Stalemate

I can just about remember the last time that we had a hung parliament.  According to the records it was 36 years ago so at that point I was not old enough to vote, although still had an interest in politics.  I can remember that although there was a lot of discussion not much happened and life carried on. My parents thought that a hung parliament taught the politicians a lesson but in the end was not a good thing as nothing much happened. They did not like the instability and after experiencing a hung parliament and then a Labour government with a small majority I think most people decided that proportional representation was not the way forward. In 1979 Mrs Thatcher and the Conservative party were elected and stayed in power for almost two decades. I remember hating the fact that for 20 years of my adult life I had never lived under a government that I had voted for.

I am now about the age my parents were in 1974. I think the government and parties got what they deserved but I have no illusions that having a hung or 'balanced' parliament (depending on your view) will make any difference what so ever to the state of things. Minority issues will remain just that in the face of the economic crisis. Promises will be put on hold for the future and then never materialise and we will not have proportional representation as if it was put to a referendum in the end the majority would not vote for it. Lets see if I'm right!