Scarlet Reflects on the Election

The dust is settling on the most incredible election we have seen since 1992.  Indeed the parallels between this one and 1992 can be drawn across the board however Scarlet isn't going to go into depth about that, that is for the far more intellectual and boring bloggers.  Scarlet is going to sit back with his Bacon Sandwich (as a tribute to the leader of the opposition) and look at the key points after the day after the night after the day of the election.

Narrative

Scarlet posted his vote after work.  This being Scarlets second general election I was surprised by the amount of people about.  It may simply be a case of my arriving at 6pm but the turnout seemed considerably higher than 2010, perhaps a sign?  Scarlet posted his vote and kept well clear of the irritating people who stand outside the polling station and undermine the entire principle of the system.  It amazes me that these people are allowed to stand there, annoying members of the electorate and making them generally feel awkward.  It seems to Scarlet that this is the problem with a party system.  These people are highly beneficial to the Tories, Labour etc.  So why would a Conservative Government get rid of them?

I got home and found that everyone in the house had voted for a different name on the ballot paper, interesting thought I, this seems to be the feeling of the nation at the moment.  Everybody voting for a slightly different party they don't believe in as opposed to the standard everybody voting for the same party they don't belive in.

And so the evening in front of the coverage began (The Scarlet household voted for BBC, you can't beat a bit of Dimbleby with lashings of Nick Robinson), an exit poll and a thunderbolt!  Surely not?  Tories up the other side of 300?  It seemed propesturous and the wily old foxes of Ashdown and Campbell agreed - doubt that happens very often - could DC have achieved this late swing?  Indeed an incredible outcome, we won't know how or why the pollsters got it wrong but my goodness me a shock has run through our nation.  The success of the SNP was long predicted but a Tory majority will stun the UK to its core.  Scarlet thinks it is a bloody good outcome but there are many who will not, the PM has some tricky days ahead of him so I hope he enjoys what will surely be his finest hour.

The UK fading away...

It seems that the Nationalists triumph in Scotland is the latest step toward the breakup of the union.  Scarlet wonders if we will get another general election as the UK?  It really looks that bad.  The SNP party machine has convinced the Scot's that the grass is greener what is the PM to do?

It seems to Scarlet that full fiscal autonomy for the Scot's is the way to go.  It won't last long, Scotland has been mooching off of the English tax payers money for years and i'm sure that the second Scotland is responsible for its own money the reality of life will set in, of course it will all be the fault of the English.  It always is.

Europe

The long awaited EU Referendum is finally going to come.  Cameron's policy of renegotiation will begin straight off the bat, the success of Cameron's renegotiation will be the foundation of whether Britain stays in the EU or not.  Should the Europeans rebuff DC saying 'thems is the rules, like em or not' the British people will react with fury, as a major player in the EU surely we should have a say on policy?  Well if not, sod them we'll go our own way, I'm confident this will be the view of the Daily Mail and it's possible the electorate will rally around this view.  Can the PM bargain with Brussels?  It may well define his second term.

The UKIP vote is still there you know.... There is still plenty of anti EU running about the place, what's going to happen? 

What next for Labour

When Labour elected Ed Milliband there was a feeling around the country "they've picked the wrong one".  The British people have definitely backed this one up; Red Ed was never popular and we've kept him out of Number 10 one wonders how David would've done, or Alan Johnson?

Labour is looking in trouble now, they need to turn to someone to make them look like a modern political unit.  The message of Labour was re-invented by Blair but the Blairite vote might as well go to the Tories now that the smear marks have cleared.  The old left looks dead and buried and where does that leave the party?  One suspects the Labour Party would do well with Alan Johnson at the helm, maybe Labour won't shoot themselves in the foot this time.

An incredible result is in the bag for Cameron but now and the tough times will come thick and fast.  Our PM needs to make the changes before the British people remember how much they don't like him. Good luck Dave, Boris will be combing his hair waiting for his tomorrow.