Ave Atque Vale to the Green Revolution...for Now...

Here in Newark we have, unbelievable, just concluded the May 7th election process. A candidate in my local council ward had died just before the vote, and so it was postponed until last Thursday.

The consequence of this was that anyone who had missed out locally first time round piled into this ward, and thus we had a ballot paper a yard long and 6 crosses to spend on it, like the world's most politicised "Spot the Ball" competition.

A strong slate of local Greens and Independents all stood, but in the end, they were wiped out of existence by the Conservatives, who took all 6 seats to end up dominating the council even more than they had done previously. All this in the ward with the fewest registered Tory supporters too.

And so the 2015 political process finally ends, one that had promised much for the Greens, but one where hatred of Scots and the hatred of White Van men for the unemployed and poor finally won out. One seat and a couple of narrowish defeats.

Still the much vaunted UKIP surge didn't happen, and unlike the Green Party, UKIP's whole raison d'etre will be oblivionated one way or another by the EU referendum. The environment issues won't go away, and nor will a whole lot of other scientific and rational ones in a world where mania and madness seems ever more prevalent.

These are the issues the Greens will have to visit to be actually large scale relevant. Opposition to GM food needs to be dropped, likewise nuclear energy can't still be seen to be the great demon of our time. People need food and energy more than they need brown rice rhetoric. They need science more than they need Arthur Pendragon.

There are still massive gains to be made, and many people that can be won over, if you appeal to their brains.

Enjoy the latest garden discoveries!

Si

Polling Day in Newark, Election 2015

It hasn't been much of a campaign in Newark, to be honest. After all last year's excitement with the by-election, we've gone back to being a safe Tory seat, so much so that the incumbent Robert Jenrick has barely even bothered. Taking your voters for granted is dangerous, but I don't think it will make much difference here.

The Labour campaign has in contrast been well received. Michael Payne impressed at hustings, and has been very busy on the estates of the town. The Lib-Dems seem resigned to another loss of deposit, and UKIP have fielded a clown candidate who suggested to parents complaining of poor local schools that they should move to Lincoln.

The UKIP office has always been rather busy, with a grey haired tubby fellow permanently on leafleting duty, with occasional help with someone who looks like a parody of a gin sodden retired Naval lieutenant.

The Green candidate has one well, and some have mentioned there is a faint chance she will beat UKIP into fourth. I doubt it personally, but we will see.

What is interesting about this election is how few houses have posters up. In central Newark indeed, there are a few for the Greens and Labour, but none at all for the Tories or UKIP. The Tory support is out in the sticks, whereas UKIP do well in the estates with folk who think the eradication of the local Eastern European population will lead to permanent summer, with golden raindrops falling on every house twice a day and unicorns in the park.

As opposed to improving their literacy and numeracy so they can actually compete with Polish folk for even low end jobs.

No-one bothered canvassing me in my little flat. I said to a Tory council candidate that I know that I figured my part of town was a Tory heartland. He surprised me by telling me that there are only 27 registered Tory voters in the area.

Apparently my part of town is educated Green and Labour territory. Rather pleased about that, for some reason.

Si

All images and text copyright CreamCrackeredNature 07.05.15

Bike shed pretending to be a polling station

Disillusioned voter

Same polling station as for by election last year

One of the few postered houses...the "Farage Free Zone" I've pictured before

Victoria Street a Labour stronghold for some reason

UKIP getting youngster in pram used to the idea of working for no money delivering leaflets

Out in the sticks, Coddington polling station

Of course, the one Tory sign I found would have to be a bloody great landowner

UKIP house