How to make sense of the Richmond Park – by election? UK 1st Dec.’16

Zac Goldsmith, referred to as a billionaire thanks to his late father, the mercurial Sir James Goldsmith, and brother of Jemima Khan, the ex wife of Imran Khan, spectacularly lost the by election held yesterday, 1^st December 2016 by less than 2,000 votes, contesting as an Independent candidate, to his Liberal Democratic rival, whilst the Labor Party candidate lost his deposit.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/lib-dems-richmond-by-election-zac-goldsmith-sarah-olney-a7451281.html

In the 2015 General election when David Cameron created an upset by not just beating the fancied Labor Party, but also obtained sufficient seats to form a majority Government without the previous coalition partner the Liberal Democrats, goes to show how much can change in such a short time in politics, and this certainly is time we in Sri Lanka understand how whimsical the electorate in a democracy can be over the slightest change in temperament!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3992562/Zac-Goldsmith-course-LOSE-Richmond-Park-election-Lib-Dems-stunt-resignation-Heathrow-expansion-backfires.html

No wonder the dictators and one party rulers are having a field day lately with Putin the undisputed leader, who can, not just face his detractors at home, but all comers overseas, despite a FAILING economy, and Russians starving in the streets! But have the gall to carry out indiscriminate bombings in Aleppo.

Getting back to yesterdays upheaval, let us be reminded of a few facts. The Liberal Democratic Party was decimated at the last General Election, and to turn a 20,000 + Tory majority, into 2,000 for them is also mind numbing, but expressive of by-election tactical voting! Then Goldsmith promised to leave the Tories if the 3^rd Runway in Heathrow was approved, and that is why his resignation and contesting as an Independent (there was NO Conservative Party candidate yesterday vying to be humiliated, or split the vote!) resulted in this.

Then we have Zac who was a Brexiteer in a constituency which voted 70% to stay in the European Community, playing a part, and his Liberal Democrat rival was pro Europe too. So it is a wake-up call to Theresa May that there is a significant voice to soft Brexit or no Brexit in the UK, reflecting the polarized nature of the Country and competitive democracy at work, where people are almost evenly divided on many issue with NO middle ground to reach consensus.

In my opinion the wealthy constituents who probably pop over the continent for a drive if they so wish, now find their pound sterling worth so much less, and voted their disgust at that too, as they don’t have to compete for housing with immigrants, as no one can afford to live there, and immigrants just man the Gas Stations and are the maids in most of the households of Richmond Park. 

So the demographic reflected their views, and the 3^rd Runway at Heathrow and the resultant noise pollution was a moot point with people there, who have heavy double glazing to keep out both the noise of the planes, but also the cold from their homes, and have an alternative weekend home to escape to as well. Don’t forget there are deer roaming in Richmond Park, and the mix of the outdoors with good access to the City of London for the stockbroker and banker types is a completely different class of Briton from the rural and industrial North.

While this by election is NOT AT ALL representative of the people of the UK as a whole, it is clearly an indication how people can change on a dime anywhere if their personal interests are threatened IN ANY WAY, and so the longer TM(PM) dilly dallies without going for a general election to tighten her grip on power, and hopefully sweep the board in the absence of a credible opposition, this MUST have given the Liberal Democrats false hope that they are in fact the de facto opposition to the Conservatives in the UK. FAT HOPES, but then pigs can fly!

As we saw with the Donald in the US

Who said we live in interesting times? The popularity of a Governing Party plummets almost as soon as they are elected. Let us see how long after the inauguration the Donald Trump’s approval ratings will last. In a funny irony, he is appointing so many far fetched unfathomable people into his cabinet, with news being issued of a new face every day, that in itself will probably carry his star a little longer as it takes to figure out one billionaire from another.

The “bodylicious” appointment of the ex-marine Janes Mattis is causing more of a stir outside the shores of the US, no doubt making the Donald give himself a pat for his audaciousness, as the General will have to change the rules to pass Congress, as one has to have retired 7 years from the forces to be considered for Secretary of Defense, he being out of uniform for barely 4.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38178625

Like everything Trump does, he is turning all the rules on its head and this is yet another instance, and the Serving Generals must be cock a hoop on this appointment that NO Democrat dare challenge!

I can’t remember having lived through such an interesting few months beginning with the Brexit vote, and ending with the by Election yesterday, but with the main event being the Donald’s overthrow of the shoe-in Hilary who must still be shoe-less! Of course with Modi and his demonetization at our doorstep causing palpitations over the pond in big old cash crazy India, no one knows what to expect as each day goes by.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/demonetisation-courageous-experiment-proud-to-have-such-pm-amar-singh/articleshow/55633277.cms

As for Sri Lanka, let us just hope that the Government does NOTHING for a while, as we cannot take any more schizophrenic policy turnarounds on a daily basis causing too much grief all around especially to the man in the street!