Thoughts on the General Election after a stroll in the Cairngorms

Coire an t-Sneachda, July 2, 2024

Yesterday I went for a walk in the Cairngorms with @Steve72Outdoors and Mel. The weather was wet and windy and cold – more like November than July. We walked into Coire an t-Sneachda, got blasted by a heavy squall, and then cut up to the Fiacaill a’ Choire Chais and descended the ridge to Coire Cas. 

Rain starting, hoods up. A few minutes later overtrousers on.

I returned home listening to the election news on the radio. The same politicians saying the same things. Thank goodness this interminable campaign is ending. I’m looking forward to election night, hoping to celebrate some of the nastier Tories losing their seats.

Six long weeks after Rishi Sunak stupidly got drenched in the rain announcing the date of the election it finally happens tomorrow. Overall the campaign has been dull and uninspiring, especially from the Labour Party, whose chief aim appears to have been as uncontroversial as possible. “Don’t frighten the horses” is hardly an approach to get the blood racing. The series of disasters from the Tories has provided some entertainment and begs the question of how their campaign could be this hopeless. But mostly it’s been a constant tedious repetition of soundbites and insults.

The most enjoyable part of the campaign has come from commentators and campaigners from outside the political parties – John Crace and Marina Hyde in The Guardian, Jonathan Pie, Matt Green, Feargal Sharkey (John Peel should be living at this hour!), Carol Vorderman and more on social media. Of the politicians Caroline Lucas of the Green Party, who is standing down, and Stephen Flynn of the SNP have talked sense on the crucial topics the big parties wish to avoid – climate change, the environment, the EU. Flynn has been good on immigration too.

The expected Labour victory will be the best result, but only because the alternative is the Conservatives staying in power due to our first past the post system. That Labour could have a huge majority with 40% of the vote is not good. Whilst not perfect the system for electing the Scottish Parliament is far better – to get an overall majority you have to get 50% of the vote. That is fair and sensible.

What do I hope will happen, other than that the Tories lose? The LibDems to become the official opposition – a good opposition is always needed and I doubt the Tories will be able to provide it as they’ll be too busy fighting amongst themselves. I hope the Greens win a few seats. I hope the SNP don’t lose too many. Both will be needed to challenge Labour on important topics and remind them they’re supposed to be left-wing. I hope Reform don’t win any seats, though I expect they’ll pick up a few.

And after the election I hope the Labour government will quickly discover that refusing to rejoin the single market and customs union and eventually to apply to rejoin the EU is stupid and self-defeating. Maybe they’re only saying this to try and attract votes from die-hard Brexiteers and will find a reason to change once they are in power. I really hope so.

Even more I hope the next government takes the climate and nature crises seriously and puts them at the centre of its policies. Time is running out. That these have hardly been an issue in the campaign is shocking and worrying.

How am I voting? SNP. Because in this seat it’s either them or the Conservatives. In England I’d vote for whichever of Labour, LibDem or Green was most likely to beat the Tories, Getting this government out comes first. Then we’ll see what happens.