UK Elections Day 2015

Here in the United States, May 7 is for many just a day.  However, halfway across the world in the United Kingdom, this is the day elections take place.  It encompasses Local Elections for Mayors, Town Council members and the like; along with General Elections, those being elected to the House of Commons from 630 constituencies. 

Now why is this important?  Well, in the UK, there have been a multitude of different political parties all jockeying to receive a plurality in Parliament.  In addition, those elected to the House of Commons effectively run the day-to-day governmental affairs of the country in a Westminster-like hierarchical format.  This effectively means that voters will go to the polls today voting mainly for party and not so much the MP. 

This year has the potential to change the leadership in Great Britain from a rather fragile Conservative/Liberal Democrats coalition to one that may still be a minority government; only this time it could be one lead by the Labor Party.  This year may likely see the potential for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) to gain somewhere up to 100 or so seats in Parliament; this may include its leader Nigel Farage.  UKIP, for those not aware, are effectively the most right wing of parties to emerge in the world the past 30 years.  And while this political organization has charisma and an economic populist message; their social and international policies are not pleasing to many. 

My preference for this year's General Election is the Labor Party; and subsequently for its leader, Ed Milliband, to become Prime Minister.  It appears that Labor is starting to tap into their commoner legacy that had gotten Labor into majority leadership in the first place.  I mention this because during the Premiership of Tony Blair, and to a lesser extant Gordon Brown, Labor acted little in difference from that of the US Republican Party; especially in foreign policy matters.  Mind you, Labor has far to go in reviving its Atlee and Wilson premierships, but a Milliband leadership will certainly help in changing matters. 

Later on tonight or tomorrow, once the election results come in, I will explain my reactions to any result that comes in.  As well, what the changes in leadership might mean for the rest of the world will be looked at.  As of now, I cannot predict which party will gain the plurality in the House of Commons; mainly due to a first-past-the-post system that eschews primaries.  We will learn more as the day goes on.  None the less, this is an important to vote. 

I first heard this latter day Woody Guthrie gem at the end of Tim Robbins' rather prophetic political satire Bob Roberts.  The message still matters today as it did in Mr. Guthrie's lifetime.

Talk to you all later,

Robert