Thursday, April 09, 2015



The UK establishment as a boy band

The UK is going to the polls next month in the most uncertain election in decades. This has already produced some great political ads. and now its produced this one:


[The good bit starts 20 seconds in]

While its structured as a gag, its a pointy one. The UK has a political establishment. All the major political parties belong to it, because they all went to the same private schools and posh universities and came out of them sharing the same world view. As a result, it doesn't really matter who you vote for - with a few tweaks around the edges, you'll get the same package of war, racism, austerity, privatisation, vilification of the poor and grovelling subservience to the bankers of the City. And with an unfair electoral system shutting out alternative voices, its no wonder that a third of UKanians no longer bother to vote. What's the point, if the only real decision is which colour tie the toff who fucks you over will be wearing?

With a Parliament that no longer represents its people, the UK desperately needs electoral reform. But that seems absolutely impossible under the current system.