I interrupt this desert of blogging mostly to wax lyrical about Four Lions. Yes, Chris Morris made a film! Yes, the same Chris Morris who created the best television of the 1990s! And yes, you ought to go see it!
It was this kind of instant enthusiasm for a slapstick satire about suicide bombers which got Lucy and I to make plans to see it on Saturday, as it happens. (Bit of a weird day, incidentally, since my mum and three of her friends also found their way to mine for tea – forcing me to resort to using the novelty ‘sloping’ mug which is the perfect demonstration, should you ever require one, for why mugs generally don’t slope.) But since Four Lions didn’t suggest itself to be the world’s most romantic film ever, I also gathered a fine collection of people-who-don’t-revise-through-the-night to come along. And so it was that Oliver, Simon, Eamon, Patrick, Caroline, Flora, Matthew, Laura, Lucy and I (phew) ended up at the Cambridge Picturehouse on Saturday night, facing a rather perturbing snaking queue and worrying mutterings that it was totally sold out.
Being resourceful people, however, we began a trek to the Out Of Town Soulless Multiplex (TM) which – amusingly – is located right next to the ‘Cambridge Central’ Travelodge. But not wanting to face the embarrassing prospect of being turned away once again, I also commandeered Caroline’s iPhone in order to book us all tickets. And it was at this precise moment that I first came face-to-face (or voice-to-voice) with those awful automated phone booking systems – y’know, the ones which require you to walk down the street shouting out “FOUR LIONS” or “YES” or “STUDENT” at regular intervals. (And why waste my time offering me a ‘plot summary of the film you have just selected’? Does anyone actually use this?!)
Anyway, the point is that the whole experience reinforced my view that there is probably no crime in Cambridge at all, because I was walking down the road desperately trying to punch debit card details into an iPhone and still nothing happened – a rather pathetic indictment of the ability of local criminals to respond quickly to opportunities. (Although I suppose I’ll have to eat my words if I log onto internet banking later to find that I’ve bought a yacht or something.) But yes. We got there, and it really was a superb film, and I highly recommend it.
(Oh, and this week’s Doctor Who was similarly excellent. Though I hope it doesn’t persuade a generation of kids to throw themselves off hill-tops in the hopes of waking up in the TARDIS. At least save that for the night before your HAP exam, kids!)
Well, as of this evening we now have a Conservative Prime Minister. And yet, I’m feeling rather content – even optimistic. Here’s why.
Since the Second World War, we have only ever had Conservative and Labour governments. In fact, until New Labour we usually had prolonged periods of Conservative rule interspersed with brief patches of Labour, but that’s just another reason why I am quite happy to have sat out on most of the twentieth century by virtue of not being born. It’s been a two-party system, with the pendulum swinging from one to another, and sooner or later every government must get so tired, weary and bloodied from office that it falls to the opposition. That’s just the way it is.
So imagine, back from the vantage point of the twentieth century, of being told that in the future there would be a thirteen year spell of a Labour government. That’s over a decade in which – for all of its shortcomings, which no doubt someone will now see fit to bring up – we got the minimum wage, record investment and delivery in schools and hospitals, a huge advance in gay rights, proper government restored to London, a big expansion in university provision and – thanks to an independent Bank of England – no ruinous inflationary economic cycles of boom and bust. (Ah – before you object – the credit crisis and subsequent recession was a quite different beast, no doubt leaving its own lessons to learn but not the same thing.) Imagine being told all this, and then being asked what you thought would follow. Well, another turn for the Conservatives, naturally. The pendulum swings back.
Except it hasn’t – not this time. I’m sure that most of the people reading this will share with me an intrinsic gut reaction against the sight of a Tory stride into Downing Street, even if deep down we recognise that the British Conservative party really is nowhere near as bad as some of its international equivalents. But, this time, he’s not walking in to lead a Conservative government but a coalition. Thanks to the Lib Dems, progressive politics now keeps a foot in the door.
The Lib Dems might now be able to act as a crucial brake on Conservative instincts. Thanks to them, we might yet avoid ludicrous fiddles to inheritance tax thresholds or marriage allowances. Income tax for the poorest might even be cut. Lib Dems will be in the Cabinet. Lib Dems might win us changes to the voting system to escape the deficiencies of first-past-the-post which brought us the two-party pendulum effect in the first place. Lib Dems in the government might just be a crucial signal to the rest of Europe that Britain is still engaged with the rest of the continent.
I say ‘might’, because they might not be able to achieve any of these things. Fair enough. But at least now we’ve got a chance – at least we haven’t gone back to a purely Conservative government by default.
And if the Lib Dems fail? Well, I happen to know of another party. It’s now in opposition, but with 258 seats in the Commons and millions of voters still loyal to it. It’s untainted by anything the government does from now on, but will soon have fresh leadership and a chance for renewal and new ideas. It’s the Labour party, and one day it will earn the support of the people to govern again.
The ups…:
Colours probably approximate to vote share, too
There is a possibility our party was not typical of Cambridge
BBC Election Night Bingo!
Cocktail socialists
…and the downs:
Grr, take that Gideon!
Not exactly 1997, is it?
Well. I guess the real losers here are those ‘not interested in politics’ who finally thought they might get their TV / radio / newspapers back from all of that glorious political coverage. Haha! It’s going to go on for ages yet 
Immediate reactions are that a) wow, Glenda Jackson held on in my neighbouring constituency by 42 votes, which is truly a remarkable tribute to those canvassing for her! b) I’m pleased for Caroline Lucas down in Brighton c) I’m very much not pleased with whoever ousted Evan Harris, the Lib Dem’s remarkable sane Science spokesperson and d) as I actually said to a BNP supporter the other day, they weren’t going to get anywhere in parliamentary elections and they didn’t.
Can’t get too carried away, though… I have 20% of my degree sitting in my bag at the moment and mustn’t forget to hand it in 
Voting
People say that one vote won’t make a difference. But that’s exactly the point! If one vote made a difference, we’d be living in an absolute monarchy. Bagsy King
Anyway. I’ve voted – not my first election, but my first general election Now to sit back and watch as the fun begins…*
*or, alternatively, become part of the Big Society, declare I’m dissatisfied with the status quo and form my own micro-state. Again, bagsy King.
As tradition demands, I must alert you all to the fact that my blog is now six… 
Six, seven, and eight-year-olds build on the important developments of the first 6 years of life and seem to settle down to a steadier pace of growing and learning. Young school-age children are interested in real life tasks and activities, and pretend and fantasy lessen considerably […] School-age children have longer attention spans. They are more likely to stick with things until the project is finished, the problem solved, or the argument resolved. Doing things together with friends, teamwork, and following rules become very important. This age group is fascinated by rules and can develop games with extensive rules and rituals.
Of course, I will leave it to you to decide whether you think this blog ‘views things as black and white, right or wrong, wonderful or terrible, with very little middle ground’
For the sharpest insight and analysis, always turn to six year olds
Helen on It’s (waiting) time.: “Fabulous news, congratulations to you both! X” Jun 8, 21:51
