Gutted!

Gutted

Last night at 10pm the exit polls announced their results. Right from the word go, even as the count was only just getting started TV pundits were predicting a landslide majority for the conservative party. And they were right.

The tory party now has a massive overall majority in the British parliament and there’s nothing to stop them doing exactly as they please. And there’s the rub.

No excuses

There are no longer any excuses for Boris and his disreputable gang of bully boys. There’s nobody to blame for their failures or for their cruelties. Whatever they do in the next five years, longer if they implement their ‘enabling act’ (see p.48 of the Tory manifesto) will be entirely down to them.

Well, they made a lot of promises, as tories always do. Election time is the only time when the conservative party starts talking like socialists. As if by magic they suddenly begin en masse to care about the NHS waiting lists they created. They start to worry about people struggling in poverty due to Tory party policies and they claim to want more educational opportunities for our young people who’ve had their prospects decimated by 9 years of Tory rule.

We’ll be watching

So let’s make sure they do what they set out to do. Let’s make sure they keep those promises too. After all, we know they’ll keep the right wing pledges they made to take even more from ordinary people and give it to the super rich. We know they’ll be falling over each other to flog our NHS to the Americans and there’s absolutely no doubt that they’ll further decrease our access to legal redress when our rights are trampled. That’s the trajectory they’ve been on for years.

Let’s hold them to their words about the good stuff too.

Left eye view

Left eye view will keep watching this government and compare its actions to its manifesto and election promises. New laws, changes to taxation and reductions in funding for necessary services will be compared against Boris’ promises to us, the people. Let’s see how sincere this government really is.

Inequality at the Hustings

The first question at last night’s hustings was about inequality. It’s ironic that this first question demonstrated the inequality between the candidates, both in competence and in understanding. The labour candidate, Sue Hayman was confident, knowledgeable and passionate. Mark Jenkinson, the local conservative’s answer was superficial, uninformed and characterised by soundbytes delivered by rote without a hint of engagement with the subject.

Jenky might just as well have ‘phoned it in!

Mark Jenkinson: Workington man

An interview with the potato!

Mark Jenkinson is the Tory candidate for Workington. In the past he’s supported Labour, the Conservatives, stood for parliament with UKIP and now for the Tories.

This is the ’empty chair’ interview he wouldn’t agree to take part in.

Workington man: A partial retraction

Yesterday I uploaded a knee-jerk reaction video in response to Bill Pennington’s awful ‘Workington man’ stereotype. But I went after the wrong target.

Bill Pennington is not my enemy.

Bill, if you’re reading this… I’m sorry. I apologise for insulting you. I disagree with you but that’s not the same thing at all.

Workington man – the trouble with stereotypes

The trouble with stereotypes is that they’re far too easy!

Yesterday morning a London-based reporter popped up on my local politics Facebook page. I’m a Workington man, born and bred and although I’ve lived and worked in various parts of UK I’m home now and very definitely still a Workington man. So I was a bit surprised to read what he had to say.

This young bloke who presumably hasn’t ever set foot in West Cumbria was looking for a dinosaur from the 1970s, a stereotypical middle aged, white, beer-drinking, rugby league supporting, slightly dim-witted and extremely uninformed, male voter to tell him why he hated Jeremy Corbyn. And, of course – if you look hard enough you find what you’re looking for.

And where might you find such a relic, a blast from the disreputable past? Look no further than Wetherspoons where one Mr. Pennington, retired manager of Workington Job Centre and alleged former labour voter (if you can believe that) holds his court.

So… as one Workington man to another, here’s my response to the good Mr. Pennington. I hope he’s listening.

Oh dear Bill. Boris would see the economy crashed just to appease his backers who are actually gambling on UK’s economy failing. That’s why they and Boris want us out at any price to the people.

This tory stereotype really does appear to be what they think of people in the North. They see us as uneducated, outdated, sexist bigots (there’s no Workington woman caricature, after all).

Personally I think the Workington man stereotype sums up the tory attitude to we Northerners very well. Not only do they think we’re stupid but their economic decisions over the last 9 years have shown that they think us undeserving too.

Let’s boot the patronising bastards out of power and enjoy a proper, traditional, Northern Christmas with a labour government at the helm to bring a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.