An American in London gets almost nostalgic for a two-party system
Many American ex-pats who live here — like me — are flummoxed by cricket, local slang (e.g. “chuffed” means “pleased”) and the weather (climate change is a sunny day). And then there are the politics.
Britain holds a national election on May 7. Last week the leaders of the parties fielding candidates for Parliament held a nationally televised debate. Had such debates occurred decades ago (the first one wasn’t until 2010) that would have meant the leaders of the Tories and Labour, with a “u.”
But in today’s fractured British politics the list includes the leaders of five more parties. They’re the Scottish Nationalists, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the U.K.… Seguir leyendo »