I noticed some interesting snippets from the mayoral results: UKIP came seventh. Sian Berry (Green) came fourth. Brian Paddick (Lib Dem) did really badly. There are reasons for all of these, and I’d suggest that a lot of them are based on what the Conservatives are doing in setting today’s political agenda.
- There are more important things than the European Union for most people. I know that’s hard to accept for some, but it’s not a vote-clincher. People tend to worry about more immediate concerns – their mortgage, the cost of feeding their family, whether their children are being properly educated, whether their local hospital will be there for them if they need it.
- The environment is important to people – and voters want someone to actually take decisions to improve the environment (which does not mean hidden tax rises, but does mean changes to the way the tax system works to help people be greener in their daily lives).
- The Lib Dems have lost their dual purpose of being the anti-Conservative, anti-Labour party and haven’t defined their territory, which means that others trample all over it. Voting Lib Dem has often been interpreted as a polite way of saying ‘I don’t really want to make any tough choices about what kind of government we have’; but it’s now time to step up and decide whether we as a society want a Labour or a Conservative government – and the only way to ensure either is to vote for it.
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