The AV Referendum was Good for the Tory Vote
A political commentator has just said on Radio 5, that the referendum on AV was good for the Tories as it got their supporters out to vote in the council elections. They did win more seats and councils despite cutting spending, which was not to be expected. Ross Hawkins also said the following on his blog.
The prime minister and Conservative leader has managed to win seats while cutting public spending, something few pundits expected.
David Cameron said the coalition was “as good today as it was a year ago”
The Conservatives emerged from these elections with more English councillors and councils, and two extra Welsh Assembly members.
There were downsides – losing the party leader in Wales, and a relatively poor performance in Scotland.
But these elections was a resounding success for the Conservatives, especially in England.
If the Conservatives can do this well in the face of the biggest spending cuts it either shows that people will vote Tory whatever, or voters understand the mess the country is in better than most politicians think. In my view, judging by the way AV literature was being read on the Dalston Omnibus and the positive vote for AV in this area of London, I would not discount the latter.
The Anonymous Widower 
I am not normally a conservative voter, but I do think the coalition is doing what has to be done, the country was close to bankruptcy caused by labour overspending. I dont like the cuts any more than the next person, but just as a family has to balance its budget, so does the country. And labour didnt.
I never ceases to amaze me how many people dont grasp that you cant increase public spending and cut taxation.
I am also disappointed about the No vote. I think that with issues in North Africa/SW Asia, and the Royal Wedding there have been fewer TV programmes about the benefits of it. Had I not been doing a course which took all my time, I would have offered my services to the Lib Dems of the next door constituency.
Comment by liz | May 7, 2011 |
In a comment on another post, I said that lots of women on the Dalstom Onmnibus were reading the various flyers pro and against AV and wondered if women had a different voting pattern on the issue.
You make the point about family budgets, which in many are the preserve of the woman. So is support for the coalition and the cuts higher with women.
I do suspect thought, that your beer-drinking, smoking, car driving, macho male says he is very much against the cuts, as he’s being hit hard where it hurts.
Comment by AnonW | May 7, 2011 |
Beer drinking, smoking, car driving women are probably just as much against the cuts. Especially the ones who have no idea how to cook a proper meal from basic ingredients and rely on expensive processed food. I sometimes see people in supermarkets with only ready meals and snack foods such as biscuits and those pots things of mousse and trifle etc in their baskets. no fruit, not even tinned, no veggies, just processed stuff. And they wonder why they are unhealthy and poor.
Comment by liz | May 7, 2011 |
I think though there is a divide in the less well-off. I know quite a few who take a serious interest in food and eat well! And then there are those that don’t. I don’t think all of the flyers selling junk food through my door help.
Comment by AnonW | May 7, 2011 |
We dont get junk food flyers very often. Up here, there isnt really a divide of what people eat based on affluency, except that the richer ones get their ready meals from posher shops
Comment by liz | May 7, 2011 |
You are lucky.
https://anonw.wordpress.com/2011/05/07/hackneys-junk-mail-sticker/
Hackney reckon that 900 tonnes of junk mail is delivered every year in the borough.
Comment by AnonW | May 7, 2011 |