Tension in United Future

The Independent this week reports tension in United Future, as MPs grapple with the simple mathematical truth that with eight MPs and the party polling at only 2 or 3%, most of them are going to miss out. This has caused a certain amount of competition for the top three spots on the party list, which is also unveiling all the other tensions in the party. Such as the struggle to find a place for the now-affiliated Outdoor Recreation party, who polled 1.28% last election and therefore justifiably want some list placement payoff for delivering an MP's worth of voters. Or the tension over whether United Future is or is not a religious party; Dunne wants to be a broader, centrist and above-all mainstream party, while the fundamentalists and evangelicals who parasitised his party want a more Christian flavour.

It will be interesting to watch these tensions play out over the next few months. If we're lucky, we'll see some of the fundamentalists go off in a sulk, so that Dunne has another chance to build the sensible, mainstream, centre party that he wants, rather than simply being a vehicle for bigots and moralising loons.