So what gives me the right to comment? Well firstly I am a voter myself (which really is stating the obvious). Secondly I am a journalist by trade and used to commenting on matters. Thirdly I am aligned to no specific political party and, over the years, have voted Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Liberal and also Green. So I am unbiased when it comes to voting. I vote according to the issues of the day and the party that best represents my own views on a variety of subjects.
I often vote for a person rather than a party - supporting the man or woman who I feel will best represent the interests of local people (more about this later). At local level (district and county council) I have consistently voted Tory simply because our three councillors - David Bills, Phil Hardy and Adrian Dearnley - live in and care about our village. I would vote for them if they represented the Eskimo Liberation Front (just made that up).
Similarly I wouldn't vote Conservative in a General Election at the moment because, to put it brutally, our current MP is a waste of space (more about this later).
If I was a voter in North Shropshire, I would have voted Liberal Democrat as a member of the tactical voting brigade which saw people band together to ensure a Tory defeat.
It was time that a clear message was sent to Boris Johnson showing that we have had enough of Tory Sleaze and, most importantly, enough of his lying and morally bankrupt character. This man is no leader. He is, without doubt, the worst Prime Minister we have ever had (and that includes Margaret Thatcher and Neville Chamberlin and many more rather controversial characters). And it's all made worse by the fact that he sees himself as a Churchillian statesman. Donald Duck is more Churchillian than Boris - the scruffiest man ever to hold the office.
One of the main questions to ask is: Can the Liberal Democrats turn this result into something permanent or is it just another flash in the pan result that wouldn't be replicated in a general election? Is this the start of something big for the party or just another false dawn? Are we seeing an end to the two party system or will normal service be resumed at the next election? Is tactical voting with the public switching allegiance for a specific purpose/reason here to stay or just being used in a by-election to put the frighteners on the ruling party?
I'm sure these questions will be answered in the fullness of time but for now the Conservatives are left with more than a little egg on their faces and some serious discussions to be had. All this comes at a time when there is no doubt that the vaccine roll-out has been a huge success and that makes the behaviour of our Government even harder to take. They should be riding the crest of a wave rather than drowning in a sea of sleaze. So ultimately they only have themselves to blame for what has happened in Shropshire. And we all saw it coming as well.
There were a number of interesting asides from the election. The turnout was just 38% which means 62% didn't bother to vote. The best explanation for this is that disillusioned Tory voters who wouldn't vote for a Boris Johnson led Government stayed at home rather than voting for another party.
The winning candidate Helen Morgan polled under 6,000 at the 2019 General Election. This time she returned almost 19,000 votes. At the same time the Labour candidate Ben Wood polled well under 4,000 votes this time, compared with the Labour candidate's 12,500 vote in the General Election. This suggests that many Labour supporters voted Liberal Democrat in order to ensure the Conservative candidate didn't win.
Finally if and when Boris Johnson resigns or is thrown out as Conservative leader (and it can only be a matter of time) there are a number of North Shropshire parties he could join. The Monster Raving Loony Party, the Boris Been Bunged Party and the Party Party spring immediately to mind.
I said I would return to comments about our own MP - the ever disappearing Richard Bacon. I have mentioned this before and also written articles for my Hethersett Herald e-magazine. There have also been articles in the local media on Mr Bacon's inability to answer queries from his constituents.
Currently Mr Bacon's official website consists of just one page and includes the following words:
"I am here to serve and represent local people in South Norfolk regardless of how you voted. If you need my help then please don't hesitate to get in touch."
On 20th November, I sent him a message asking why he doesn't respond to e-mails from his constituents and how he intends supporting our village's fight for more facilities to keep up with the major housing expansion we are experiencing at this time. That e-mails was sent 28 days (exactly four weeks) ago and to date I have received neither a reply nor an acknowledgement that it has been received and that is in keeping with the experience of almost 100 others who have sent him a request and received no response. It makes a mockery of his claims on his one-page website.
It is interesting to note that Mr Bacon is currently involved in supporting and furthering the Government's policy on house building.
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It is rumoured that the man in the red coat with a long white beard will be touring Hethersett today, starting from the King's Head at 4 pm and doing a tour of the village before heading back for refreshments at the King's.
I'm hoping to follow him with my camera on his wanderings. I hope it's not an offence to stalk Father Christmas!