Interesting election results from the UK.
Conservatives got 44% of the total voteLiberal Democrats got 25%Labour got 24%.Had this been a general election, Labour may very well have been reduced to third party status, with Conservatives taking power and the Liberal Democrats becoming the official opposition.Of 159 Local CouncilsConservatives gained 12 to control 65Liberal Democrats gained 1 to control 12Labour lost 9 to control 18The remaining councils had no overall control by any one party.Labour lost 333 councilors totalConservatives gained 260Liberal Democrats gained 34Plaid Cymru gained 31British National Party gained 10The icing on the cake for Conservatives is the fact that it appears that Conservatives will pull the most stunning upset of all and win the London Mayor's office, something that I don't think has happened in many, many years.Looking very likely that a Tory government will take office in 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31FFTx6AKmU
Mark B.:...will pull the most stunning upset of all and win the London Mayor's office
It will be nice to have seen the last of Red Ken.
Are you a Brit? I'm curious as to what exactly is the idealogical position of the Liberal Democratics? They sound just as socialist as the Labor Party to me.
The Liberal Democrats are well to the left of the Labour Party. Very close to being outright socialists in many areas.
I am from the United States, but I have always found the UK's politics very interesting to follow. Quite entertaining at times, actually. :)
This is not a victory for the Conservatives (if you follow UK politics you'll notice how they have no revolutionary ideas nor highly charismatic leaders) but a sound defeat for Labour. People headed out to the ballot box to "show them". The general electorate is simply tired of the Labourists and their nanny-state attitude, the increased council taxes (most likely cause of the debacle) and the increasing police-state which seems completely unable to stem ordinary crime while producing grotesque (almost comical in fact) pieces of news like the Metropolitan Police campaign to "report suspect photographer since terrorists are known to use photographs to plan bombings".
The defeat in London was announced. London has always been one of the most expensive cities to live in in Europe and has worsened in recent years despite having an avowed "red" mayor. Many gigantic build schemes have resulted in embarassing failures (ie the Millennium Dome) while at the same time the useful "Tube" has been much neglected (those security cameras out there are not cheap, you know) resuting in quite a few embarassing and well-pubblicised accidents. But the icing on the cake has probably been the "road pricing" or "congestion charge" which under a curious system of exemptions allows an expensive Lexus hybrid sedan to enter London for free while an old and cheap Rover is forced to pay an hefty sum. Originally intended to make use of the vast network of "security cameras" set up after the 1992-1993 IRA bombings in the City and to reduce traffic, it has since turned into one of London's most important sources of revenue. Of course while the money was originally intended to "improve our pubblic transport system" it turned out to be yet another source of financing for many useless projects.
Mark B
I am afraid that I cannot take too much heart from these results. What is the choice? Labour, socialist. Liberal Democrat, even more socialist. Plaid Cymru, independance for Wales and socialist. British National Party, anti immigration and socialist.
That brings us to the Conservatives. They have said almost nothing pro free market and have just been biding their time until Labour finally trip up. Meanwhile, their leader, David Cameron, has been trying to prove his green credentials: dog sleighing in Norway, installing a windmill on his chimney (to the annoyance of his neighbours), changing the colour of the Conservative party from blue to greeny blue, selecting an electric Lexus to be chauffeur driven in. The Green Agenda has been the cover to increase taxes and so this is very worring. Cameron has said he is not interested in any "isms" and then went on to lump Communism and Libertarianism together as examples.
Unfortuantely, the choice will be socialism or more socialism. There is not a hint of talk on the free market or individual iiberty.
The Mayor of London elections may be different. Here the choice is between the ex communist, "Red Ken", and libertarian leaning Conservative, Boris Johnson, who apparently reads Lewrockwell.com. Whether Boris would be able to turn the socialist London tanker round will remain to be seen.
With kind regards
Remnant.