Monday Election Rant

Being gay isn't a sin, according to Tim Farron, who, apparently, is leader of the Liberal Democrats.  But he's not too sure whether gay sex is a sin.  Not that his reservations about 'gay butt sex' are entirely due to religious convictions - it's just that it makes his eyes water.  Allegedly.  All of which constitutes about the most interesting election news over the weekend.  To call the campaign for this election a slow starter is an understatement.  It's as if the political parties are reluctant to actually start it - which isn't surprising as nobody is really sure why we're having a general election.  Instead of proper electioneering, all I seem to encounter are 'true believers' from the main parties trying to justify their leaders and their bad decisions.  When it comes to Theresa May, I'm afraid there really are no excuses - she's an opportunistic careerist interested only in self advancement and aggrandisment.  Politically, her record speaks for itself: she was a lousy Home Secretary and even worse Prime Minister. 

When it comes to Jeremy Corbyn, though, I've apparently been brainwashed by the biased media into believing that he is a hopeless leader with unpopular and unworkable policies.  Really?  What the individuals who write this kind of stuff (the example I encountered over the weekend having been posted on Facebook) don't seem to grasp how insulting to our collective intelligences it is.  It typifies the attitude which alienates so many of us when it comes to the Corbynistas: their patronising assumption of the self evidence of the fact that they are right about everything and that if you can't see that you are either stupid or, worse, a 'Blairite'. The fact is that it isn't Labour's policies under Corbyn that I have a problem with (such as these policies are - I've seen little evidence of any coherent policy actually emerging under his leadership), but rather that it is him I have a problem with.  It has become painfully obvious during his tenure that he is incapable of leading a modern political party.  He is utterly incapable of articulating any policies in such a way that they can be sold to the electorate.  He just doesn't seem to understand that in order to gain power you have to persuade voters, rather than party members, that your policies will be most beneficial to them. 

None of which should be surprising, as he only seems comfortable when preaching to the converted, at forums where nobody is likely to disagree or challenge him.  Consequently, he isn't used to having to actually justify his policies to a sceptical audience and persuade them to his point of view.  Indeed, if one thing has characterised his leadership of Labour, it has been a refusal to listen to voices from outside his band of supporters which might be critical.  Which, interestingly, is something he has in common with Theresa May who, similarly, seems unwilling to listen to critical voices.  There can be no alternative to her chosen path.  Anyway, enough election ranting.  I promise this will be my only excursion into politics this week.  (Unless something really exciting happens, that is).