Taoyuan Nights

I’m watching the elections in Scotland with some interest just now. For the first time in 300 years, it looks like Scotland may actually stand a chance of holding a vote about becoming an independent country. Wow! You can see the current results here.

These elections are decidely quirky:

The Scottish National Party has moved nationalism/independence to the very end of their agenda.

The Labour party is getting most of its votes from the areas with highest unemployment – i.e. from those people not actually engaged in doing any labour.

The Liberal Democrats have made it clear they don’t want to allow Scotland to be free to have a referendum vote on indepedence. Intriguingly, neither liberty (the right for Scottish people to choose how they are governed) nor democracy (holding a vote) are rated very highly by this political party.

The Conservative party is putting itself forward as a party of change.

I hardly know what to expect from The Green Party. Given the way that every other party’s policies seem to be the antithesis of their name, I expect the Greenies are busily jetting around the world in bright red-coloured aeroplanes, chopping down rainforests and clubbing baby seals to death with leaky barrels of oil.

[UPDATE]: THE SNP WON! :) (for those not familiar with Scottish politics, the SNP is a moderate, left-of-centre party, that in no way whatsoever resembles what would normally be called a ‘nationalist’ party in other countries!)