Party Games

Well, that’s been interesting today.

I ignored any election news until I was up at a normal time, and braced with (large, strong) coffee by my side.

The candidate I was campaigning for lost by 200 votes. It’s a shame. Leaving aside personal prejudice, he was trying to do good work at Westminster to shut down some legal loopholes which make Scotland an attractive place for money laundering.

Looking at the wider picture, those outside Scotland won’t know that the leader of Labour in Scotland urged Labour voters to vote Tory in certain seats “to keep the SNP out”. Her party also didn’t bother campaigning in many seats where they fielded candidates - again to help the Tories.

Looking even wider afield, politics in the Northern Ireland Assembly is deadlocked. Within the framework of the Good Friday Peace Agreement the UK Government is supposed to be independent and mediate between the DUP and Sinn Féin to resolve it. Instead, now May is going to enter a quasi coalition with the DUP at Westminster.

With me so far?

Of course Brexit has already thrown up significant problems for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and risks the peace we’ve had since 1999. May and her dimwit acolytes have shown no sign of any interest in this issue.

I heard Alyn Smith MEP speak a few weeks ago, not long after he’d been to Ireland (both bits, I think) on a fact finding visit. He was told the politicians there are struggling to keep “the hotheads” under control.     

Sinn Féin now has 7 MPs elected to Westminster and (in theory) could sink May’s pathetic plan, but their MPs have never taken up their seats as they won’t swear an oath of allegiance. I suspect they're happy to give her enough rope to hang herself. It won't take long.

I got a Blip when I was over in Kinghorn this evening for some fresh air. I like the contrast in pattern and texture between the water and the wet sand.