EU and UK Council Elections 2009

The EU elections are not usually high on my priorities but this one really proved a wake-up call. First and foremost, it was a barometer from which to judge just how unpopular Gordon Brown and Labour have become. The result, unsurprisingly, a crushing defeat for Labour, their worst in over one hundred years and clearly shows if a national election were held tomorrow, Labour would suffer a terrific defeat. Largely, this is not so surprising. Governments in power for over a decade always fall to the whim of government fatigue no matter what. This can only have been compounded by the current, and ongoing, expenses crisis which has hit the government lately forcing a number of high level politicians including cabinet members, to be accused and forced to leave the government. As if peoples trust in the government wasn’t bad enough as it is! All of this explains the continuous, and very much alarming, trend which has been the case for decades of voter apathy. Voting has steadily decreased from 62% in 1979 to 2009’s level of 43%, truly abysmal yet completely understandable. All of this has taken place under the underlying problem of an economic recession, which is always, and largely unfairly, blamed upon the government; who else are we to blame? An economic crisis, ministers quitting left, right, and centre, and voter mistrust all conclude in Gordon Brown merely clinging on to a sinking ship. Many have jumped, when will the captain abandon ship? It can only be a matter of time.

The UK, however, is not the only country shying away from the left. Europe in general took a rather large step top the right with even far-right groups and anti-immigration groups making gains. Sadly, the BNP also gained its first seat in the European Parliament, truly tragic! Rather sadly, conservatism looks set to be the dominant force in Europe.