Many years ago, my late father told me of a tragedy. It was about a man (a small holding farmer) who had become so depressed with the many troubles in his life that he committed suicide. This was before WW2 when committing suicide was still a criminal offence. The man who committed suicide had had many troubles. He had lost his wife after she had suffered a long and painful illness. He had financial worries. If these things were not enough, their son had Downs Syndrome. In those days however it was described with another term that I will not use as it will only risk a complaint made my political opponents (who read this blog) which could cause the local police to pay me a visit. This after all is the UK in 2025!
The method the man chose was hanging. He set up the rope in their small barn and kicked the stool away and the noose began it’s work. At the point when the farmer kicked the stool away, his son walked into the barn looking for his father. Now if this lad had been quick witted he would have run forward, put the stool back on it’s legs, have grabbed his father’s legs and lifted him back onto the stool. Tragically the lad did not have quick wits and instead ran as fast as he could the three miles to the police station to raise the alarm. The result was inevitable. By the time the police reached the barn the farmer had been dead for some time.
This is a sad and gruesome tale. I thought twice about relating it in this blog-post as the allusion I wish to link to concerns the negative effect of the potential cancelling of the May 2026 local elections in England. You see, it is often suggested that if you pay out enough rope for your political opponents, they will hang themselves due to their own incompetence and/or lack of experience.
On the 23rd October, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg posted a YouTube video (https://youtu.be/qB1JAlZJqRE) condemning those politicians in the two main parties who would seek to do this – for the second year running. Sir Jacob argues from a point of principle. One that we should support. However:
If one casts principles aside, it would be in the interest of the two major parties for the election to proceed and for the candidates standing for Reform 2025 Limited (Company number 11694875) to make the possible gains; for this would then enable the two major parties to point out the many problems and incidents that will follow these victories!
IF however the two main parties abandon democratic principles and postpone the local elections until say the date of the next general election – on the basis of large scale England wide local government reform – including elected mayors, proportional representation and a replacement of the Council Tax which will mean a complete revaluation of England’s housing stock (that will take more than two years) – those associated with Reform 2025 Limited will cry foul – with justification!
The BBC has a report on the councils that have elected those associated with Reform 2025 Limited (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2kyjrg77eo).
Legislation currently in place means the next general election must be held no later than Wednesday 15 August 2029. Since the tradition has been to hold the vote on a Thursday, the latest date would be Thursday 9 August 2029.
The PRACTICAL results of a delay of local elections until Thursday 9 August 2029 together with the general election held on that day COULD, IF those associated with Reform 2025 Limited sweep the board and have a tremendous majority in the House of Commons together with sweeping the board across England with elected councillors will be SIGNIFICANT!
You see, Reform 2025 Limited would have to find literally thousands of members willing to stand as local councillors, local mayors and Members of Parliament in 2029.
Remember readers, I was a UKIP member. Years ago (in Yorkshire) I sat on a selection panel to vet candidates. I can genuinely state: “Been there. Done that.”
What my first hand on the ground experience means that I can authoritatively suggest that the calibre of many candidates will be questionable!
However, pessimists would suggest there is an outside chance that we will not reach Thursday 9 August 2029. According to NASA: “Near-Earth asteroid Apophis is a potentially hazardous asteroid that will safely pass close to Earth on Friday 13 April, 2029. It will come about 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometres) from our planet’s surface — closer than the distance of many satellites in geosynchronous orbit (about 22,236 miles, or 36,000 kilometres, in altitude).”
What if the space rock was bumped by another space rock before then?
GOTO: https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/apophis/