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Left or right. The end of politics?

I have lived, as an adult, under both a Tory and Labour government and do not who to vote for at the next elections. The right. Despite Cameron re-branding, the Tory party is still the natural home of a certain type who is still stuck in 1952 when everybody knew their station in life and those at the top are there, because that’s the natural order of things. God, if you like, made things that way. They are not too fussy about money grabbing. Corruption (although they would not call it so), is still their main modus operandi in business. The left. The Labour party seems to perceive its role in government (both at local and national level), as a recruitment agency for minority groups, mainly ethnic and religious (a kind of inverted snobbism of the Tory). Endless public sector expansion acts as a hub for the formulation and promotion of identity politics and ‘access’ policies. To cover their back for the general incompetence that follows, they hire consultants (mainly Tory types who are not fussed about money grabbing) who can be blamed when things go wrong. Has politics lost the grand narratives of the past? Is it now all about minor details: and who’s got time for those? Can voting be anything other than holding your nose and choosing the lesser of two evils?

Public Comments

1. It can be more than choosing the lesser of two evils, the only problem is, people think thats the only choice because if you dont, its a throw away vote. If everyone didn't think like that we would be in better shape. Everyone just needs to vote for whoever they think should win, and not because of parties or any of that BS. Our main problem is the two party system, get rid of it. Then you have more options and you don't have people campaigning to win a certain half of the votes and you have people actually compaigning for what they think is right.
2. The Tories will re-brand image and 'message' from now till election time. The image will be one very much along the lines of Boris in the mayoral election. It goes something like this: everyone knows that the image of the Tories is one of traditionally old money stuffed shirts, with accents that make them sound like they are eating broken glass. Python got them down pat in the old 'Upper Class Twit of the Year' competition. Even their northern leaders sounded priggish (Hague, anyone?) But shaggy dog Boris, while an obvious 'old boy' type, won people over with his buffoonish charm...and most importantly...he wasn't a tired old incumbent. The Brits are in the fortunate position of being able to recognise a group of people who know how to campaign on 'change' and be disappointed. The western world's best example of the new style of campaign was Tony Blair in 1997...he and his Oxbridge buddies refined the art of tight, 'on message', good looking, good suits, 'hope & change' campaigning that won Bill Clinton power in 1992. Kevin Rudd did the same thing in Australia last year. The main (and common to all the above campaigns) ingredient for this kind of success is: a tired, long-serving incumbent. I think the Tories will win and win handsomely in 2010, but they have to watch for smaller parties like the L-Ds and especially the BNP, who've also diluted their core philosophies and dressed up in a suit to appear legitimate. The time for potential Tory voters to really pay attention is about 4-6 weeks out, when you start seeing policy detail. if you see almost mirrored Labour policies, watch out. It's a sure sign they're nicking stuff and just changing it enough to make it appear as their own. If you see radically different policies that cost lots of money...alarm bells should sound. They are supposed to be conservative, especially fiscally. Do not trust a spendthrift conservative, 'cause...well, there's no such thing.
3. The whole political divide is completely superficial; Two sides of the same coin. People are easier to control and manipulate when they won't even stand together for a greater good. Unfortunately, it's already set up and strongly in place, and now it's almost pointless to vote for anyone other than the "front-runners" because we all know that they won't win. UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL
4. Vote. For god's sake vote. Even if it is for the BNP, vote. People have died for the right to vote, and it is only through the ballot box that politicans listen. If you do not vote, you have no voice. Look at Burma, Laos and North Korea to see what happens when you have no vote. The country is run into the ground. The UK is a great country, one that is great because we are a democracy. Remember, if you feel that there is no party to reflect the views of the UK public, we have the right to form our own one! After the next election, you will see a change in the Labour party, much like the Tories have finally changed after all those years in opposition. But, it is the Lib Dems who have opposed many issues that both parties agree on.
5. Yes!
6. So what your saying is you really don't actually have a choice...its left or right...no in between where it needs to be. Why do you think its set up this way?...to keep it chaotic and the Government needed to fix the issues they always create. i think we need a completely new way of thinking and Government!