Its polling day here in the United Kingdom today in what is looking like the closest fought election in a generation. With neither the Conservatives nor New Labour holding a decisive lead we could be heading for a minority government or yet another coalition. Minority governments by their nature never seem to last too long and tend to be dissolved within months calling new elections. There have been only a few occasions since 1900 when a single party has not commanded a parliamentary majority. Indeed, the recently dissolved Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition government was the first of its type in Britain since the National Government between 1931 and 1945.
The Labour Party, led by Harold Wilson, formed a minority government for seven months after the General Election of February 1974. That situation lasted until the prime minister called another election in October that year, following which the Labour Government obtained a tiny majority of three.The following administration also became a minority government after the collapse of the Lib–Lab pact in 1977, and the then British Prime Minister James Callaghan’s Government fell in March 1979 as the result of a vote of no confidence which was carried by a single vote and let in Margaret Thatcher.
The last occasion on which a minority Government held power in the UK was between December 1996 and the general election in May 1997. The Conservative Party, led by John Major, had won the 1992 General Election with an absolute majority of 21 seats over all other parties. That majority was progressively whittled away through defections and by-elections defeats, the most notable of the latter including those in Newbury, SE Staffordshire and Wirral South, resulting in the eventual loss of the Major government’s majority in Parliament.
This time it could be really interesting with the SNP and UKIP possibly holding the balance of power with the other parties including the Green Party and the Northern Irish parties having some kind of say in matters. As you may have realised I’ve been a little quiet on the posting front recently this is because I too have been involved as I’ve been nominated as the Green Party candidate in the local city council elections. For the first time the people of my ward in Chelmsford will have an option when they vote other than Conservative, New Labour and Liberal Democrats. I doubt things will really change in this part of Essex, but at least I’m doing by bit in the quest for much needed change.
I voted at around 7.45 this morning and it was strange putting an X by my own name. Now it’s the wait for the polls to close and then I’m off into town for the official count tomorrow. I hope for change in a big way, I hope for an end to this Tory led ‘Austerity Crusade’ and an end to two party politics. Why am I standing and voting for the Green Party ? Mainly because of the austerity but also because so much of “Green Essex” has been built on in the past couple of decades, especially around Chelmsford. At the same time I believe that these policies are the right ones.
Health: End to all types of NHS privatisation and promotion of tobacco and alcohol products
Defence: Immediate and unconditional nuclear disarmament, limit military so adequate to ensure security “but no more”
Education: End performance-related pay, abolish SATS, and raise school starting age to six
Housing: Build 500,000 social rented homes by 2020 and scrap Right to Buy
Welfare: Citizens’ Income of £72 a week paid whether someone is in work or not, ban zero-hours contracts and scrap welfare cap
Energy: Insulation for all, investment in renewable energy, and ruling out nuclear and gas power
EU Referendum: Referendum on membership is backed by the party
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The Green World 