The Election

I haven't said much about the election because there is really very little to say. My preferences are well known and I have already cast my postal vote for UKIP, although with the huge Conservative majority in this constituency it is but a gesture. Nigel Farrage has my best wishes for Buckingham, where we need someone to oust the speaker otherwise Parliament will continue with "business as usual".

What appals me about this election is that none of the real issues have been publicly discussed by politicians of any party in any detail. Every thinking person believes that swinging cuts are necessary in public expenditure, but there is no real information on how this might be achieved. Indeed, today's Daily Telegraph suggests that Northern Ireland would be immune from cuts if the Ulster MPs were prepared to support David Cameron. Emigration is being discussed by the public of all classes amongst themselves, but everybody speaks in hushed tones for fear of being condemned as racist (or perhaps called a bigot). Unfortunately, this major issue has been totally avoided by the main politicians.

What appals me also is the number of people who will be deciding how to vote, not on the issues, but on things like the charisma of the candidates. The woman interviewed on TV who said that she would be voting Labour because she was sorry for Gordon Brown; the one who said that she thought Nick Clegg looked "nice" on television and so she would be supporting him. Personally, I don't give a damn what the candidate (or his wife) looks like or whether he is a good orator or looks good on TV. I want someone with good qualifications and experience who has achieved something in life and is likely to be able use his talents to run the country. Sadly, I remain unconvinced that more than a handful of the candidates have what the country needs.