Voter apathy in the UK

It's been interesting tracking the news with the upcoming UK elections. It seems the only real effort to advance campaigning using social networking anything close to what Barack Obama did in the US is with Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats. Unfortunately all I can recall of the party is the ridiculous stance they took when a man shot a burglar robbing him in his home just before the last election.

Apparently voter apathy is at an all time high in the UK which is a bit concerning given the current challenges the UK is facing. Besides recession and much fiscal uncertainty because the level of national debt, the collapse of the housing market and a social system in tatters should be driving UK voters headlong into the polls.

Instead, the lack of decent candidates in any of the major parties has created a Why bother? attitude rather than the much needed Yes, we can! one. Judging by the public reaction to the prime minister debates though, it looks like Lib Dems' Nick Clegg has really taken his party forward into positive territory. If you'd like more details on the public sentiment analysis be sure to check out Rory Cellan-Jones's BBC blog for some interesting facts and figures.

BBC 2's interview with Nick Griffon this afternoon was interesting. It's scary that people still hold such narrow-minded opinions. It's even scarier that these people are considered leaders in a not inconsequential chunk of the British population.

It feels as though most people in Britain are prepared for a hung parliament. That will certainly not bode well for the financial markets if that hasn't been factored into the weak pound already. I'm certainly glad I'm not long sterling right now - if I were, as things stand I would much rather take my chances with a dodgy online casino south africa than keep tabs on BBC's Robert Peston's latest blog updates! LOL

I'm certainly looking forward to my trip to the UK later next month. Hopefully the mood will not be as dire as it was when I was there last year. At least the 3 laid-off banker friends I know there have finally managed to secure something, albeit not ideal positions given their experience. I wonder now if even they are going to bother to vote this election!