British election on a knife edge

By Heiko Khoo
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, May 7, 2015
Adjust font size:

A combination picture shows (L-R) UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage, British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservatives David Cameron, Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon, Opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband and Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg campaigning in the run up to the UK elections. Britain's political leaders launched their last day of campaigning on May 6, 2015 for the most unpredictable election in living memory which could yield no clear winner and weeks of haggling over the next government. [Xinhua]



The British general election on May 7 will be the closest election in decades. According to all opinion polls, it will herald a shift in the nation's political spectrum.

The incumbent government is a Conservative-Liberal-Democrat coalition. Prime Minister David Cameron leads the Conservatives, Nick Clegg leads the Liberal-Democrats (Lib-Dems) and the opposition Labour Party is led by Ed Miliband.

The polls put Conservatives and Labour neck and neck at about 33 percent. The big change is the rise of nationalist parties in Scotland and England.

David Cameron claims that the British economy is "on the mend." His story goes like this: the Labour Party taxed and spent too much from the 1990s until 2008, this generated massive deficits, which the world financial crisis exposed. Austerity, that encourages people to work harder and expect less from the state, resolves this, and puts the economy back on its feet.

The real target of austerity is the poor. Public sector employment fell by 400,000 since 2010 but state spending did not decline. The government says it promotes self-reliance but many of the people now classified as self-employed are living from hand to mouth and rely on welfare. Those who "feel good" under this government still believe the English delusion that property prices always rise. State subsidies for the property market (through a state-guaranteed deposit scheme) help to sustain inflated property prices, particularly in the south of England -- the main political base of the Conservative Party. This is a property pyramid scheme. If they win the election, the Conservatives promise two more years of austerity followed by a government-spending binge to subsidize their supporters in time for the next election in 2020. They also promise a referendum on membership of the European Union.

However, the Lib-Dems, the government's coalition partner, face a big defeat at the election. The alliance with the Conservatives undermined their independent profile and electoral support; nevertheless, they may still win enough seats to influence the formation of the next government.

Follow China.org.cn on Twitter and Facebook to join the conversation.
1   2   Next  


Print E-mail Bookmark and Share

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)

No comments.

Add your comments...

  • User Name Required
  • Your Comment
  • Enter the words you see:   
    Racist, abusive and off-topic comments may be removed by the moderator.
Send your storiesGet more from China.org.cnMobileRSSNewsletter