Super Thursday

Potentially significant political developments in the UK today, as voters have gone to the polls for local council elections in England, and the devolved parliaments in Scotland and Wales.

In England, despite the almost comical incompetence and corruption of the Johnson administration at Westminster, the Conservatives seem set to do quite well. This looks to be due to a combination of opposition disarray, and an weary electorate willing to give the incumbent credit for finally getting the pandemic under some sort of control.

There is some better news from Scotland, where the SNP and Greens appear certain to deliver a pro-independence majority in the new Parliament, which will trigger a constitutional crisis, as their demand for a rerun of the 2014 referendum meets the implacable opposition of the government in London to such a poll, The resulting popular debate should provide some opportunity for progressive agitation.

Although the outcome of these elections will impact on me personally much more than that of the US elections, I have been finding it hard to get as excited about them as I was last November. I voted, of course (for the Greens, in the absence of any more left-wing options), but I didn’t really follow the ins and outs of the campaign. I’m putting this down to the general dullness of our politicians, though I’m sure the numbing effect of the extraordinary year we have just endured has been significant too.

Anyway, the results are due to come in over the next day or two, so I’ll try to pay a bit more attention, and come up with some slightly more in-depth analysis of what it all means for the future.