After a 40 hour day of leafleting, door-knocking, attending the count and then wall-to-wall tv and social media coverage I’m feeling pretty shattered. In the main I’m emotionally shattered. Like so many people, up and down the country, the exit polls came like a dull kick to the stomach and the news just got worse as the night, and day, wore on.
I’m feeling scared about the next 5 years. I’m scared of the severe austerity measures, the demonising of those more vulnerable, the threat of leaving Europe, and of course the privatisation of our NHS. For those of us on the left, it’s a dark day.
For me, on the national scale, I believe the country has just lost itself the chance to have a genuine, decent and strong Prime Minister in Ed Miliband. My party has now lost two great leaders in just five years. Two honest, intelligent and socialist politicians, both subject to the bullying of an over-influential right-wing media. But amongst the despair and fear, we need to seek out the elements of positivity. Realistically, there’s some straw-clutching required to do that, as it really is pretty bleak, but there have been some glimmers of hope, and ironically, the brightest have been here in true blue Wiltshire.
I’ve had the privilege to be involved locally in the campaign of an inspirational politician, and although they might have only just finished counting this years’ results, I reckon we can already be predicting an MP that’ll be part of the 2020 intake to the House of Commons. George Aylett has just stood as Labour Party candidate in the South West Wiltshire constituency and he’s certainly a name to remember for the future. He may not have won at the ballot boxes this time, faced with such a safe Tory seat, but there is no doubt, after a series of hustings across the constituency, from Mere to Trowbridge, that George Aylett won at the debates. With no disrespect to the sitting MP, or especially to the Green’s excellent candidate, Aylett wiped the floor with all of them! Passionate, honest, energised and informed, he was by far the star of the panel of five candidates. Strong in delivery, intelligent in argument and compassionate in belief, it was exhilarating to be in the audience and be reminded that there is decency, intellect and passion in politics. And yes there are socialists in Wiltshire! More to the point, without in anyway wishing (as a 30-something) to detract or condescend, this was exciting because the candidate was a 19 year old student, running for election in his gap year. The audience at every event couldn’t fail to be impressed. Irrelevant of his age, and their voting intentions, the applause was evidence of the respect he gained as he responded to each question with belief, and commanded the floor. If Wiltshire’s village halls had been equipped with the analytical technology of the TV’s leader debates, we’d have seen a clear red line rising whenever he spoke.
So now, with Nick Clegg’s candidates being punished for his own weak part in a coalition government that has taken Britain back to the eighties, a vote for Lib Dem is no longer a tactical vote, not even here in Wiltshire. George gained an increase for Labour, at over 13%. And with just a few hundred votes dividing the other parties it really is an open race now to be that future challenger to the ever-incumbent Tories. George Aylett is also proof that the young aren’t apathetic, socialism is still strong and politicians aren’t all old, upper-class men.
Today, nationally, is a really tough day to be a Labour voter. Everyday, in Wiltshire, is a really tough day to be a Labour voter. My Grampy (from whom I gained early political interest and inspiration) used to often repeat the local adage that you could stick a blue rosette on a donkey and it’d get elected in Wiltshire. And it feels like that. But let’s fight against that status quo.
Against adversity, let’s fight back. Let’s fight against austerity, let’s fight for our NHS, let’s fight to stay in Europe and let’s fight for the many and not just the few. And come the next election, vote with your heart, because Britain is really going to need a government that cares. The future can be bright again, and the future needs to be red.
A Socialist in Wiltshire 