Top marks, Russell Brand, for sticking up for the people of Hackney’s New Era estate. But please could you stop encouraging people, even the tiniest bit, not to vote? I went for a short walk to the shops yesterday, and in just those few minutes I bumped into two people worrying intensely about how to get everyone to vote Labour, and what hell it will be if the wretched Tories get in again.
Because there’s one thing you have not perhaps realised: the rightwing always vote. You won’t catch them rebelling, sitting on the sofa at home jeering at their leaders because they’re not quite good enough – no, the Tories do as they’re told. OK, they have their little squabbles and backstabbers, and Major had his “bastards”, but when it comes to it, they go out and vote for their leaders, even if they do have crazed policies and look fairly deranged.
It is only lefties who rebel, sulk, refuse to vote – and therefore cock-up elections – because this or that policy or minister wasn’t quite tough/fair/clear/radical enough for them. Of course, I’m generalising, but general is enough to blow it for the left. And while we sit not voting and whingeing on about the flaws, the weediness, the bolshiness, the taint of Blairism or the badly judged phrases or mannerisms of this or that MP, the rightwing will be obediently marching to the polling booths regardless and voting like billy-o all the way to victory.
And if they win, it will be trickle-up, foreigners are nasty, crush the poor, sod the NHS, greed is excellent, hooray for landlords and colossal corporations ruling the world, just as they already do – but for ever.
I know it’s hard, but at least we don’t have to hold our noses any more, so Fielding and I are going to vote Labour regardless, although he is rather bitter. “They can kiss the arse of every rightwing idea and I’ll still vote for them,” says he, “but for how long? I’ve never been so close to not voting.”
Let’s hope he doesn’t bump into Russell, who might just push him over the edge.
