Election thoughts, then and now.
Friday 2nd May 1997, I found myself on an early morning train from Bristol to London. I was working in a comic store chain and a friend had engineered a trip up to visit him at the head office. This had been booked months before the 97 election was called. -1
I was slightly hungover and the Labour landslide victory had barely penetrated. I got into the head office, met my friend and it started to sink in. For the first time in my living memory I was not living under a conservative government. I was 23. -2
The office mood was jovial, people were obviously happy. But it was time to work, to sit through boring meetings that I, a 23 year old raver, was not particularly into. Then I was taken out to lunch and to visit the flagship store on New Oxford Street. Lunch was obviously in the pub. -3
What struck me was how friendly people were. I’ve never seen London so upbeat. I’d been up regularly for gigs and visiting friends and I’d never experienced London like this. Then it dawned on me.
London was pissed.
Properly shitfaced. -4
As the enormity of the Labour victory filtered through radios and TVs the inebriation seemed to increase. After a boozy lunch we went to stagger around the flagship store. My friend was a club DJ and he suggested hitting up the record distribution outfits he used to score free records and CDs. -5
This was getting on for 4pm, people were openly staggering around. People were smiling. One section of the tube journey we encountered a mariachi band, as if scripted by Richard Curtis. I’d never seen London in this light without the aid of chemical stimulation.
London was partying. Hard. -6
We visited a few of the record distro places.
“Are you a DJ?”
“No, I’m with him”
“Ah fuck it, never mind, hold out your hands…”
My shoulders and arms ached with the records and CDs I’d just scored for free from some blatantly wasted folk. -7
It was heady and intoxicating. We headed back to my friend's place in Finsbury Park to drop off swag & freshen up, then out clubbing. It was a BIG night. Probably the only time I’ve been to London and not felt psychic damage welling up between arriving and stepping onto a departing train home. -8
So what’s the point of this recollection?
I doubt we’ll collectively wake up on Friday 5th July and be dancing in the streets. At best many of us will breathe a resigned sigh.
It’ll be more “Thank fuck the Tories are out, now what?”
And I just don’t know. It’s hard to be optimistic. -9
Some of that’s down to what happened with 97 New Labour, some is down to the current party leadership embracing culture war bullshit. Many of us will have voted, holding our nose, hoping for the best possible outcome.
We’ll need to hold feet to fire though & I worry it won’t be enough. -10
So how do we stand up and make a government take notice? Writing to your MP? I mean… It’s nice when they reply but it feels ineffectual. Mass mobilisation? Cool story bro, but unlikely. No revolts please, we’re British.
How do we become the prick it’s hard to kick against? I’ve no idea. -11
But it’s something we have to consider if we’re to see better times. Sniping from a keyboard isn’t going to help. Only action. Only getting out and about, making change, becoming a thorn in the side while spreading love. -12
I’m not judging anyone for how they vote (unless it’s Tory or Reform in which case fuck off). The options are not stellar. And I get why people will vote Labour, in spite of distaste at much of their messaging. The fatigue of 14 years is real. But “getting the Tories out” is just the beginning. -13
I expect a lot of us will be relieved come Friday morning. And that’s totally fine. But we need to be prepared to do more, be vocal, and speak to those in power. We can’t just chill after marking an X and sit back. -14
And this is the main thrust of this post, ok the Tories may be gone (and I certainly hope they lose power), but now we need to collectively protect the rights of the minorities who’ve become punching bags. Asylum seekers, immigrants, the disabled, benefit claimants, our Trans brethren and more. -15
Those promo distribution places were amazing, I'd been with my friend a few times and they might throw you the odd bone if not a certified DJ but that Friday everyone was buzzing. I sold a lot of it, it was peak Britpop and Big Beat/Trip Hop days, a few months later and made a tidy profit.
I remember mostly feeling somewhat dazed that that had actually happened. I know I stayed up till way after my normally late bedtime and I guess I must have gone to work and been not much use - little change there - but the half-life of schadenfreude is short and the list of work to come is long.
Absolutely spot on there Martin, agreed with every word. 97 was the first time I'd voted too, I was 20 and it felt like I'd made a positive difference, and that optimism was palpable.
I used to visit that comic store on New Oxford Street (FP!) a lot too, back then. Our paths may well have crossed!
Gosh was great. And Orbital. Going even further back to the late 80s/very early 90s, I adored how grungy The Comic Dead was! FP drew me in initially, and I loved discovering all the cool places around it.
Thank you. Been mulling over my feelings for a few days. I try not to be too political here, but obviously that's impossible when there's an election on.
Beautifully put and very insightful Martin.
I have l kept my own counsel as I WAS a member of the Labour Party for decades and am VERY concerned about their direction but I don’t want to rain on the parade of people desperate for change.
I’ll be glad to wake tomorrow relieved the Tories are gone.
Thank you, I've been weighing up whether to write it but it's been bouncing about for weeks so thought I needed to get it out of me. I just want people to consider there's more to democracy than just marking an x I guess?
I think what you said about solidarity about those who have been ‘punching bags ‘ is oh so important.
The end of the bloody culture war that’s plagued us since Brexit and more of us pulling together would really be such a start.
I believe I was there for the weekend as well, entirely by chance. It was very much an unusual vibe for London. People being friendly and chatty to strangers? I thought someone had dumped their strategic drug reserves into the drinking water.
I appreciate the way you voiced concerns about Labour, without insulting anyone. I'm a newbie Labour & just hoping for a proper govt & the end of the far right.
We deserve better.
We really do. Competence is absolutely the first step.
And thank you for your kind words. It’d be so nice if we could get to a place where the exchange of opinion and ideas isn’t a battlefield that has to be ‘won’.
No one ever changed their minds whilst being insulted !
97 was my first GE, I think, I was 17 in 92. The elation, and the next day at work having sat up till 5am, is still something I remember strongly. Today won't be that, and it's a shame, because it could have been.
Absolutely this. There will be happiness tomorrow, but it’ll be relief at what we’ve got rid of not any (however misplaced) ‘97-ish sense that we’re getting something good in its place. But the getting-rid-of part of the celebratory mood is earned. We can be angry again on Saturday.
I agree completely, but also cognizant that 1997 was a different time in world politics and economics, and also I was 21 and nothing ached, and this election was never going to recapture that spirit. I will, however, be opening a bottle of something nice if we get shot of R-M, Lopresti & Fox later.
Yeah, I guess a lot of what I tried to articulate came up after discussions with house teenager about the election. HT is not 18 till November and obviously has strong opinions and is pissed they can't vote.
I think the outlook for teenagers generally is shitter, sorry to say, but at least 16yos should have the vote next time. And with that in mind I'm off to the polling station ..
