Monday, August 06, 2012

Corby By-Election

So, Louise Mensch is standing down as MP for Corby and clearing off to live in New York. Can't say I blame her really as she was likely to lose the seat next time around anyway. It's a marginal constituency and with the Coalition going from bad to worse to even worse even a Labour Party led by Ed Moribund is pretty sure to retake the seat.

This is a great opportunity for smaller parties to make some headway, but I can't see where there is one at the moment that can be taken seriously. Let's be straight, the Green Party managed to take Brighton in 2010 but Brighton probably has a higher percentage of weirdoes and oddballs per head of population than anywhere in the country. The rest of us aren't clear which planet they're on that they wish to save.

The BNP are a spent force and the long running sitcom that is UKIP just keeps trundling along seemingly content to have a few MEPs on the Brussels gravy train but doing little serious work in the UK. Let's face it any number of MEPs representing the UK is not going to get us out of the EU and Party Leader Nigel Farage recently declared British elections to be a waste of time. On the basis that I always checked my watch was still on my wrist when I was unfortunate enough to have to shake Farage by the hand, his statement means that UK elections are actually worth fighting, but they're happy taking the EU dosh and making a serious impact in the UK could threaten that.

The Lib Dems are likely to lose their deposit having been proved to be completely without principle or integrity since the last election, something many of us in politics have known for years but it has taken the full glare of Coalition limelight to show the average voter how bad they really are. I wouldn't have thought there would be a queue of high profile candidates wanting to be humiliated by being the Lib Dem candidate although Brian Paddick, rivalled only by Nigel Farage in the galloping ego stakes, may fancy the spotlight, after all, they are both shameless self-publicists.

So if it's worth the trouble a flutter on a Labour victory in Corby is what I'd recommend, I doubt there'll be any sort of upset.

5 comments:

Daz Pearce said...

I found Mensch's claim to have taken hard drugs rather ridiculous - still this move explains why she felt able to do it on national TV.

Good riddance to bad rubbish IMO.

The Lib Dems forgot that they were supposed to occupy that same 'superiority complex' niche in the market that the Greens do.

They're the 'god, if only they got in' party - actually getting in and being as bad as anyone has shattered the love affair they had with some 15% of the electorate.

The BNP are, were and always will be a pathetic goose-stepping outfit. That they've had any success is a reflection only on the dreadful state of the main parties. Where they get in, they're utterly useless.

Like Farage before him, Griffin has got himself a nice little nest egg via the Brussels gravy train they both claim to despise.

You might think I'm mad, but UKIP should have gone on the Kilroy rollercoaster IMO. They might have actually got somewhere nationally. He was an egomaniac, but at least he was a talented one who could connect with people...

The alternatives - genuine independents and getting 'None of the Above' on the ballot ASAP.

The hollow victory of actually coming second to NOTA would be akin to 20,000 volts up the arse and let's face it that is what's needed.

Gregg said...

The funniest thing with Farage was comparing what version of his life story he had told different people. Like a typical bar room bore he loves nothing more than talking about himself, but can be highly 'imaginative'.

Daz Pearce said...

Gregg, I'm genuinely interested in hearing some of this, since Farage has always come across as a great speaker and debater.

The bad smell for me comes from their refusal to become a national force and the fact that many of their MEP's have gone native.

Some don't even support leaving the EU anymore, am I right?

If you feel this isn't the right forum then drop us a line privately.

Thom Pizzey said...

Whilst I think it's unlikely that the Green Party will make any significant progress in this particular by-election, simply dismissing them as oddballs without any qualifying reason is rather unintellectual. It appears you would rather believe a corporate media driven stereotype of the party rather then take the time to read their very sensible manifesto.

Gregg said...

I have read their manifesto and was unlucky enough to be in coalition with Green Party councillors on my local council for four years.

Your comment shows what a bunch of pretentious twats green/environmentalists really are. Nobhead!