Dear Editor,
Britain holds elections today in what could produce a hung parliament, the first in decades. Polls are being conducted daily, some twice daily, by several reputable pollsters and none of them shows Labour Party having any chance of returning to office. The polls indicate that the election is simply unpredictable as there are large chunks of undecided voters in the constituencies. Labour is struggling even in its strongholds.
The incumbent Labour Party led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown is likely to go down in defeat and may even run third. A few of the polls have the Opposition Conservatives (Tories) led by David Cameron having a wafer thin majority. Polls show the Tories about 4% ahead of the others and Labour and the Liberal Democrats led by the telegenic Nick Clegg almost neck and neck. There is a large pool of undecided voters who will make the difference in which party wins. If no party wins a majority, a coalition government is likely but not with Brown as Prime Minister as he is not well liked. Brown is dour and lacks charm and charisma and has been involved in one gaffe after another.
And there is anger over the recession and they way he handled it. Anti-immigrant sentiments are also hurting Labour with Brits wanting to end the free flow of immigrants into their country. The Tories and the Liberal Democrats have been tapping into the anti-incumbent mood with some success. If the Lib Dems pick up seats and hold the balance of power, it could change politics in England forever, as it would expose the invincibility of the two major parties and break the two party tradition.
Over the last few days, the undecideds have been breaking in favour of the Tories with some going to the Lib Dems. The undecideds are playing hard to get and even those who normally would commit to their party are refusing to do so now because they are fed up with politicians who make promises and don’t deliver. They distrust politicians after scandals involving abuse of funds. But the election still remains too hard to predict an outright winner. The Tories have the edge. Sources tell me that Caribbean immigrants, indeed most immigrants from the Commonwealth countries, are still backing Labour with some going over to the Lib Dems.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
