Now what? We have a new Government. Yay! On Thursday I walked along to the village hall which had become the polling station. As ever, I was thankful I had the right to put my mark on the ballot paper in just the right place.
Although we were all fairly sure we would see a Labour majority across the country as a whole, I wasn’t sure what would happen locally. In the neighbouring constituency, we have seen the long standing Conservative MP, Andrew Selous, beaten into second place by a young Labour candidate. I think Andrew Selous was a decent chap, if a little naive at times and in latter years it was clear he was in the wrong party. Nevertheless he was at his “Sell by” date and I imagine the system will now reward him with a knighthood in the next year or so.
In our constituency of Mid Bedfordshire I simply didn’t know what would happen. The dramatic swing in October from Conservative to Labour was just and right. The Conservatives needed a good kicking at the time but I wasn’t sure whether it would continue. We were to have a new Labour candidate who, while young, bright and ambitious, didn’t quite muster the gravitas to swing things her way. The final outcome is us having Blake Stephenson as our new Conservative MP – it must be rather strange being elected MP in a party now in opposition.
While the Labour party is far from perfect and I am still a little unsure of Sir Keir Starmer, I am not unhappy with the outcome. His opening speech in Downing Street was encouraging. He was magnanimous towards Rishi Sunak; this was right and proper. However, the Conservatives had run the course and must have known their time was up.
It is the quality and calibre of our politicians that concern me. These days they don’t seem to have the strategic leadership needed, not to mention the questionable morals many seem to have. Politics seems to be attracting a different kind of person these days and it’s difficult to put my finger on it. Perhaps the quest to be popular and remain in power has clouded the minds of some and distorted their thinking. Sometimes the right course of action is not the popular choice and they need the conviction and courage to see it through – I doubt many would pass this test.
Arguably the last great Prime Minister was Gordon Brown. Full of insight, determination, wisdom, respect and charisma. I never agreed with everything he stood for but I do have considerable respect for him. At least I could trust that he had the country’s bests interests at heart and would hold his own amongst other world leaders. Since leaving office he has continued to conduct himself well as a man of principles. Instead the UK now seems to have become a minor player on the international scene; perhaps, that is appropriate for this time we find ourselves in.
Looking at the future, our new Labour government has a heck of a job to do. Repairing the neglected and under funded public services which have been run down to shadows of their heyday earlier in the 21st century. Whether it is about filling potholes in our roads or fixing people’s teeth, dealing with poverty, addressing the serious housing crisis, the crumbling prisons, the Brexit fiasco or the lack of foreign aid. There’s a lot to do.
As for our new Conservative MP, it must be quite surreal for him. He has been elected to represent us and yet he belongs to a party who is now in opposition with a long way to go before any serious chance of regaining power. He holds some liberal views (far from the right wing of his party) on social issues with, I think, he has a promising understanding of the challenges people face. If I were to be generous and give him the benefit of any doubt, he is a decent man who has unfortunately joined the wrong party. As ever, time will tell….
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