The Election Post

I have been keeping my counsel recently for numerous reasons. I find that times like Elections bring out the more strong minded amongst us and some statements often don't make particularly pleasant reading due to their strong invective. Some reflect badly on the author and I am as much to blame for this as anyone. I think the newspapers have demonstrated that over the last four weeks and I am sure similar things have been said around these parts too.

Furthermore, because of the Election, I have been doing an awful lot more overtime in the last four weeks so I haven't had time to post even if I wanted to. I have followed proceedings in-depth though and I am glad to say that I am as happy with the outcome as I could have been under the circumstances.

I watched the Election Night with my good friend Aremay, who has been a font of useful knowledge as I have been blogging non-stop about the Election for the last four weeks. We also had pizza and indigestion, which was fun. Paid to talk politics. I think Aremay may have been a little jealous of me :P

( Ooh opinion... )



I think that all three leaders have emerged from the last five days in honourable fashion and true statesmen, particularly Cameron who I have begun to admire slightly over the last few days. I hope this is a sign of things to come. The Tories have made concessions, as have the Lib Dems, and I think if the country does pull together then we can sort this out. Throw in some voting reform to make the system more representative and perhaps things are looking brighter after all. Yep, don't think it could have gone much better really. Now's the time for the serious stuff to begin though.

The Election Post

I have been keeping my counsel recently for numerous reasons. I find that times like Elections bring out the more strong minded amongst us and some statements often don't make particularly pleasant reading due to their strong invective. Some reflect badly on the author and I am as much to blame for this as anyone. I think the newspapers have demonstrated that over the last four weeks and I am sure similar things have been said around these parts too.

Furthermore, because of the Election, I have been doing an awful lot more overtime in the last four weeks so I haven't had time to post even if I wanted to. I have followed proceedings in-depth though and I am glad to say that I am as happy with the outcome as I could have been under the circumstances.

I watched the Election Night with my good friend Aremay, who has been a font of useful knowledge as I have been blogging non-stop about the Election for the last four weeks. We also had pizza and indigestion, which was fun. Paid to talk politics. I think Aremay may have been a little jealous of me :P

( Ooh opinion... )



I think that all three leaders have emerged from the last five days in honourable fashion and true statesmen, particularly Cameron who I have begun to admire slightly over the last few days. I hope this is a sign of things to come. The Tories have made concessions, as have the Lib Dems, and I think if the country does pull together then we can sort this out. Throw in some voting reform to make the system more representative and perhaps things are looking brighter after all. Yep, don't think it could have gone much better really. Now's the time for the serious stuff to begin though.

Thoughts of the Future

There is a wave of optimism about this new coalition that hasn't been seen for 13 years. The last administration ended sourly so let's hope this one will not. I think the signs are good - the banter between both leaders today made me smile (and indeed gave me a uniquely warm fuzzy feeling that I never thought I would ever get over David Cameron) and I think that if this truly can work, then trust and transparency will be restored in politics. To me, this working together is precisely what our political system should be like, which is why I am in favour of PR and why I was in favour of a hung parliament.

The thought of wanting all parties to lose the Election may have given birth to something quite marvellous and it may catalyse the "change" on which all the parties' campaigns were based. I don't think that this was the change that they had in mind though!! Either way, I think that the current arrangement may be exactly what our political system needs right now and that this could engage the electorate and turn our democracy into a strong bastion of which to be proud. I also think that this collective enterprise - as opposed to bipartate bickering - may also engage the public and prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Granted, a couple of the Tory policies I wasn't particularly happy about have slipped through the net - and I don't have a lot of faith in George Osborne - but with the Tories' more objectionable ideas kicked into grass and the Liberal Democrats' sillier notions clipped, the hopes are that this coalition can bring out the best of the two parties and turn them into a dynamic force that can right the wrongs of the last few years. The deportment of both Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg over the last five days - and particularly today - suggests that this may work and I must admit that I have started to respect the Tory leader a hell of a lot more since Friday. In fact, with Mr Clegg by his side, he has turned from a horrible prospect to a viable option in my eyes, biased as they are by my own political leaning. The two men have certainly conducted themselves with a gentlemanly grace over the last few days and I think this too bodes well.

So an improvement, let's hope. I hope David Miliband does get the Labour Leader role too - a strong opposition is an important part of democracy and I think that he could revitalise the Labour Party and play an important role in enhancing our democratic process. But today was all about the Cameron and Clegg show. The signs suggest that things are already looking good but it will be a difficult road ahead.

Thoughts of the Future

There is a wave of optimism about this new coalition that hasn't been seen for 13 years. The last administration ended sourly so let's hope this one will not. I think the signs are good - the banter between both leaders today made me smile (and indeed gave me a uniquely warm fuzzy feeling that I never thought I would ever get over David Cameron) and I think that if this truly can work, then trust and transparency will be restored in politics. To me, this working together is precisely what our political system should be like, which is why I am in favour of PR and why I was in favour of a hung parliament.

The thought of wanting all parties to lose the Election may have given birth to something quite marvellous and it may catalyse the "change" on which all the parties' campaigns were based. I don't think that this was the change that they had in mind though!! Either way, I think that the current arrangement may be exactly what our political system needs right now and that this could engage the electorate and turn our democracy into a strong bastion of which to be proud. I also think that this collective enterprise - as opposed to bipartate bickering - may also engage the public and prove to be a blessing in disguise.

Granted, a couple of the Tory policies I wasn't particularly happy about have slipped through the net - and I don't have a lot of faith in George Osborne - but with the Tories' more objectionable ideas kicked into grass and the Liberal Democrats' sillier notions clipped, the hopes are that this coalition can bring out the best of the two parties and turn them into a dynamic force that can right the wrongs of the last few years. The deportment of both Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg over the last five days - and particularly today - suggests that this may work and I must admit that I have started to respect the Tory leader a hell of a lot more since Friday. In fact, with Mr Clegg by his side, he has turned from a horrible prospect to a viable option in my eyes, biased as they are by my own political leaning. The two men have certainly conducted themselves with a gentlemanly grace over the last few days and I think this too bodes well.

So an improvement, let's hope. I hope David Miliband does get the Labour Leader role too - a strong opposition is an important part of democracy and I think that he could revitalise the Labour Party and play an important role in enhancing our democratic process. But today was all about the Cameron and Clegg show. The signs suggest that things are already looking good but it will be a difficult road ahead.