Banana Britain

During the local elections last year, some constituencies were encouraged by ‘New Labour’ to use postal voting wherever possible. Opposition parties and the Electoral Reform Society (amongst many others) warned that the system as proposed by Labour was open to fraud, but these concerns were dismissed by the government as scaremongering. It was no surprise when stories began to pop up on the day of the election about hundreds of people who turned up at polling stations to vote, only to be told that they had already voted – by post.

Today a Judge has set aside the results relating to six seats in Birmingham, all won by Labour, stating that the scale of the fraud perpetrated by Labour party officials would shame a banana republic. Coming less than a week after Mozambique’s heavily criticised election, you have to wonder if democracy in Britain is really any healthier. I hope, but very much doubt, that Mr Bliar will be chastened by the newspaper headlines tomorrow when he announces that our general election will be held on 5th May. He will no doubt continue the theme of the past few years and state his concern at how disengaged the people of Britain have become with politicians and the political process, while remaining deaf to those of us who blame him, and him alone for this disengagement.

Channel 4 News, who have retained their bite and independence unlike the post-Hutton BBC, are checking the claims made by the political parties in their election briefings and pamphlets. Keep an eye on it but don’t be surprised to discover that all the parties are lying to us.