So it’s finally happened – Dundee won a game….! No The General Election has been called. .
I had thought that having moved to Australia I would not be eligible to vote – but apparently, as a British citizen, I will still get a vote. I had hoped to be spared the decision – but I can’t bear the guilt of not voting. I know that our democracy is too precious, and bought at too high a price, to not vote. In previous elections, I have voted Labour, SDP, Lib Dem, Conservative, SNP, Green and even Scottish Socialist! I guess I am what could be considered the ultimate swing voter. So here is a quick guide to the General Election 2019 – which is one of the most unpredictable in recent history. Who can I vote for?
Conservative – There was a time when voting Conservative would have seemed to me to be almost blasphemous. But I have known good Tory MPs and they are at least a party that is promising Brexit. If I had a good local candidate who not one of those oxymoronic ‘progressive’ Tories I might be persuaded! But Boris Johnson as Prime Minister is not exactly a pleasant thought.
SNP – This is the party I usually vote for. Apart from supporting Scottish Independence I thought that they had some quality politicians. But since the 2014 referendum they have changed. They have given up on the notion of real Independence and have become the EUNP – seeking to make Scotland a subservient part of the EU. The party of Jim Sillars, Alex Neil and Gordon Wilson has gone. After the 2014 election they were largely taken over by a group of Green Progressives who have little interest in real Scottish Independence and instead have a religious-like faith in a secular Nirvana. Like all Utopians when their policies fail, they blame others and as a result become more authoritarian. They have also failed with the economy, the health service and above all, education. My view is that Nicola Sturgeon is the most overrated politician in the UK and Ian Blackford matches John Bercow in terms of arrogance and bullying. Unless I get a local candidate who is prepared to go against party policy I could not in all conscience vote for the SNP (aka the EUNP) – the most authoritarian party in the UK.
Labour – I used to belong to the Labour party. There is much that I admire in its history and many of its MPs. But the old Labour party has gone. It has betrayed its history and has now been completely taken over by the Kensington Socialists. If you want to know how much British politics has changed then consider this – for the first time a majority of CDE voters are now more likely to vote Conservative, than Labour. The only way I would vote Labour is if Jim Murphy, or Kate Hoey, or a resurrected Tony Benn, were to stand in my constituency! Even then the thought of handing Corybn, Abbott, Starmer and others the keys to government would terrify me!
Lib Dems – Another party I used to belong to – indeed I helped found! But with their fanatical support of the EU and their increasing illiberal policies and their intolerance towards Christianity – I cannot foresee how I could vote for them.
The Greens – I quite like Caroline Lucas and have voted Green in the past. Again their bizarre support of the Corporatist EU (for example their lamenting the fact that 10,000 lorries per day might no longer go through) is bad enough. But add to this their support for the hysteria of Extinction Rebellion and their authoritarian approach to ‘progressive’ policies and it becomes unlikely that I could ever vote Green. This is made certain when I consider their Scottish leader, Patrick Harvie, who has no understanding of tolerance and diversity. Harvie is a clever and skilful politician – but one of the most ideological and authoritarian. His latest example of hypocritical Wokeness is his demand that politicians should stay away from Chick-Fil-A in Aviemore – whilst ignoring the fact that many companies and academic institutions in Scotland are funded by authoritarian and anti-homosexual regimes.
The Brexit Party – at least have the advantage that they are for Brexit. And if Stuart Waiton was my candidate, I might vote for them. In a Labour or SNP constituency, I might vote for the Brexit party – but ironically I think that a large vote for the Brexit party is likely to result in Brexit not happening – because it will result in Labour coming to power.
All in all I don’t know what to do. I may return my postal vote with a ‘none of the above’. Or I may find the candidate who I least disagree with and just hold my nose and vote for them (a bit like having to choose between Trump and Clinton!). I will reflect and pray.
Who will win?
The polls say that the Conservatives should win by about 50 seats – but they were further ahead in the polls at the 2017 election – so who would dare predict. The polls tell us that the SNP will get 50 plus seats in Scotland. I’m not convinced of that…so knowing that almost certainly this will be wrong here is my prediction…
Conservative – 360
Labour – 185
SNP – 40
Lib Dem – 48
Green – 1
Brexit – 2
Plaid – 3
DUP – 9
SF – 7
Other – 2
The Confused Christian’s Guide to the General Election
I feel for you. I’ve never seen such a crazy system where those elected work so hard to go against the will of the people. Praying for the un-United Kingdom.
In Dundee the SNP will obviously be hot favourites to retain both seats. The Tories have no chance and most Labour/SNP Brexiteers would never vote for them anyway. I think the Brexit Party has an outside chance, if it is able to communicate effectively with the local voters.
Were the Tories not second in Dundee East last time?
Yes they were, but still a long way behind. It’s not obvious to me where the votes they need could come from but, hey who knows.
This is an old article on Christianity and politics from a City Bible Forum speaker but its message is timeless. I thought you might enjoy it:
https://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=10110&page=0
HI David, good to hear from you and a good article. I live in a safe SNP seat. But I agree with you about the authoritarian secularism of the SNP. I will not vote for them. But a vote for the Tories in this seat (I would normally vote Tory) is a vote wasted. I want to vote for a party which has a chance of unseating the SNP. Is there a web-site I can go to which will help me in my use of a tactical vote in my constituency?
Matt White on ‘Christain Today – ”
What I do know, is that when faced with people who were all certain they were right, when forced to take choose between A and B, he got on the ground, took a breath and drew in the dirt.
And then, when he’d given everyone a moment, he asked them to look again
I’m not totally naive. We need an outcome to Brexit. The political uncertainty is bringing its own unique challenges and causing its own divisions to emerge.
I also know that Jesus didn’t end stoning. He didn’t forever smash the patriarchy that day.
But maybe in this moment, like that one, what we need isn’t more certainty, bigger stones, louder accusations or legal decisions, but to take a step down, and to take a moment to draw in the sand.”
.
There is your solution David?
David, I remember sitting through the 1979 election night with you and Archie M. I think you were a Labour voter at that time, so it wasn’t a good night! I rather hope your predictions this time are right and we can get on with Brexit and save the Union. If only the conservatives were led by someone with integrity and God-given wisdom.
Odd that you can vote yet weren’t people living in the EU not allowed to vote in the referendum? I could fact check this but busy.
How are the Lib Dems ‘intolerant toward Christianity’ are they closing churches?
You find yourself in a minority in Scotland re brexit. If you are for independence, who is left for you.
My bet is that the tories get your vote. 😳
I can vote because I am a UK citizen. I can’t vote in Australia.
Ask Tim Farron how the Lib Dems are intolerant towards Christianity! Ask the Lib Dems if anyone holding Christian values would be able to stand for office.
i/3 of SNP voters voted for Brexit. 40% of those who voted voted for Brexit. More people voted for Brexit in Scotland than voted for the SNP – who is going to represent us?
“Ask Tim Farron how the Lib Dems are intolerant towards Christianity!”
I am not British so my knowledge of this is very sketchy but my understanding is that the Liberal Democrats came about from a merger of the Liberals and another party and that the Liberals were a direct descendant of the Whigs.
If they have turned against Christianity this is a direct betrayal of their heritage because the Whigs’ supporter base consisted largely of nonconformist Christians, including Puritans, French Huguenots in exile and the various other Calvinist groups in Britain at that time, whereas the Tories were the Anglican Part y.
It feels rather counter-intuitive to say this because he plays the buffoon far too much, but… Boris Johnson did achieve two terms as the Mayor of London.
Anyone can lie, cheat, and cajole their way to a single victory, but to be returned for a second term surely means that they were reasonably effective and did achieve (at least some of) their promises. My reservation is that his negotiated deal is a very marginal Brexit, leaving far too many strings still being pulled by the United States of Europe. It’s a lot closer to the much vaunted “Surrender” than he would like us to believe.
But let’s face it – as you say, he’s a less terrifying prospect than the current Labour front bench.
Perhaps if the Brexit Party make rather more than 2 seats, and the Conservatives rather fewer than your predicted 360, Mr Farage might stiffen Johnson’s back and we could end up with a better deal than is currently on the table?
Interesting times indeed!
Exactly my dilemma apart from the SNP as I live in England. I pray that the people of Scotland will reject the authoritarian SNP – a party that tried to usurp parental rights and give a state guardian to every child is totalitarian socialist and has nothing to do with an independent Scotland, neither has wanting to remain a vassal state of the EU (Greece is such as success story!)
We need a clear out in Parliament, but care needs to be taken about voting tactically. The Conservatives took us into EU knowing we would lose sovereignty and have done it gradually by stealth. Johnson’s deal is still the “turd’ he named, but he has slightly reshaped it and given it a little more polish. Labour continued the stealth through Blair and Brown.
I pretty much agree with your sense of perplexity on this though I am an avid remainer and that plus the leftness at the heart of my being rules out voting Tory. Living in England I can’t vote for SNP or Plaid.. though I would be tempted.. and though I haven’t lived under the Scottish Government it seems more attractive than the picture you paint. I shall end up voting tactically which this time may mean voting Labour in a constituency where previously they have a huge majority…and where I think the sitting MP is a waste of space… Or maybe not. .. Or maybe I’ll pray that God will send a pilar of fire rather than a cloud to guide me.
David
If you want to be sure your vote counts, ask for a proxy not a postal vote. The Electoral Commission has recently used a contractor for postal votes rather than the Royal Mail, in order to save money. The result was that postal ballots arrived to late to count and many were inadvertently disenfranchised.
You will only lose your right to vote if you are out of the UK for more than 15 years.
Thanks for your insight. Keep an eye on the Scottish Family Party, this election will likely be too early but in the near future it ll definitely be a very decent alternative to the parties mentioned above.
Thankfully , those destined for a happy ending will not be troubled by elections in Heaven, where these pantomimes are doubtless regarded as evidence of a contemptible belief in the collective intellectual acuity of individual obtuseness.
“Under the rules, no C of E minister could be anything other than a Brexiteer”
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/under-the-rules-no-c-of-e-minister-could-be-anything-other-than-a-brexiteer/
If people pay tax and NI in a country they should vote in that country. I feel our whole election process needs reform.