Thoughts on the performance of some of the minor parties in the UK's 2019 General Election.

I must admit to being surprised at the result of the GE.  The Conservatives' 80 seat majority was far larger than I thought it would be as I was expecting one of 20 seats or less.  I did not expect the Labour vote to drop 8 percentage points or the Liberal Democrats to do as well as they did, I had expected the Labour Party to squeeze their vote.

Be that as it may, the minor parties I have been following recently did not retain any of their deposits, and one did not stand at all.

Anne- Marie Waters’ For Britain Movement did not stand any candidates as far as I can see, although they have won a smattering of council seats during the year.  Perhaps the leadership of this fledgling party were wise not to risk their money until it has made further progress. 

William Clouston’s SDP stood a respectable 20 candidates, but they only managed, on average, around 160 votes each.  The Party is centre left and believes in Nationhood and an English Parliament, so it will be interesting to see if they can make a bigger impact as a result of Labour’s disinterest in patriotism.

Robin Tilbrook’s English Democrats stood in only 5 seats and received around 2,000 votes in total. An average of about 400 votes per candidate looks like its norm for General Elections over the past 10 years.  They seem to have plenty of money and more members as a result of the publicity garnered from pursuing Brexit through the courts.  Now Brexit appears certain to happen perhaps the Party should focus on campaigning for an English Parliament and promoting and protecting English culture, heritage and traditions.. 

The Yorkshire Party stood 28 candidates in the county from which it takes its name, and garnered around 30,000 votes.  I suspect it may do well in regional elections if the Conservatives decide to break up England into regions.

With the Conservatives’ massive majority it will be some considerable time before the next General Election.   In such circumstances it will be interesting to see if any of the minor parties flourish at sub-national level, or simply wither and die for lack of electoral opportunities and the publicity that gives them.

Beautiful wispy cirrostratus clouds over South Somerset on 14th Dec. A week of very wet and windy weather followed!

I am not sure whether the clouds I photographed, posted below, on December 14th are cirrus or cirrostratus.  Cirrus clouds are supposed to indicate fine weather while cirrostratus indicate changeable weather and approaching rain.

At first I thought they were cirrus as their wispiness looked a lot like "mares' tails".  However, as they were followed by a week of very wet and extremely windy weather I assume they are cirrostratus.

Private A. A. Trott of the 12th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry, at rest in a Gloucestershire village churchyard.

A couple of months ago, while holidaying in the West Country, our good friends L & C visited the churchyard of St. Peter and St. Paul in the Gloucestershire village of Westbury-on-Severn.


They came upon the Commonwealth War Grave of Private A. A. Trott of the 12th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry. Knowing my interest in the SLI they sent me a photo of the headstone.


Private Trott died on the 13th December 1918, aged 38, after World War One had ended.  Did he die of wounds received during the war or was he a victim of the Spanish Flu epidemic, perhaps a tragic accident befell him?  I have been unable to find answers to those questions.


The words on his gravestone read “A DEAR HUSBAND AND FATHER NEVER FORGOTTEN BY HIS LOVED ONES”.  Intriguingly the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records state that Private Trott was the “HUSBAND OF FLORENCE AMELIA ANN HALLETT (FORMERLY TROTT) OF YEOVIL SOMERSET”.  Make of that what you will! 


12th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry.
The 12th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry was formed from the West Somerset Yeomanry, a cavalry regiment, in February 1917 at Ismailia in Egypt.  After the dismounted cavalrymen had retrained as infantryman the Battalion joined the 229th Brigade, part of the newly formed 74th Division.  The Division campaigned in Palestine against the Turks until it was transferred to France in April 1918.

The Battalion’s first action in France was on the 18th August 1918 when it fought in Picardy before taking part in the Battles of the Hindenburg Line.  It took part in the Final Advance in Artois during October and November.

The Battalion suffered its last battle casualties on the 22nd October when 2 men were killed and 20 wounded.  Its total casualties during the War were 147 killed in action, 53 died of wounds, and 12 died.

Everard Wyrall chronicles the record of the 12th Battalion in its final months of service in his The Somerset Light Infantry 1914-1919 (Methuen & Co., 1927).  He concludes: “The 12th Somersets, who on the 11th November were on the road to Escalette when the Armistice was announced, marched on to Ollignies and took part in a peace celebration, the Burgomaster presenting the Battalion with a Belgian flag, which now rests in St. Mary’s Church Taunton.  It was not, however, until the middle of June 1919 that the Somerset Yeoman were reduced to cadre strength and returned to England.  The cadre reached Taunton on 21st June and received a great welcome from the townspeople as it marched through the streets behind the cadre of the 1st Battalion of the Regiment – a fitting close to a most wonderful period in the history of the Regiment.”

Sources:
Commonwealth War Grave Commission website.
Edward Wyrall, The Somerset Light Infantry 1914-1919 (Methuen & Co., 1927).

English is an “imperialist internationalist culture”? Not according to former Labour MP John Denham.

The favourite tactic of those who don’t like English nationhood or culture is to call into question the very existence of English identity and culture.  Professor John Denham gives his answer to an article in the New Statesman.  I came across his letter, reproduced below, in the edition of The Week published December 7.



Feeling English

To the New Statesman

Alex Niven tells Jason Crowley that the English “don’t exist as a national culture because we were an imperialist internationalist culture”.  Why is it such claims are made by people who don’t feel English, but not by those who do?

The Empire – which engaged the Scots and the Welsh as much as the English – was British.  Boris Johnson and his allies are Anglo-centric British nationalists who rarely talk about England.  Those who emphasise their English identity, by contrast, tend to be sceptical about the Union and want the interests of England itself protected.

England’s future story must reflect the nation as we are today, building on English and British identities as we now know them.  Condemning Englishness with inaccurate caricatures simply makes that harder.

Professor John Denham, Centre for English Identity and Politics, University of Southampton.


Incidentally, Professor Denham mentions the Scots and the Welsh as having a role in British empire-building.  He could also have mentioned the Irish who literally fought for it.  Some of the most famous regiments in the British Army were Irish.  One only has look at the battle honours awarded to Irish regiments to realise the vital role they played in establishing and maintaining the British Empire.

Picturesque cloudscape emerges as the skies clear over South Somerset.

There was a heavy downpour during a very breezy afternoon in South Somerset today.  As the wind rushed the dark clouds away to the east a pleasing cloudscape was revealed.

A pleasing cloudscape over South Somerset after a heavy downpour. 

Golden hedgerows in South Somerset.

In the late afternoon of December 1st, the first day of meteorological winter, I took a stroll with my camera around the fields east of Dillington Park Drive on the fringe of Ilminster in South Somerset.
As dusk approached I took some photos.  Looking west it did look as though winter was approaching as the hedgerows appeared bare of leaves.

 

Late afternoon sunshine in South Somerset on December 1st

However, looking east there were still enough Beech, Oak and Hawthorn leaves clinging to the branches to produce a wonderful copper coloured effect in the last of the day's sunshine.

Golden hedgerows in South Somerset on December 1st.