I am now represented in the European Parliament by Nick Griffin. That's not a good feeling. But like it or not, the BNP now has as many MEPs for the North West as the Liberal Democrats. Over in Yorkshire, the former leader of the National Front was elected, giving the BNP the same number of MEPs in that region as Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

The various talking heads have said how awful this is, how the BNP will claim this gives them and their views legitimacy. And, well, the BNP will claim that. And, well, they'll be right.

So where do we go from here?

Well, there is the question.  But first of all, I'm going to bring it down to a very personal question - the one that set me off writing this (now you know who to blame).  Can I bring myself to vote for Labour again at the next general election?

This is a personal view of the past year, coloured by emotion.  This is from memory, so the timelines may be mixed and confused, and facts may be completely wrong.  I don't care.  This one is about the visceral side of politics, about my emotional response to all this.

A year ago, I wrote a lament for socialism.  Brown had secured the leadership of the Labour Party without an election, and so became Prime Minister.  I predicted he would be the same as Blair, only with different presentation skills.  Well, I suppose he tried to be the same as Blair, but his lack of presentation skills of any sort scuppered that.

Heeeeeere we go!

Updates in comments, posted as possible.

Attention Uterine Infidel: we've prepared a nice place for you to sleep, and arranged for milk. Would you please consider coming out of my wife?