty argument as I think certain laws could (and possibly should) be deferred to Europe because of the nature of the trading bloc and how I think cooperation will benefit us all. However, I think far too many laws are now decided in Brussels, one that don't really affect the EU.

[balto-mike.livejournal.com]

I would certainly like to think that the BBC will stand by its Royal Charter and continue to give independent, unbiased reporting not just abroad but at home too.

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I bloody hope so - I am a massive defender of the BBC simply because it is the only (largely) impartial news service in the UK, if not the world.

[shep-shepherd.livejournal.com]

It's the only news service that matters to me!

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

If that goes then it really will be a sad day for Britain - for too long the Press has been run by a handful of oligarchs who have far too much sway on the political outlook of Britain. This scares me and the BBC, by its very nature, can't do that, which is why it needs preserving.

[shep-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Absolutely.

[doco.livejournal.com]

the only (largely) English-language impartial news service in the UK, if not the world.

Emphasis added. Even the BBC gets it wrong pretty often...

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

I am sure there are others but they are nowhere near as prolific. What do you suggest as being a good news source?

[startide.livejournal.com]

And its low bandwidth version loads faster on my phone than any other news site ^^

[lupestripe.livejournal.com]

Lols :)