Democracy is a two headed thing which never really seems to exist. In the UK we are told that we live in a democratic country, but your choices are so limited. For many, the choice is to tactically vote at an election, to try and not get the person you don’t want to win. The countryside is swathed in traditionally right-wing Tory voting areas, so if you want to get them out then you generally need to vote for the Liberal Democrats or the more extreme right of Brexit/ Reform. Labour generally exists in the metropolis, the city, working people seeking social support. A completely divided country, the cultural and the natural. The have and have nots. Many rich live in cities of course, driving the hands of production. The rednecks out in the countryside. Maybe the divide between urban and rural will be bridged in coming generations, as the grey haired, blue wearing right wingers gradually return to the sky. New blood, original ideas, an urban sensibility restored to countryside domains. Greater cultural diversity rather than the siloed world we live within. An election has been called, oh not another one says Brenda from Bristol. In all honesty, I have been waiting for this one for what seems like an eternity. The chance for the people to finally make a decision to get rid of the Conservative government. Almost a decade and a half in power and people worse off. Everything worse. Just look at homelessness, streets littered with bereft, roofless, unsupported human beings in one of the richest countries in the world. See that and let it sink in. That’s your guide. They really don’t care unless something directly affects them. Let’s see what it is like to have at least a few caring people in charge. It is possible. The world can be a better place where the rich actually support the concept of homelessness being eradicated. Sleeping in parks, loomed over by massive atriums, buildings which just have masses of wasted space just so that they look good, make an impression. If you really want to tackle lack of accommodation, cut down on atriums, reuse that money and space. Simple. Such a strange world we live in, where solutions stare us in the face, greed and malice have control with 1% of the population owning the majority share. The rich getter exponentially richer. How did this ever come to pass? Why do we allow such unfair behaviour to occur on our watch. Vote them out. I hope other planets have managed to develop a more equitable system. Tax the rich. Take unused space. Share to support human life. Aim for a non-hierarchical world, a utopia where everyone is equal. The universal basic wage will be in action at some point so let’s push for it now before the robots have properly taken over, whilst there is still a chance to take control of our future. Proportionally represented by artificial intelligence rather than just human reasoning, compassion and understanding.
Late on 4th July 2024 confirmation arrived that UK Tory chaos was finally pushed into the long grass, out of view, the start of a period of time to rethink. Labour bring hope, compassion, a social sensibility vividly at odds with the last 14 years. Listening to acceptance speeches from the reds, there is humility and respect for fellow humans, whether opponents or constituents. Hopefully a level of humanity has returned, kept in check by an astonishing number of left leaning MPs. That is what is so seismic. Not the scale of Labour’s victory or the unnerving presence of Reform, but the opportunity for the centre to eft in the UK to make change, to rescue politics from the gutter, to respond to human needs, to make a bold and compassionate statement. To bring love back into the equation. Hopefully there is this strength in Labour so it can seep into public consciousness. As a friend has suggested, the victorian undertaker and the lettuce have gone. Thank god.
