What Can We Expect from This Election?

I confess that I am terrified. Not for myself personally – I have a modest income from the state (my pension). This is not as lavish as it would have been had I invested my National Insurance ‘contributions’ in the stock market since the day I got my NI number. I have a small ‘private’ pension and I am lucky enough to own three houses which are competently managed by agents. The rents I receive exceed the mortgages on these properties. I am very lucky. When I die, I will leave a modest inheritance to my sons and their children. It is for the United Kingdom that I worry – the United Kingdom that the major parties fought so hard to save from break-up when the Scots were given the opportunity to vote on independence.

At the time, I hoped that the Scots would vote themselves independence. I love the country and the people; but the Scottish electorate is considerably more left wing than the English. I wanted a ‘Yes’ vote because it seemed to me that we would then have permanent right of centre governments in England. There is, I think, one Tory MP representing a Scottish constituency and about 40 Labour MPs. Most of these are likely to lose their seats in May – to SNP candidates. The SNP is well to the left of Labour. So, the likelihood is that although the Tories may win more seats in Parliament than Labour, Labour will, with SNP support, form the next government. More English money will siphoned off to Scotland. The Scots, who have a great deal of autonomy in Scotland, will continue to have a vote on major issues that affect only England, Wales and Northern Ireland, whereas English MPs will have no say on Scottish Education or Scottish Healthcare. This is, and will continue to be, unjust and bad for England.

The Cameron government, shackled to the left leaning Lib/Dems for the last five years, has made modest inroads into the state’s annual deficit – though, so far, not into our total indebtedness. We are still borrowing – the hole is growing deeper.

Deep gloom is the appropriate state of mind.

I used to be a Tory, though not an enthusiastic one after the passing of Mrs T. But a Tory majority would be much less bad than a Labour/SNP one.

Janet Daley wrote an interesting and perceptive piece in the Telegraph a year or so ago. She said that at more or less the same time that the Socialist experiment collapsed in most countries and free market arguments won the day, the western world moved towards a lukewarm form of Socialism, paid for by a cowed private sector. Europe is visibly failing economically. Its GDP is shrinking. The Eurozone has been a catastrophe for Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal. And this at a time when much of the world, notably in Asia, is booming.

Here is my favourite statistic of all time: SINCE 1970 THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD LIVING IN ABJECT POVERTY HAS SHRUNK BY EIGHTY PERCENT.

That has come about not as a result of foreign aid (which arguably hurts poor countries) but by increasingly free markets. Vietnam, now governed by Socialists (allegedly) is now prospering.

We invented Capitalism and then castrated it. Asia adopted it and thrives. The lesson is very clear – let them who have eyes to see, see. We are deaf and blind.

Eventually, I am sure, there will be an awakening. I hope it is not too late. If we wait too long, Europe may be so far islamicised that Shari’ah economics will prevail – not a happy prospect.

On that cheerful note…