There has been been much talk of swivel eyed loons these past weeks. The Tories are back into the obsession with Europe that brought down the Major government in1997.
Cameron thought that by enshrining the right to a referendum in legislation if any further powers were sought by the EU that he’d helped neuter the issue.
Sadly UKIP’s success in achieving 25% of the vote in the recent local government elections and in standing at only 2% behind the Conservatives in national opinion polls has created panic among his own ranks.
All the mainstream parties it must be said under-performed in the local elections, although the Lib Dems can take comfort from a solid performance in their MP held seats.
It is not easy to interpret UKIP’s success. Is it really based on a desite to exit the EU or cut back on immigration or is a desire to turn the clock back to 1955?
Where does it all leave us? Next year we have the Euro-elections when UKIP are bound to do well when the electorate are not faced with electing a government and there will only be a year to go before the General Election.
Disunity is the cardinal; sin of politics. If the Tories continue on the current track their lack of unity will lead to a much poor showing in the General Election. Labour have a very difficult in achieving a swing sufficient to win outright. With UKIP still unlikely to take seats that leaves a new coalition but one between Labour and the Lib Dems on the cards.
The irony is that this Queen’s speech shows an unusual head of steam for a Government in its fourth year. Peter Oborne the Telegraph columnist, not known for his sympathy towards the coalition described the legislative programme unveiled as “brilliant”.
With a Care Bill capping care coasts for the first time, a Pensions Bill introducing the single tier pension and the Children and Families Bill carried over which reforms SEN provision more radically than ever before, many of us agree.
All we need are some green shoots of economic recovery and then Lib Dems at least can look forward with some confidence towards the General Election.
