While local issues like garbage collection or a new community center are central to this election, they still serve as an important litmus test for Prime Minister Sunak. How popular is it? After his predecessor Liz Truss’s position became untenable, Rishi Sunak was elected last year by members of his Conservative Party. And now voters can talk about him for the first time. He is an important indicator, ‘says Van Bekhoven.
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A theme that runs through almost every location is water quality. According to Van Bekhoven, Britain’s coasts and rivers are among the most polluted in Europe, “if not the dirtiest”. The culprits are privatized agriculture and water companies. The waste is discharged and the water hardly purified. Furious Britons are campaigning because they can no longer fish or swim wild, ‘because they are literally swimming in shit’.
“The British are furious because they literally swim in shit”
Conservative loss
Interestingly, the Conservatives have traditionally ruled the roost in rural areas and are therefore vulnerable to electoral retribution. Obviously Labor laughs under his moustache. “It really seems a given that the Conservatives will lose, the question is how much.” According to Van Bekhoven, the magic number of 1000 is singing: if Labor wins that number of seats in local elections, then the party has a good chance of winning a national election likely to be held late next year.’
‘The British are exhausted, energy is out’
Outrageously low
Van Bekhoven calls voter turnout between 25 and 30 “outrageously low”. It could be even lower, he thinks. British voters are required to carry an ID card when voting for the first time today. “The British don’t know the concept of identity card at all. It just doesn’t exist in the UK. So they really have to put in the effort. This means that voter turnout is probably even lower.
According to Van Bekhoven, the low turnout is also due to a lack of interest. “They no longer believe anything concerns them. They are exhausted, the energy is gone. They are tired of Brexit and four prime ministers in a short time. And all the while they’re busy keeping their heads above water.’