British election on a knife edge
- By Heiko Khoo
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E-mail China.org.cn, May 7, 2015
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Polling Manager Scott Russel (R) and assistant Ross Clement deliver ballot boxes and a polling sign to a polling station on The Royal Mile in the centre of Edinburgh on May 6 2015 on the eve of the General election. [Xinhua] |
This is because the British parliamentary elections are held on the basis of geographical constituencies composed of roughly equal numbers of voters. Consequently, the Conservatives may get fewer votes than Labour but still win more seats. It also means that the right-wing UK Independence Party (UKIP), led by Nigel Farage will not win many seats in parliament despite polls indicating that they'll take about 10 percent of the vote. UKIP appeals mainly to disillusioned Conservative voters. They reduce every problem to immigration and membership of the European Union and stir-up racial and religious antagonism by blaming foreigners for abusing housing, welfare, healthcare and the provision of social services. The Conservatives, Labour and the Lib-Dems have all jumped on UKIP's bandwagon, by adopting anti-immigration policies. Of course, immigrants are an easy scapegoat, but economic hardship since 2008 has nothing to do with immigration; it is caused by an investment strike by big business.
The Scottish National Party (SNP) led by Nicola Sturgeon will be the real winner of the election this week. They will completely dominate the electoral landscape in Scotland, traditionally a Labour stronghold, and may win enough seats to prop up a Labour government.
Last summer a referendum voted against Scottish independence by 55 percent to 45 percent. However, the nationalist vote is united and a huge influx of new members joined the SNP in the last eight months. They will take nearly every parliamentary seat in Scotland.
The SNP appeals to Scottish voters by defending progressive policies that the Labour Party supported in the 1970s and 1980s; for example the devolved Scottish parliament maintained free education, whereas in the rest of the UK tuition fees of £9000 per year are now the norm. The working and middle classes in Scotland feel that the last Labour government failed to defend their interests and now Labour faces electoral meltdown in Scotland.
The Green Party led by Natalie Bennett spoke out against austerity and in defence of the majority. However, the party is unlikely to pick up more than a couple of seats. Plaid Cymru, the Welsh nationalist party led by Leanne Wood is hoping that the advance of the SNP in Scotland will be emulated in Wales but there is little evidence of this to date.
Under Ed Miliband's leadership the Labour Party's rhetoric has shifted to the left and he claims to represent the majority of the working class. However, his policies lack positive substance as he only promises "fairer austerity." He has no serious proposals to take on the might of big business and has no plans to significantly expand the public sector.
All of Ed Miliband's attempts to conjure up a personal image of energy and purpose have fallen flat. Labour cannot make the breakthrough needed to win a parliamentary majority, so a working alliance between Labour and the SNP is perhaps the most likely scenario. If so, the SNP promises to push a Labour government to the left.
The writer is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://china.org.cn/opinion/heikokhoo.htm
Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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