AN ELECTION COMETH!  PART ONE - HANDED TO YOU ON A PLATE         

The 4th July, a date yet to be fully remembered as history isn't usually written until after the event.  This Election Day will see a change of party governing the United Kingdom for the first time in 14 years.  When discussing the potential outcome with friends over dinner some eighteen months ago, I envisaged a hung Parliament, similar to the Conservative/Lib-Dem coalition headed by David Cameron and not-overly-ably supported by Nick Clegg, or Clagg as a friend of mine referred to the fence-sitting cove.  Like all retired politicians, Old Nick has gone on to headier financial success with Meta.  He is currently President of Global Affairs responsible for decisions affecting users of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Oculas (which I'd never heard of!).  Then again, I use WhatsApp sparingly but have never felt the need to sully my phone with Fast Buck - as I think of it - or the other two mentioned.  Just for the record, I'm not on 'Twatter' (Latterly known as X) either.

When you look back at the Tory years in power, they had it easy, up until Covid of course, the tide then turning against normal governance.  With Jeremy Corbyn at the helm of the only true opposition party, the Tories were on a never-ending roll.  The road to continued electoral support was theirs for the asking and taking.  Dave the Brave went all out for support with his deal for Britain against the might of the EU negotiators and comes back seemingly doing a very good impersonation of Mr. Attlee on his return from Germany waving his piece of paper whilst declaring 'Peace in our times'.  The 'Brave' side of Dave, was tested with his announcement that there would be a referendum on the issue of our staying or leaving the  Euro-Club, the 'Trough of Plenty', as I see the unwieldy and unrepresentative behemoth.

Sadly for our Dave the vote did not go his way and he resigned, only to pop back into our lives several years and a fortune made through business and the speakers circuit later, as Rishi Sunak's Foreign Secretary. (I recall President Biden referring to our publicly-unelected Prime Minister as Rashid Chinook - or am I dreaming that?)  

Theresa May took charge and despite her 'Remain' credentials a lot of us thought she would make a fist of it.  Remember, JC and his box of left-wing nowhere-near-delights were the only true opposition -  in other words, absolutely no opposition at all.  The election in 2017 was there for the taking. It was a one-horse race that should have cranked up Mrs. May's ratings and secured a larger and politically more emphatic majority.  Instead, she accomplished exactly the opposite,  having announced a range of measures that would severely affect the wealth of those very voters the Tories relied on, the dyed-in-the-ballot-box, blue-rinse-in-the-shires aged between 50 and dead!  Unfortunately, she became a nag instead of a thoroughbred and the Tories lost 13 seats overall, whilst Labour picked up a net increase of 30.  Not for the first time Conservatives shot themselves in the foot when the target was easier to hit.  The Lib-Dems had a new leader from 2015 in the shape of Tim Farron, a weak looking chap who never inspired but appeared amiable at best and bland at the other end.    Vince Cable took the helm. He consumed an oversized slice of the political debating pie,  bearing in mind their round dozen seats out of 650 or so.  Hardly worth arranging meetings with that amount of public support, perhaps someone with authority in the party should have ordered a jigsaw as a team bonding exercise. 

2019 saw a change of Tory leader once more.  Mrs. May surrendered her position and the graves marked 'Failure' were further enhanced in the 'Cemetery of Unfortunates' upon TM's arrival.  JC was still leading the Labour Party and  as unpopular with the majority of the UK population as he had been since elected leader in 2015.  His airy-fairy weak political stance meant he remained the Tories best advertisement for never voting Labour!  Bring on Boris, the Big Gun, he who will make mincemeat of Europe and swashbuckle his way to glory and everlasting appreciation from a grateful public. That year's election saw the Tories returned with a massively increased majority - 365 seats to Labours 202 it really was a pasting and gave the Tories the mandate and confidence to govern with optimism.  If you remember, the Lib-Dems had a new leader of their own in the form of Jo Swinson who announced that once elected to govern the country, her party would seek a further referendum in order to get the result they wanted and not the one that the public voted for!    Having secured 11 seats, one less than two years previously, the lady departed and I for one have never heard of her since.  Always thought she'd make a good Akala, a position I would imagine giving greater satisfaction than fronting a party that will never see government itself, traditionally there at every election to make up the numbers. But then, three has always been a crowd.  I feel that  Lib-Dems  are a group of individuals, lost souls who have found a political church in which they find friendship, social self-help and self-pity, whilst never straying from the delusion of unattainable power.  That jigsaw should come in handy!

Covid, Ukraine and the Tories excelling at public infighting saw the best Prime Minister since Churchill forced to leave office and be replaced by a multi-millionaire in the shape and form of that diminutive Asian - Rashid Ch...   sorry,  Rich Sun...  sorry,  Rishi Sunak!

More  thoughts during the week methinks,  as the slagging-off, the accusations, the counter accusations and the downright lies build to a crescendo of  euphoria for some and an avalanche of despair for others.  It will be interesting anyway!  Enjoy the countdown to five years of Labour misery...