AFTER what seemed like an interminable campaign the people of Swindon returned two Conservative members to represent them in Parliament, and in so doing contributed towards the unlikely outcome of a majority Conservative Government.
Hardly had the dawn light broken over the town before the political elite whined about the unfairness of it all and how the dopey voters had got it wrong having been fooled by clever politicians.
The future may well prove them right, but for now the facts are the Conservatives polled the most votes and returned the most MPs.
The truth behind this result is not one thing but a number of related issues, not least that neither of the three main parties was really trusted by the electorate, and for good reason.
Promises, pledges and vows are dismissed as so much confetti, while assurances, commitments and agreements are treated with disdain.
The Lib Dems’ change of heart on the issue of tuition fees resonated with the electorate and was surely a major contribution in their annihilation at the polls.
As for Labour, the unpalatable truth for this once-great movement is that it really is stuck in the past – wedded to the philosophy of a bygone age – all "ology" as opposed to reality.
To suggest the NHS is going to vanish is intellectually absurd, politically illiterate and morally cruel.
It also demonstrates the level to which the party will descend in applying fright tactics.
Not that the Conservatives didn’t employ scare tactics of their own.
The essential difference was that the perceived danger of the role of the SNP if they had partnered a Labour government was all too real – and reinforced every time Nicola Sturgeon made a public statement.
Over 11 million voters chose the Conservatives as their preferred government. It is now the job of the opposition parties to hold their feet to the fire and ensure they fulfil every manifesto pledge.
This time Mr Cameron will not be able to present the Lib Dems as an impediment – he has the majority. Now let’s see if he keeps his word.
DES MORGAN Caraway Drive, Swindon
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