Welcome to Hell.

Well, here we are. Again.

The General Election has passed.

The Conservative party have a majority government, and David Cameron will be returning to Downing St. The Scottish Nationalist Party have claimed all but three seats in Scotland, routing the other parties in their safest seats. In the wake of these results, three party leaders have resigned. Ed Miliband (Labour), Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrats) and Nigel Farage (UKIP). UKIP gained one seat, Greens Held onto theirs. The final results seat wise are as follows:

• Conservatives - 330
• Labour - 232
• Liberal Democrats - 8
• UKIP - 1
• SNP - 56
• Other Parties - 23

Total 650.

First of all, I want to get something out of the way; something that you all knew was coming from me if this happened. This state of affairs we now find ourselves in was wholly preventable. We had the chance last September to prevent ourselves from being governed by another Tory government that doesn't have Scotland's interests at heart. We bottled it. If you voted No in the Independence Referendum 2014- Congratulations, there was always a high chance of this happening- you helped seal our fate. I'll get onto exactly what we can expect, However in the meantime I must deal with another point.

In the next few weeks, Labour and its supporters will bemoan their defeat, saying that the Scottish Nationalists are to blame 

         

Simple arithmetic. If every single Scottish person who voted SNP voted for labour instead, it still would not have been nearly enough to provide labour with a majority. In fact, quite rightly, Miliband has placed the blame for the poor results squarely on Labour themselves. The fact of the matter is they did not inspire confidence and trust in the electorate. In Scotland, they disgracefully got into bed with the Conservatives during the referendum campaign, and the Scottish people (however they voted) have not forgiven them for that. Still, Scotland is worth 59 seats out of at total 650. I will not patronise the reader by performing simple mathematics in this blog.

So now that the Conservatives hold a majority, they won't have the pesky Lib-dems moderating over the policies they make. This means they will not be pulling any of the punches from now on; and believe me, they are going to hurt, Here are a few things that the Tories have already supported for the future of the UK:

• £12 Billion cuts to welfare (as yet unspecified)
• Privatisation of NHS departments to multi-nationals
• A referendum on Leaving the EU
• Scrapping the Human Rights Act
• Reduction in the "Barnett Formula"
• Prevention of Scottish MP's from voting on English issues.
• Raising the top threshold levels for inheritance and income taxes
• Repealing the Hunting Act
• "Right to Buy" extended to housing associations
• Reduction in Corporation taxes
• Halting onshore windfarms
• Increased government surveillance and a possible return of the "Snooper's Charter"

Some of that will have people positively gaping at their screens. You can, however, look it all up freely in their manifesto, and in the official news announcements that have broken today in the wake of the results. Brace yourslves.

On a more positive note, the landslide victory for the SNP in Scotland means that 56 MP's are headed to Westminster who will put Scotland's interests first. We shall not be as easily ignored in the House of Commons. Jim Murphy, Gordon Brown, Jo Swinson, and Danny Alexander, big-hitters all, have been ousted in favour of SNP

On the subject of another Referendum, I'm sure there will be continued fervor for one, but it's doubtful. even though we were completely misled by Westminster and their "Vow"and scared into voting to stay. 

                     

However, the sad fact of the matter is, that despite the increased numbers, despite the "Scotland Bill" and despite the promises made to us since before September, we are going to be hammered. Welfare cuts mean that the weakest and most vulnerable people in society will have even less. Foodbanks have already increased from 56 to 445 under the previous government- and are set to rise further under these new cuts. Suicide rates in the poorest areas will undoubtedly be on the rise. Meanwhile, the richest 1% of the UK will be well on their way to having their wealth TRIPLED, having doubled it already since the Tories came to power. Any tax cuts announced will only benefit the rich and the powerful, while the rest of us are left to rot.

Remember: up until this point we have been in a coalition where the Conservatives have been paired with a left-wing liberal party that helped to curtail their more unfair and crueller plans for the electorate. If you thought the last five years was harsh on the less fortunate- In the words of Bachman-Turner Overdrive- "You ain't seen nothin' yet"

Welcome to hell. The irony is, in Scotland it won't even be warm.

Old Firm- Same Old Shit.

The Old Firm comes back on Sunday after nearly 3 years off.

For anyone reading from elsewhere who doesn't know, the Old Firm refers to a (soccer)football match between Glasgow Celtic, and Glasgow Rangers. The fans needlessly divide themselves along political, ideological and religious lines. This creates a lot of conflict, hatred, violence (both in the streets and domestically), and has even resulted in deaths.

I'm not a football person- never have been. My second biggest reason (after general disinterest), is the amount of discord this game causes. I was visibly relieved when I was told that this Derby would not happen as a result of the financial trouble Rangers found itself in, and now I am palpably unsettled at its return.

I can easily predict what will happen this Sunday. One team will beat the other, and there will be some kind of riot. There will be the usual surge in domestic violence. Many people will be admitted to hospital, and someone will most likely be killed. I wonder if the bookies will take that one.

I am of the view that the two clubs should be completely liquidated and amalgamated into one. Have one Glasgow team- Glasgow United, perhaps- and make their strip purple. However, it won't happen for one reason- the money it brings to Scottish football. Despite the divides it causes in our society, money is more important to these big businesses apparently, and it doesn't seem to matter how many people are hurt or killed. 

How I would solve the recession.

II have a number of measures that I would implement to ease the economic crisis in this country and in the wider world as a result. I'm half-tempted to get into politics to campaign to have them implemented. However, my methods would prove unpopular with some groups of people. It may become clear as you read further.

End tax exemptions for churches and religions:- There is an interesting photo circling the internet about the amounts of money the church gets out of paying in the United States, and that sum being able to pay off the entire cost of homelessness in the country and, give every homeless person somewhere to live. I don't know if that's true- but as of 2012, the annual tax that the church dodged in the USA was 71BILLION DOLLARS. The figure wasn't available for the UK upon my searching the web, but in a way, that's even more disturbing if we don't actually know what they're getting away with paying.

Introduce a tier system and maximum wage for professional football:- How much is one man worth? . If your name happens to be  Wayne Rooney; the answer to my initial question is £300,000 per week, or 15.6million per annum. That is disgusting. We are quick to jump into the throes of outrage when bankers are awarded their ludicrous bonuses; but the obscenity of footballers wages should be seen as an international disgrace. There should be a tier system and wage cap set by the central governing body of football and applied across the board. If you play well, you climb the ladder. There is no way on earth that one man kicking a ball around a field for 90 mins at a time should make in a week what an average British worker makes in 15 years.

Introduce a bill of rights and a constitution within the UK:- "What's this?" I hear you say "This one seems a bit out of place, no?" Actually, not really. If the rights of every British person were enshrined in law as they are in the states- it would really clean up our justice system, and as a result- save us all money. Think of all the money currently wasted on dragging out appeals. We do have laws- but we really don't have a framework for the rights of each and every person in Britain.

Decriminalise currently illegal substances and have them regulated by our government:- This would generate millions, possibly billions in tax revenue, and all but eliminate drug related crime in this country as it would kill the illegal dealer market stone dead. Any drug user would also be a lot safer, as the substances themselves would not be "cut" with harmful materials- a process that serves no purpose but to maximise profit for illegal dealers- who would not be able to compete. 

Disestablish the largely ceremonial monarchy:- They serve no active worthwhile purpose in our government as it is. It's time for them to go. They pay no tax- and details of their cost to the taxpayer, as well as their list of assets makes for grim reading. (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finances_of_the_British_Royal_Family) Furthermore- a system of inherited power holds no place in a country (or indeed a world) which recognises a democracy as an ethical and just system of governance.  Allow the current monarch to live out her reign, then strip the family of its assets and subsidies. After that is done- open the doors of the houses and palaces to the public as areas of historical and cultural importance. Charge admission.

Reform parliament and disband the House of Lords:- Speaking of outdated concepts, how about this one? A party votes in their wealthiest former employees and landowners, giving them a cushy position of power where they do very little, and yet hold a large sway over legislation. Just to stress once again- not one of these 800 peers are elected by the public- but we are paying for them. 

But like I said- most of these would likely be quite unpopular. Saying that- ask yourself for a moment why they're unpopular. Just think about it. if Scotland becomes independent though- there might be good reason to get actively political. Who knows?

(Images retrieved from google image search- I claim no ownership)