Usually general elections carry with them some element of frisson. There’s normally an X-factor at play that makes the campaign exciting – at least, if you’re into that sort of thing. 2005 saw questions about how many seats the Lib Dems could take off the back of Iraq (answer: not nearly as many as most Lib Dems or indeed political pundits thought they could beforehand); 2010 had the whiff of hung parliament about it and what that would bring; 2015 also had the scent of no overall majority as well (although it turned out to be a false wind that time round).
But 2017? We know the Tories are going to win, the only question is by how much. The Lib Dems were the only possible wild card and the locals have shown us how that launch stalled before take off. Now we are just waiting – waiting for the aftermath of the general election, which could be genuinely exciting.
What happens when Corbyn refuses to stand down and there is almost certain to be another Labour leadership contest? The prospect of that is much more pulse heightening than this general election is bound to be, and that doesn’t feel right. Particularly considering Corbyn will almost certainly win his third leadership contest in a row at the end of it all (although it should be a lot closer run than this general election will be at least).
Most days I wish we could just award the Tories a 150-odd majority (subject to a brief round of negotiations) and get on with it. That’s terribly undemocratic of me, isn’t it? Mostly, I’m sick of having this nagging feeling that I have to vote Tory in this GE to spite Corbyn, even though I really don’t want to. Alongside that comes the thought that if that’s the way I’m feeling, imagine what millions of others who are more naturally conservative than I am are thinking and then do the projections.
To add to everything else, this is a general election that is remarkably free of ideas. The right of centre press want to go on about the Chavez-like nature of Corbyn’s manifesto, but in actual fact it is rather dull and radicalism-free. Meanwhile the Conservatives don’t need to do anything but hang back and let Labour muck up, thus their manifesto is pretty ideas free too, apart of course from the odd bit they have nicked from Ed Miliband.
Please let it be over soon.
Nick Tyrone:
Since you live in Camberwell/Peckham, your only Labour candidate is Harriet Harman. The constituency is one of Labour’s safest seats. Your only excitement is watching Harman defend Corbyn’s leadership. In fact, I do hope you manage to ask her some awkward questions and put it in an article. There is even a slim outside chance that she will come knocking on your door. This is highly unlikely though as Harman really does not have to bother much at all. She could even take a leaf out of Corbyn’s campaign strategy and take a week off on holiday.
You can pretty much vote for whoever you like, knowing that it will not affect the outcome, but only add to the overall polling for Lib Dems, Greens, Tories etc. You could also spoil your ballot slip or not vote at all. The only possible reason for voting Tory in Peckham is because you want to show support for the Tories. Tactics do not enter into the picture.
“Mostly, I’m sick of having this nagging feeling that I have to vote Tory in this GE to spite Corbyn, even though I really don’t want to.”
I agree with Martin. You’re only demonstrating that your obsession with Corbyn has gone well beyond rationality.
By the time of the last election I’d developed a pretty powerful loathing of Nick Clegg, but I would never have considered voting Tory to “spite” him, even though in my constituency it _might_ have made a difference. I voted for a minor party candidate whose policies I broadly supported. If I hadn’t done that I’d have abstained.