Dear Editor
Prior to the last election we were told by both Gordon Brown and David Cameron that a coalition government/hung parliament could only bring disaster to the country and that only a strong majority for either Red or Blue was the way forward. Regardless of your thoughts on the policy of the existing government there is no doubt that the current government functioned in terms of passing policy and I would have thought that as a country we are certainly no worse off than we were in 2010.
Whilst this obviously contradicts the myth that coalition governments don’t work, it also illustrates that a check is provided to the dictatorial style of politics pursued by both Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair, where they both effectively bypassed parliament and pursued individual, not necessarily party agendas. Goodness only knows the oppressive measures that David Cameron would have introduced had he not been reined back by his coalition partners.
As the election beckons we are again bombarded with much hot air and hypocrisy regarding coalitions as both local and national politicians tells us who they will or won’t play with. The reality of this can be seen in the various coalition administrations throughout Scotland. The City of Edinburgh is a Labour/SNP Coalition, East Ayrshire Council is an SNP/Conservative Coalition and South Ayrshire Council is a minority Conservative Council in partnership with Labour.
Given our outdated first past the post version of democracy the political parties will have no choice but to work with whatever the electorate gives them. If this then leads to a Labour/SNP coalition it could then be argued that at least there may be one socialist in the cabinet.
The first past the post electoral system has for years benefited the Westminster elite, along with the main two political parties. It is now somewhat ironic that they are the very ones complaining that a very small percentage of Scottish Voters could hold the balance of power and unfairly affect policy throughout the rest of the UK. This just again serves to highlight that our parliamentary system is elitist, outdated and centralised. One can only hope that the new powers to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament will provide a catalyst for reform throughout the rest of the UK.
I was pleased to see that Mark, our Tory representative, unlike other candidates, appears to be now focussing on issues relevant to Westminster. I do think however that it is disingenuous at best for him to claim that raising the Tax threshold was Tory Policy, this was a Liberal Democrat Policy delivered as part of the Coalition Government. However he is more than welcome to take credit for the Bedroom Tax which was indeed Tory policy and despite Liberal Democratic objections, pushed through Government.
Ruaraidh Ferguson
Somerled
Tong
Liberal Democrat PPC Western Isles
Good on yourself Ruaraidh flying the flag for the Liberals again, I have a feeling I will be buying some of your excellent veg off you again on the 8th of May though, but full marks for effort, which is something I can’t say about the fellow who used to be our MP, Angus Brendan, whose election thing came through the door today.
He has gone the same false colour as Tommy Sheridan, and I wish he hadn’t he should grow old gracefully like the rest of us, but graceful he isn’t, although he has amassed a fortune according to reports and is wealthy enough not to stay in his luxury London flat but stay in swanky hotels at our expense when he is there. He will be a wealthy man when he is sacked, with a fat pension and many mansions littered around the United Kingdom.
I hope he doesn’t do a Salmond and start trawling round the TV studios, my husband predicts he will go trawling in Iceland, whatever that means.
All the best Ruaraidh, and good luck with your honest effort.