The Hustings

This week has seen parliament dissolved, and the election campaign getting under way proper. Elections have changed in England since the 60s, long gone are the Hustings, the interaction with the electorate, now it is all soundbites, tweets and mostly lies.

Lies from our leaders about what they have done and what they will do, lies from the media over what was said what wasn't said. Most of all, its about soundbites, and the right wind media using whatever they can to turn a positive story into a negative one. The Saga of the Milliband's kitchen being a case in point. The Mail ran a story where the Millibands were shown drinking coffee in a simple kitchen. Accompanying the story was a shot of them in the kitchen, the writer, I won't call her a journalist was Sarah Vine, who took a sneering attitude to the simplicity of the kitchen. But then it turned out that it was their second kitchen, as their house had had a room converted into a coffee bar.

Cue lots more sneering, how could someone represent working people if they have TWO kitchens? A bit rich coming from the wife of Tory MP Michael Gove, the useless former Secretary of State of Education who brought in the Free Schools idea. The same Michael Gove who claimed the maximum amount for kitting out both his houses from the public purse, when the Millibands didn't. A bit rich, but what has come to be par for the course in modern elections.

The Chancellor does not know the difference between the nations debt and deficit, and repeatedly says he has reduced it, when in fact it has gone up more than 40% during the current parliament. And that the global financial crash was caused by the last Labour Government of Brown and Balls. Not true of course, but who is going to challenge it, not our fearless free press who repeat what the Tories say almost without question. Sadly, as does the BBC. Nothing questioned, lies and half truths repeated until they are believed.

This week saw the second of the televised debates, seven of the part leaders stood in a semi circle and answered a set series of questions in answers limited to a minute. It has come to this, elections reduced to soundbites, no investigation of proposed policies and how it would affect the country, or what the past 5 years have done to the country. Best to demonise those on benefits; the unemployed, the sick, the poor, the single families and let the rich tax-avoiders off scot free.

I am not Labour's biggest fan these days, they are obsessed by being business' friends, rather than connect with ordinary working people, some 40% of the populace don't vote, or won't vote. Enthuse them, and real change could happen.

And then there is the NHS, slowly being sold off bit by bit by the Tories thanks to legislation brought in by the last Labour government. It is staved of finds, performance slumps, then the politicians hammer it, using it as an excuse for privatisation. The NHS is in such a bad state, doctors and nurses have formed their own party, the NHA. But who ever listens to the people who actually are suffering from the policies?

5 more years of Tory government will kill the NHS, see £12 billion more in befit cuts to levels not seen since the 1930s, when the poor staved and the rich still played in the land of milk and honey.

And all through this, people watch The Voice, Britain's Got Talent, and seem not to care. Bread and circuses. Zombies walking into private and expensive healthcare, and the age of greed and the selfish rich. We always get the government we deserve.