I must say that, despite the hype and the hyperbole of the election campaigns and the tension and drama of election night, we're still left with the same old same old...
I'm certainly not a Tory, nor do my sympathies lie much with Labour. In many ways, I thought this election would throw up some change, some great seismic activity that would genuinely alter the way in which British politics is done. I suppose I've always been an optimist...
I suppose it's a good thing that the Greens got someone in at Brighton and that the BNP didn't get anywhere at all.
Watching the election on the BBC News website on-and-off during the day, it has become obvious that voting has been traditional and safe.
Having said that, it appears the big issues of the day have been fairly well aired. The leaders' debates were a welcome change from cosy fireside chat Parliamentary Broadcasts (although I'm sure those unashamedly continued). MPs, however, are still tarnished with the expenses scandals and Britain is still in a bit of an economic depression. Perhaps it was being suddenly faced with a choice that the voters opted for the familiar and only ticked the party names they knew.
From outside the UK it seems Gordon Brown is an embattled, unpopular PM. He seems awkward and cumbersome, stuttering at the despatch box and barely able to fence off Cameron's boyish goads. Cameron, for that matter, appears polite and polished -the sort of well-mannered man your mum would enjoy having round for tea. Nick Clegg is always the Third Man, an apparently sensible guy who is included because he is well-liked and enjoys the multi-cultural mix of the new 21st Century United Kingdom.
Many reasons have been thrown up for the Conservative result -a reaction to thirteen years of Labour rule. Perhaps enough time has elapsed since the last Conservative government for the voters to forget quite how that felt: Thatcher and then Major keeping the blue flag flying throughout the 80s and most of the 90s. The Labour party, I suppose, has kept their majorities in many areas because they still have substantial support at grass-roots level. They were wise to keep Tony Blair away from the limelight.
And so to the Liberal Democrats. Clegg, despite having a favourable time of it in the debates and being a relatively young-ish leader of a young-ish party with what appears to be a different perspective, has not been able to break through the barrier that transcends good will into votes. And that's why they have always demanded a change from First-Past-the-Post to Proportional Representation. The trouble is, if that system was in place then the Conservatives would have an outright win of about 36% and the Libs would still trail third with only 23.
But I have another theory: it's the wives. Who would you rather have opening the door of No 10, taking your birefcase and enquiring with a smile, "Did you have a nice time in Brazzaville"?
Samantha Cameron has been the focus of much Fleet Street column inches. Sarah Brown has tried hard, but remains a bit of a Plain Jane. And Miriam González Durántez? Who she? She Nick Clegg woman!
There are, I am sure, as many reasons to vote as there are voters. Maybe the hung parliament will mean a jiggling political dance that thrusts newer faces to the fore. Maybe it will re-focus our political thoughts and generate meaningful debate about the direction our parties (and country) is headed. Or maybe we'll be ham-strung as in days of yore with another Lib-Lab Pact, which never worked in the past and will as likely sound the death-knell for Labour as it did after 1974.
Perhaps we should leave it to Private Eye to cut to the quick. A great front page, I think it's summed up the silly side of this Election, Leader Wives-Yes it's the Core! Vote
Saucy Sarah Sexy Sam The Other One
This election promised much, yet delived the same. It was so much fun, I think we've set ourselves up for another later this year.
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