Empty M_______o

Gold cherry
Poem of the week

By Ewan

Fri, 24 May 2024
  • 1705 reads
16 comments
 

And just like that,
with the fizzle and sputter
of a very damp squib,
the era of the empty manifesto
is upon us.

The hustlers at the hustings
will take questions
 - but provide no answers.

They will posture and pose,
in their emperor’s old clothes,
risk someone observing their
Pinocchio-nose.

Those on the right will promise
the moon on a stick for the price
of your vote and lower taxes
and deliver a Southsea bubble
to voters from Portsmouth
to Portrush.

Those on the left will promise
the same moon in a different phase
without the stick or even a carrot
knowing their time is coming
in outposts from Bournemouth
to Bury.

And we will hear the half-truths,
ridicule the rhetoric,
curse at crap vox pops
conducted in whichever northern town
they remember the name of on any given day.

There will be a scandal,
some pantsdown prick
or subsidy swindler,
one from every party,
for the balance beloved
by the BBC.

All these things will come to pass
and nothing at all will change.

Certificate U
Poem
Days Like These
Rant

Comments

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

At least it's summertime though, and (when not raining) we can go outside. I was dreading a November election because it's bad enough already then.

 

Submitted by Ewan on

 (very) small mercies.
Good job there's no football on that day, too.
Thanks for reading.
E x

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by airyfairy on

It was depressing hearing Starmer on the radio this morning, today's lesson in obfuscation starteth here. I'll still vote for them though, partly because my local Labour MP is a good constituency MP, and partly because...yes, Get The Bastards Out.

The Drip's made a good start. I know sod all about the Euros, but even I know Wales didn't qualify.

Submitted by Ewan on

 a socialist than Blair was. Labour will be getting my vote too.
I would like to see PR replace first-past-the-post soon, as it perpetuates every election being a two-horse-race.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by airyfairy on

A wry take on the madness that is to come...and it's our Facebook and X Pick of the Day! Please do share if you too require solace when contemplating the next six weeks.

Submitted by Ewan on

 very much! Who says no-one likes a moaner?

E x

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by airyfairy on

This is also our Poem of the Week! Congratulations!

Submitted by Ewan on

  Wish I hadn't been so 'inspired' by days like these.

E x

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by marandina on

I could hear you reading this in my head, Ewan. Definitely one for audio. Seems so extraordinary and ridiculous calling an election in July when there's such a gulf in the polls. It's almost like giving up. Who knows? Count Binface is running again and has some....erm.....plain bonkers policies but then he is Binface. 6 weeks of hustings - eesh.

Everything will change and nothing will change. Wry and cynical. I get it. Your poem speaks for many of us..

 

Submitted by Ewan on

 Screaming Lord Sutch's thoughtful and measured leadership of The Monster Raving Loony Party - well, at least in comparison to Lettuce Liz's attempt to remodel the Tory Party along Loony lines.

Gawd help us all.

Tks for reading and commenting
E x

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by celticman on

No more Tory scum. Let them succumb to the age of Prohibiton. Make that any other party's mission. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

It's like Poker, trying to trick people. Either there will be terrible cuts in public services so there can be tax cuts and hopefully kind people have enough to give to food banks, or there will be tax rises so UK can stop feeling like a developing country, only without the development. But neither side can say that. The one thing both sides are open about is their belief that killing thousands of women and children can be self defence. I will not vote for anyone who thinks that. Conservatives are suddenly sanguine about rightfully large sums in recompense to the people given AIDS in contaminated blood, and eager to say how terrible the Post Office was, after trying to put off paying compensation for as long as possible. If I were good at Maths like the PM I wouldn't want these now unavoidable outgoings on the top of right wing demanding tax cuts and increased defence spending and putting homeless people in prison while having to tell police not to arrest anyone as there is no room in prison let alone affordable housing.It is worse than leaving a note saying "there's no money" it is like putting a mantrap under the welcome mat

 

Submitted by D G Moody on

All true, but as the old chestnut puts it: 'Democracy is a very poor form of government, but the alternatives are far worse'. I might be biassed, being half Aussie, where voting is compulsory as a duty of citizenship; and I try to keep in mind all the men and women who fought for the right to vote, so when I hear (increasingly) people saying they can't be bothered to vote well...........

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Ewan on

  because I feel I have no right to complain if I don't. I even voted for 10 of the 15 years I lived in Spain, which was all that was permitted.
Proportional Representation is not inevitable, but it should be.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by D G Moody on

Thanks Ewan. My comment wasn't directed at anyone in particular, and I agree with you on PR. I just get a bit frustated with the 'pommy' attitude - sort of whining without doing anything about it, but then........

'I come from a land down under'. wink

Dougie Moody

Submitted by Di_Hard on

need to persuade all the whiners to vote Green as they advocate PR. It is not throwing your vote away to do this, as the bigger the Green vote the more likely the ones who ARE elected will consider the green Party's policies might be worth adopting?