Let us Face the Future

"Quite a number of political parties will be taking part in the coming Election. But by and large Britain is a country of two parties.

And the effective choice of the people in this Election will be between the Conservative Party, standing for the protection of the rights of private economic interest, and the Labour Party, allied with the great Trade Union and co-operative movements, standing for the wise organisation and use of the economic assets of the nation for the public good. Those are the two main parties; and here is the fundamental issue which has to be settled.

The election will produce a Labour Government, a Conservative Government, or no clear majority for either party: this last might well mean parliamentary instability and confusion, or another Election.

In these circumstances we appeal to all men and women of progressive outlook, and who believe in constructive change, to support the Labour Party. We respect the views of those progressive Liberals and others who would wish to support one or other of the smaller parties of their choice. But by so doing they may help the Conservatives, or they may contribute to a situation in which there is no parliamentary majority for any major issue of policy.

In the interests of the nation and of the world, we earnestly urge all progressives to see to it - as they certainly can - that the next Government is not a Conservative Government but a Labour Government"

From the 1945 Labour Party manifesto- on July 26th 1945 Labour was elected in an unprecedented landslide.

My Support for the Muslim Brotherhood

I just want to follow a chain of thoughts through to a conclusion:

1. I voted for the current government (albeit by accident, but that's another story...).

2. I disapprove of the current government's handling of the country.

3. I believe that another government might be able to better run the country.

4. I would like to see the current government removed from office at the earliest possible opportunity.

So far, so good. If opinion polling is to believed (let's not get too carried away with that notion though...) this is what many people in this country think. *HOWEVER*, that doesn't mean that the next step should be:

5. The current government should be removed from power by the army.

I'm quite happy to wait till 2015 to try and get rid of the coalition. I'm also prepared to accept the result of David Cameron still being Prime Minister after 2015, which is fairly likely in my view. To quote John Major:

"There are some times in politics when the ball just rolls in the opposite direction, and there isn't a great deal you can do about it."

For all their enthusiasm for democracy, sections of the Egyptian people, including the army, seem to have missed this key point. Yes, I can see they were frustrated with Mohammed Morsi, who many of them didn't really want in the first place and thought he was doing a terrible job in office. But many people in many countries feel the same about their national leaders. A major part of democracy is accepting the winner has power until the electorate says otherwise. That basic principle has been breached here.

We in the West (whatever that even means) can't apply principles differently by geography. Many in the media and the government in this country seem pleased with Morsi's deposition. Had they been tanks on the streets of France, placing Francois Hollande under house arrest and outlawing the Socialist Party, would we have said "Well, it's a complex situation and we call for all sides to work to reduce tensions?" Like hell would we have.

This country was ruled by soldiers once, nearly 400 years ago. We should be thankful the scars from that experience run so deep it will not happen again. And pity the Muslim Brotherhood. Yes, it made a mess in government. But that doesn't mean it should have had to face down tanks as a result.