The road to Wythenshawe

This post is somewhat in the nature of a mission statement.  It has always been my intention in writing this blog to offer constructive comment on issues that matter (or ought to matter) to the British people.  As a general rule, I have tried to avoid using emotive or abusive language.

Another important aspect of this blog has been that I have often urged readers to join a political party, although I am careful never to specify which party that should be.  Maybe the party you join should be a party which does not yet exist, or perhaps a recently formed party which I do not yet know about.

Anyway, as I write we are less than two weeks away from the next important test of political credibility in this country, the Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election.  There are seven candidates in the running - Labour (who are defending the seat), Conservative, Liberal Democrat, UKIP, BNP, Green, and Monster Raving Loony.  The latter two parties did not contest the seat at the last general election, and I do not expect either party to poll remotely well.  No one expects Labour not to hold the seat, and so the only interest lies in the vote shares.

The Conservatives need to show that their support is rising in the run-up to an inevitable general election next year, as do the Liberal Democrats, although I expect nothing in the way of good news for them.  UKIP have a serious chance of outpolling the Conservatives and taking second place, which I am sure they would regard as a good result.  I do not currently expect the BNP to poll well, but their website is certainly talking a good game.

A Conservative bill to require a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU in 2017 has just been defeated in the House of Lords by Labour and LibDem peers.  Whether or not this comes back to haunt them on polling day remains to be seen, but it is fair to point out that with very few exceptions if any, Labour and LibDem politicians care little for democracy.

I should perhaps point out as an aside that the defeat of the bill does not rule out a referendum from taking place in 2017.  If the government of the day wants a referendum, then presumably one will be held.  Likewise, had the bill been passed into law then it would not have guaranteed a referendum in 2017, because legislation can be repealed.

The Tories are presumably hoping that this episode will boost their vote share at the expense of Labour and the LibDems, whereas UKIP leader Nigel Farage is pointing out that the recent surge in their support has prompted the government to hold a debate on immigration.  However he notes that:

... the Ukip solution is clear: we just leave the EU - and therefore the ECHR - and take back control of these legal issues.

The European Convention on Human Rights has nothing to do with the European Union.