Grubby Politics at elections

by Victor Cherubim

( April 12, 2015, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) Elections whether in UK or in Sri Lanka are at the most exciting when they are a “battle of ideas?” However, if the campaign involves throwing poison darts at opponents or being about or around the views of focus groups, irrespective whether it is UKIP or BBS, often deteriorates into mudslinging and always ends up in dirty politics.

As many will know the Labour Party has been challenged by none other than Michael Fallon, the Conservative Defence Secretary, and issues have turned personal.

Ed Miliband, the Labour leader has been accused as being a “back stabber”. “He stabbed his own brother in the back to become Labour leader. Now he is willing to stab the United Kingdom in the back to become Prime Minister”.

Such an attack on the Labour leader’s character, in an already heated campaign, has no doubt inflamed tempers of the voters in Britain. This followed after the Tories back footed Miliband’s pledge to abolish “Non Dom” tax status for the global rich on worldwide income, once they have been in the country for more than three years.

Non Doms (non-domiciles) are people living in Britain, who were born outside the UK. It means that 116,000 wealthy people living in Britain, many without paying tax on their overseas earnings and capital gains, because they or their fathers were born overseas. This is a sore point with the Conservatives who want to reward the rich.

Going negative

The Conservatives have also been accused of going deeply negative in their recent campaign. Gutter politics is what Labour says in the testy exchanges that have since ensued. It is all the more interesting say political analysts as the polls show a slender lead for Labour over the Conservatives. Labour supporters counter that the Conservatives are “in a real pickle” as Eric Pickles, the Communities Secretary, defending David Cameron’s offer of a “freebee” handout of three additional days paid leave to do voluntary work, to be added to workers’ annual leave. Labour has said that the idea was a “re-announcement” from 2008.

Enticements of all sorts to rope in voters are the order of the day. Why? The Conservative Party membership has almost halved under David Cameron. Now the Conservatives have brought back the “old bogey” of Maggie Thatcher of the Falklands. The Argentine Ambassador to Her Majesty’s Court has been summoned to the Foreign Office over the Falklands Islands threat. Every voter knows that the Falklands is British, but is it to rouse the national sentiment at a time of falling voter sympathy?

Brexit a big threat to UK than the election

David Cameron has pledged to call a referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU by 2017 if the Conservatives form a government after the election, as well as promising to renegotiate the terms of UK’s membership. Labour says the prospect of Britain leaving the European Union could cause more damage to the economy. As the EU accounts for around 50 percent of the UK’s goods and 36 percent of its services exports, a withdrawal from the EU could have negative implications for trade and investment, both ahead of the referendum and following it.

What is seen in the campaign?

Every trick in the book, smears, fears, freebees, has all been dished out. After all the excitement of “non dom” Wednesday “backstabber” Thursday, it is a much more low key campaign trail today on Friday.

UKIP seems to be running out of steam with its party rating dropping from 17 to below 14 percent. Labour is trying hard to halt the rising SNP tide in Scotland. Tactical voting might reverse the trend for the Lib Dems. Are the Tories smarting after the smear, who knows?

How elections are won and lost?

As stated earlier elections are won or lost on ideas in the minds of voters. Is it in mind games or in the mind that matters? Ideas can also be discarded like unwanted clothes or what’s in vogue. A garment that fits a need and a mood and doesn’t cost too much, has upmarket appeal. A party that has panache in the mind of the voter, commanding the power to put money in the pocket of the voter, wins the day.