Don't Forget to Vote
Polling day is here. Hope you remembered to vote if you are living in the EU. The European elections might turn out to be more interesting and unpredictable than most of us thought at first. The surge in support for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) a right-wing anti-European party, has taken most commentators by surprise.
I must confess to predicting that the UKIP stood zero chance in Scotland. In the last euro elections they got just 1% of the poll here. This time they look likely to take substantially more. Some are even predicting a Scottish seat for UKIP. But the interesting question is the effect this will have on the rest of the parties. If UKIP eat into enough of the tory vote we will see a divided right. There are certainly plenty of factors to ponder. Even if turnout is low (and it doesn't look like being as low as some feared - my polling station was doing brisk business this morning) then the number of hardcore voters each party can get out will be a major factor. For the SSP and Greens this means whether our Scottish Parliament vote can be mobilised to come out and vote again.
The result in England will determine the fate of Respect one way or another. I think the benefits of a united and serious left outweigh the disadvantages of the politics put forward. A defeat for Respect will put the prospect for a united workers' party in England on the back-burner for a whole period. This would be disastrous.
Mr Howard looks like having a bad day. I think Tony Blair will escape once again with the Tories problems taking the attention away from his.
Or I could be completely wrong about everything. It has been known.
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