Politicians look like their parties (like dogs and owners)
I'm writing this while the great British newly re-energised democracy is waiting to see what government its elected representatives will cook up between them.
The husband, I should say, is relatively content. He saw the way the wind was blowing by 12.30 on Thursday night/Friday morning and went to bed. He is now hoping for the Tories to get in long enough to abolish ID cards, before the colour of their politics is revealed and, after a new election, a Brown-less reformed Labour party is swept back to power.
I did stay up till about 4.00, hoping for a Portillo moment...but it never came (I missed Esther Rantzen losing her deposit, which must have been one of the greatest triumph's of the evening's democracy -- a sign that the electorate can tell the different between a Martin Bell and a celeb).
The best thing though was the reassurance that British politics
really hadn't changed all that much in the last fifty years. We have
got used to seeing those well groomed look-alike young men (and they
are mostly men) on the front benches of all parties...all nicely groomed, and nicely/casually dressed in the same sorts of outfit.
Take a look at the declarations of poll from the council buildings all over the country and you discover that that is only skin deep in British politics. Mostly the players look just like they ever have.
Picture the declarations (at least as we see them on the
television). There is a (usually large) Returning Officer (or Deputy
Returning Officer, or Acting Returning Officer) having their one moment
in the spotlight, declaring "the total number of votes cast for each
candidate...".
And behind is the row of candidates. You may occasionally recognise one, but usually they are totally anonymous. And you don't need to see the colour of their rosettes to know which party they are from... they just LOOK like it.
Despite Cameron's flashy girls, most Tories do still appear to be tweed-jacketted toffs. Most Labour candidates are at least dressing down to look like one of the people. And Lib Dems more often than not DO have sandals and beards.
As for the other parties, well they look mad. You can tell the BNP and UKIP guys by their stary eyes. I think that is a relief, on balance.
