Thursday, May 28, 2009

European Elections.......er..........it's the economy stupid!

I was delighted to see how high our European website is coming in Google search when you type in European Elections - and a bit of reassurance that there are still some people out their who recognise that this election is about more than dirty moats, homeless ducks and "growing" families! A friend suggested to me last night that when people on the doorstep were complaining about expenses I should say - oh no, I certainly don't begrudge MPs their bath plugs, after all they are the only people who can afford the hot water to go in the bath now!

This is such an important election, while the nation is approaching hysteria about what is going on, at the same time we are in danger of prioritising the "haves" over the increasingly high number of "have nots".

The credit crunch has become yesterday's news and yet as we speak many of my fellow Lutonians are worried sick about Vauxhall closing completely. When I was a child nearly everyone had a relative who worked there. My dad did until I was about 8, my uncle a fiery shop steward - nicknamed "Red Ken" in the era of "Red Robbo" did until he died. And across our country ordinary people, who don't have the luxury of "allowances" to build extensions or buy their food, are paying the price for 30 years of Tory government (sorry, but I don't make a distinction between pre and post '97). So the need to work together in Europe to develop better banking regulation, greater consumer and worker protection and to support the development of skills and employment has never been more urgent. How the Tories can see that their isolationist position will be in the best interests of the people of this country beats me.

No comments: