Once again the local elections have arrived. Yes, the time to vote for people ensuring bins are collected and animal litter is dealt with is upon us. Given the General Election next month, it won't be long before people trudge to the polling stations at least 3 times a year. Thank goodness we don't live in a direct democracy - nobody would be willing to count all the ballots! Based on the results, I have found the local elections very disappointing.
One clear positive is the complete collapse of UKIP. For the councils that held elections on Thursday, they now have only one seat. I despise UKIP for their part in the ghastly referendum and their general stain on politics. I feel only happiness and joy at their near abolition. However, their decline in support has lead to over 500 gains for the Conservatives. For a governing party to be gaining seats and councils 7 years into their premiership is unprecedented. I've watched lots of interviews with life long Labour voters switching to the Conservatives, saying they 'like what Theresa May is doing.' Let's just see how those Brexit negotiations turn out.... The Conservatives have also been on the rise in Scotland. To think the Tories could end up with more than 1 Scottish MP is staggering. I think this is because of the Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson, who even I find likable, despite disagreeing with her on a number of issues. One area where I do agree with her is being for the union. The Conservatives have made themselves the anti-independence party, taking on the SNP dominance. I'm sure a number of Labour unionists switched to the Conservatives to send a clear message to Nicola Sturgeon. I'm no SNP fan, but certainly don't think voting Tory is the answer. A new addition to these elections were directly elected mayors for 6 UK regions, including the region where I reside. A ghastly idea, in my view. Adding another layer of local bureaucracy by putting millions of pounds in the hands of one person unnecessary and costly. Surely a council leader, based on the party with the most seats, can do the job appropriately? Small councils can be far more specific and focused on their area, increasing the relationships between voters and councilors. The mayoral election is the one occasion where I would recommend people to spoil their ballots. Let's hope the system is soon abolished. ****************************************************************************************************************** My father and I have been enjoying 'Only Connect' over the last few weeks. During revision breaks, when I'm not blogging or tweeting, watching fiendishly difficult quizzing puts the difficulty of my GCSEs into perspective. We are working our way through series 12 on YouTube - something I would thoroughly recommend. Victoria Coren Mitchell, the host, is simply wonderful. Her sarcastic humour, witty remarks to start and end the programme combined with her own intelligence make her the perfect host. Victoria's willingness to allow teams to have a second chance if their guessed connection is quite near is thoughtful and generous. Not forgetting her perseverance to try and make teams sing a song that is part of a relevant connection. It doesn't usually go to plan.... When watching, even knowing the categories can be a challenge. Due to Only Connect's advanced nature, Egyptian hieroglyphs are used, which, for the right or wrong reasons, I don't know. Thankfully, after watching 10 episodes, I've mastered the hieroglyphs to perfection. As for the connections....well, that's another matter. ****************************************************************************************************************** Next Friday, I will experience my own milestone. After 5 years, my official secondary education will have finished. It is most definitely the end of an era. There have been many ups and downs - times I would have rather stayed in bed; moments of rage and despair but also some unforgettable moments with some great people. For many of the people in my year, next Friday will be the last time I ever see them. How odd. Though I will somewhat miss secondary school, I look forward to embracing the change of sixth form. However, there is the tiny issue of exams to tackle first.....
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author:Noah enjoys writing a blog and drinking tea Archives
September 2022
Categories
All
|