UK Political Parties Warming Up For Elections

The different political parties in the United Kingdom are currently warming up intensely, amidst serious debate over the coming election, which is expected to take place before the end of next year. At the moment, the ruling Labour Party conference which is being held from 27th September-10th October 2009 is currently attended by delegates in the city of Brighton.

The liberal democrats just completed its own conference while the main opposition Conservative Party are equally warming up for a “convincing victory,’’ if the weekly and monthly polls are anything to go by.

On the first day of Labour’s last annual conference, Prime Minister Gordon Brown tries to distinguish the main difference between his party and its main rivals.

He said: “The huge difference between my approach and that of the Tories (referring to the Conservatives)… and the big dividing line at the coming general election will be between a Labour Party determined to protect frontline services and a Conservative Party seeking blanket public spending costs’’. This, he said, would damage the economy, force people out of work and prolong the recession. According to him, this must be avoided.

Nonetheless, the Tories said the economy will be safer with them and that “Brown is no longer in touch with the needs and aspirations of the people’’. Some section of the press agrees while others rubbished such claims as “wild dreams’’ as the former Chancellor bravely continues resolving the current economic downturn and gathering funds for developing countries.

Respected commentator also argues that Brown has lost the British media and one of them said he was shocked when the Prime Minister was asked about his “losing his eyesight’’ during an interview with the BBC Andrew Marr Show.

During the widely watched show that was monitored by this correspondent, the Prime Minister emotionally paused for a moment after answering such questions. Others even went further to suggest that it was “revengeful, savagery and a humiliation interview’’.

However, the Prime Minister who looked calm maintains that his government is determined “to protect frontline services…all the advances we have made in schools and hospitals and policing’’.

During the past few months, the press has been grilling the main political parties to come and tell the voters their differences on some pertinent issues, especially in terms of public spending.

Unfortunately, they cannot resist the power of the press in relation to public opinion, and as a result coming out in the open and talking about such issues.

Brown responded that “there is a huge difference as the Conservatives would have cut £5 billion this year and as a result, they wouldn’t have supported the programme to take us out of recession’’. As far as the future is concerned, the Prime Minister indicated that the opposition would cut £30 billion next year.

So the fighting mood continues in the midst of skepticisms along wild arguments and debates. Undoubtedly, Brown said: “My fight is for the future of Britain, my fight is for an economy that delivers jobs that are sustained, my fight is for a society where, in an insecure world, people are far clearer about the responsibilities they owe to people, as well as clear about the rights they have.”

Outside the conference, demonstrators against the Iraq war and people marching against racism, fascism and discrimination, as well as those fighting against spending cuts and bailing of banks and bankers along with students calling for similar demands are rising in the minutes.

On his part, Nick Clegg, the leader of  Liberal Democrats whose party just completed its own conference a few days ago, insisted that he would fight the general election in the “hope of replacing Gordon Brown as Prime Minister of a progressive, anti-Conservative government.’’

Despite the polls, others are suggesting that a hung Parliament might be the case that happened a few decades ago.

However, the voters are still watching and waiting to determine who to elect comes the next election which is why the government, as well as the opposition are not taking matters lightly and currently posting papers to homes asking people to identify themselves in the voter register before it is too late.

One such paper sent to this correspondent read: “Please confirm the names of those in the electoral register entitled to vote for our records’’.

As political parties continue warming up, it will be unsafe or even deceitful to predict the results of the election as many undecided voters are still undecided.