Level-peggers versus the armchair critics

This European election is not so much about the winners but more about the losers. Labour lost votes by the truckload. Apart from the Greens, English Democrats and Christian Alliance, the parties were level-pegging with 2004. The question for the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, UKIP and BNP is this. "Has our support peaked or can we mop up some of these armchair critics of Gordon Brown and politics in general?"

Because the main beneficiaries of the Euro elections in the UK were the 66% who stayed away, muttering about Gordon and all the ills in society. These armchair voters have allowed the BNP to rejoice in a victory. It has recharged the batteries of UKIP and given them a baker's dozen of MEPs. It has made the Conservatives feel that they have triumphed, whilst in fact they did virtually nothing to show that they are on a winning streak. And the Liberal Democrats have come out without a stain but with their old clothes still on.

Labour won the armchair vote by a landslide. They have done so in the last ten years. Harriet Harman keeps saying Labour won the last general election. They did no such thing. They just got more MPs than the other parties. But only 20% of the electorate went out to vote for them in 2005.

British democracy has a problem. The armchair voters let in the BNP, but they also allow us to have "winners" who are really "losers". If we had electric chairs for these backsliders to lounge in, would it encourage a better turnout?

Now this may all sound like I want Labour to do well. No I don't, but I would like the people to feel that democracy counts, that it matters in our lives. I don't know if these stay-at-home voters are Conservatives or what they are. My guess is that they are a pretty mixed bag. However, it's either that this 66% don't care or they think this is the best way to protest. No, the best way to protest is to vote, but to vote with a clear view of what you really want.

I just don't want the UK run by the armchair voters. That's worse than any party you don't like being elected. It's up to the parties to get the voters to the polling stations.