Happy new year to all and welcome to 2010. This year is hugely significant for politics, as in a few months time we go to the polls to decide who runs the country in perhaps the most important general election since 1997. Whether its held in March or the more likely date of May 6th, one thing is for sure that there there is a long campaign ahead for all involved.
Kicking off the election year, Tory leader David Cameron this morning identified the NHS has his number one priority and I'm sure Labour will have something to say about this. Expect this to be the general pattern until the election is called; one party announces their plans, other parties fiercely attack it. However, the NHS is one of the minor issues, as I expect this election to be focued around the budget deficit and the future of Britain's economy.
I have have thought of ten questions that won't be answered until the results of the general election are clear-
1. Will we have Labour or the Conservatives controlling the country?
2. Will a single party achieve an overall majority in the House of Commons?
3. Will the Liberal Deomcrats improve on their 2005 performance?
4. In the event of a hung parliament, who will the Liberal Democrats side with?
5. Will last year's expenses scandal see a rise or fall in voter turnout?
6. How many high profile MPs will lose their seats as a result of being implicated in the expenses scandal?
7. How will the smaller parties, particularly the British National Party, fare?
8. How will the first ever televised leaders debate effect the outcome of the election?
9. Will we see any Independent MPs elected?
10. How effective will the Sun newspaper be in supporting the Conservatives?
Of course, I do not know the answers do any of these questions, but one thing I will confidently predict is that this will be the closest fought election since the Conservatives narrowly triumphed over Labour in 1992.
More to come on my views concerning the 2010 general election throughout the year.
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2 comments:
Dont think that the NHS will be a minor issue in this election - Labour, with the WeLoveNHS campaign, and now the Tories have made it into THE election issue, tying it perfectly to their defecit reduction scheme.
Like the questions - voter turnout will be very interesting as so many people have been put off politics recently, but this is also the most important election of a generation.
Hopefully it will be seen as the most important election of a generation by the average person, but my concern is that people are so disillusioned with politics at the moment after the expenses scandal that they won't come out and vote. Turnout dropped under 60% in 2001, if this happens again this year I worry for the future of democracy in Britain.
I imagine the overall theme of the election will be the economy, with both Labour and the Tories as well as the Lib Dems slating each other over the cost of their plans more than ever. The NHS ties in well with this, as it has been linked with the phrase 'black hole' countless times, including today.
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