Dear Writers, I warmly invite you all to celebrate the victory of the Rt Hon David Cameron, MP - retained as the prime minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland. Myself, I penned some poetry: Yeomen of England, oh great spiny few Ye who gathered In church halls under hills Over dales, over Wales Ye have spoken Anointed Dave Cameron in defence Of union. ...and a clip of song that so encapsulates the national spirit on this entirely appropriate May 8th 2015. Nigel.
*shudders* In the spirit of our society of individuals, I've spent the day looking at property in Scotland and Wales... and hoping they won't bring back fox hunting!
I'm waiting for our resident Scot, @jannert, to tell us what she thinks about the SNP's landslide victory.
Don't forget wee @outsider... ...having this new job of mine - it seems about 30% of the population of 'working people' or working-class people as the politicians won't say are entirely disengaged, [disenfranchised] and ALL politicians are 'bastards,' and anybody with the slightest interest is equally a 'bastard.' By disengaged, I mean my boss has no comprehension of the difference between Conservative or Labour. I admire the ignorance. If you told him Obama was our president, he'd accept the fact. He is not a stupid man, just politics is completely abstract to his life. People 'vox-popped' on the streets of Corby didn't know who the PM of the country was: English people...so it's funny... Blissful, until, I suppose, something like 'nation' is brought into the equation, or foreigners. Then we get this lust in our eyes.
I'm in a blessed labour bubble, my peninsula voting out the last Tory MP, but it's a rather flimsy victory given the circumstances. Frankly, I'm gutted that David will be our overseer. Time to look into emigration again, it seems!
I'm not exactly thrilled to see the Tories get majority. However, my main concern is that SNP somehow got the most votes in my constituency when they have made it very clear that they want to take down the local area's main source of income.
@RachHP and @Lemex - where would you like to move to? And, genuine question - think I should stay put in Prague then...? I keep considering coming back you see.
Well, to be honest I'm already planning on emigrating to Australia in a year or two. I have also thought about going back north of the Scottish border too if Australia doesn't pan out, which would also be much easier for me both financially and emotionally. I'd like to return to Scotland. [On second thoughts, no.]
As an English man in Scotland I can report that most people I know are pretty pleased with the SNP landslide, and I'm pretty pleased with it myself to be honest - it highlights what the Yes campaign was fighting for, because even if all the SNP seats had gone to Labour there would still be a conservative majority. Predictions for the next five years - Austerity, Anarchy and Riots.
@Lemex - that's a little tenuous, your linking, I mean, but admirable. Please be objective, approach these things as, say, a political scientist might do. I don't think your phrase 'despicable little country' is quite the fair reflection of our combined talents. Also, Australia might be much worse: brash, gauche, right wing, populist, remote, insular possibly?
As a Scottish man living in the North of England. People here are devised - and wishing Scotland would claim everywhere north of Yorkshire.
Yeah, but at least in Australia I'll not feel a personal investment the politics over there. I'll be an emigrant, and so can caulk it up to cultural differences. And I can live with that. And I'm not English - yet I've lived in England all my life. I'm sorry, it might sound moody and childish, but I don't feel I belong here. Chances are, I'll be going north of the border. The only problem I have is that moving to Scotland will require me to retrain - but ... ah well, I guess I'll just have to do it.
Well... @Lemex - if I could be serious a moment. I think it's something you should do, I think it would be the making of you, sincerely.
But then I'm no 'Nigel.' My father was a Yorkshireman, we're all a mixture, and I resent absolutely attempts to divide us when no division existed.. All this 'people in the North are okay, it' s them southerners' is crass.
Nah, I'm talking south of the border. Unless the people at the top stop demonizing people on benefits, and start spreading the wealth.
Yes, @HelloThere - demonizing the poor is immoral. It will have to change, but the Labour Party needs to re-organise and re-establish its foundation links...to 'ordinary' people. I really enjoyed Milliband but he was too weird for most, and like I suggested at the top of post, about a quarter of the population of England isn't even registered, involved in any way with government. Green Party is too posh...
Well, I can only take that in the best way possible I suppose. If you don't mind my saying, and sharing the seriousness for a moment, that could come across as a rather presumptuous comment - you don't actually know anything about me. Yes, ok, I'm happy to openly admit I'm a teacher - but someone who doesn't even know where I live or where I work, what I drive, or where I shop has no place saying if a major decision could be the 'making' of me if you mean that it'll make me a mature member of society. I've met, and worked with a lot of very immature people much older than me after all. And I've taught many people younger than me who frankly are more streetwise, and just plain more wise in general. Life is funny like that. I don't mean this to sound dismissive - please don't take it that way.
No, @Lemex - just that you projected frustration, and I know you are in your early twenties. ...I came across as offhand, flippant...sorry
Ah, then that's alright then. I apologize for how my post might have came across. I can now no longer claim to be in my early twenties though, sadly. By the way things stand, if I stay in England I will actually do alright. I'm partly self-employed, with a regular income, and my rent isn't exactly expensive. I'll be fine, I'm not terribly worried. What I do worry about are my friends who aren't in such a good place as I am.
Well, I fell in love with Brighton for all the obvious, tragic reasons. [except for the most obvious] Tho if money were no object I'd have a pretty house down where the Pyrenees meet the sea - though, I reckon, Anglo without the language skills would be intensely isolating: no one to laugh at your jokes. A lot of friends emigrated to NZ, but I have a distorted view of the place - Antarctica, The Piano, Southern Ocean - best left for stories: I'd like to go, or even California would suit me fine. How about a US/UK teacher exchange? You'd like the place, it's kind of big.
That's not a bad idea, it's frankly a good idea for someone of my age group and profession. I have considered America before, but Canada might suit me personally better by the sounds of it. I started applying for an American work visa when I first qualified as a teacher, but then I landed a job and that plan got lost in a pile of other things going on. I think I'd be better visiting the US, rather than working there - even on a temporary visa. I don't know why. Maybe I am talking myself out of it, but I don't feel like I'd make a very good American.
I don't think I'd recommend a teacher coming to the US. As our polity lurches further to the right, teachers are only eclipsed on the list of people-we-blame-for-everything by cop killers and undocumented aliens.
