A digest of Laments from Christian Friends in my Facebook Network Today

 

speechless.... knowing that the work we do among the poor and the vulnerable is just going to grow! This is not a good thing.

 

Gutted Katie Hopkins is staying in the UK!

 

'The British election is still more proof that the problem with government of the people, by the people, and for the people, is the people'. (Tweet of God)

 

how on earth do we respond to what has happened in this country...

 

The Lib Dems have got exactly what they deserved. Now we can look forward to another 5 years of food-banks and austerity.

 

I despair of our so called democracy...maybe local organising of communities, local economies and welfare support is the best way forward..."politics" seems to have failed those on the margins... there are lessons from Scotland and it's new style of politics

 

Struggling to find an explanation as to why those who voted Lib Dem last time would now vote for the Conservatives in huge numbers - they have nothing in common!

 

I suspect the young people who we work with who may now be made homeless if changes to housing benefit for young people go through, may need a bit of hope just to survive. The future for them looks very bleak ...

 

So, those of us who can need to dig a little deeper in order feed, house, clothe those who the government have overlooked and will continue to overlook

 

Britain seems to have voted for £12bn additional cuts to benefits. Basically a pound of flesh from every person in need. All completely avoidable and unnecessary pain.

 

The news this morning is even worse than it was looking when I went to bed at 2.00. Labour wiped out in Scotland and losing a lot of seats in England, apart from in London. At least Caroline Lucas won in Brighton, and it looks like Farrage didn't succeed. It is not looking good for the poor, the vulnerable, the unemployed, disabled or homeless under this next "One Nation" Conservative Govt. It feels even worse than the second Thatcher victory following the Falklands.

 

The election result demonstrates for me that the Westminster establishment is no longer trusted in terms of its moral authority to lead a nation. I suspect the conservative success has a lot to do with the return to the Conservatives of LIberal defectors last time having lost confidence in Nick Clegg's leadership, and the poor Labour showing of the same problem with Ed Milliband. Cameron towers above them as a natural leader. Then there is the fact that what people seem to want for the time being is financial success in government on behalf of the successful in the electorate. What else would you expect in a society devoted to self and materialism? The social vision of Britain is in rags.

 

Farage fails to win his seat. I know it's a low bar, but I can safely say that it's the best news I've had all day.

 

The NHS, Education, Working Benefits, A Safety Net. Yesterday 58% of the UK voted against these priorities. A lot to ponder

 

Tough night for Labour but glad to have increased our voter numbers in East Surrey by 33%

 

Maybe now the church will rise up, speak up & be the radical, subversive, dissenting, advocating voice for the poor & excluded. Please?

 

Today should be a day of much rejoicing. And we will celebrate ******'s birthday and thank God for him. But in the midst of it all, we will also pause to reflect on the growing realisation that our country is becoming ever more divided and torn apart by social inequality and an access to opportunity only afforded to people by consequence of their social class and status. Watch the exponential growth of food banks, waiting lists for hospital treatment and the numbers of those in extreme poverty in our land, over the next five years. May God have mercy on us - heaven knows we'll need it......

 

"So a depressing election night draws to a close ... But politics doesn't just happen once every five years, it happens every day: in creative action, in voices speaking out about what they believe, in changing hearts and minds. So I will not cry into my morning cup of tea, I will aspire to go out and continue with the real politics I and others can believe in. Because boy will there be work to be done!"

 

There are things to celebrate election wise, great news in Lancaster, and the green vote is up. Mainly tho I can't quite believe so many people do not seem to care about the destruction of the nhs or the rise in food banks. So whilst I will today be despairing at the thought of yet more conservatives, I shall be grateful for all the amazing people I know who despite those "in power" will continue to do the powerful work of being alongside those struggling.

 

God help us all now! Foodbanks, poverty, inequality, demonising diversity, detaining asylum seekers > Where now for progressive politics?

 

Oh dear I can't believe it

 

Not Ed Balls

Reasons to be depressed this morning: Tory majority, Murdoch victory, likelihood of Scottish independence, boundary changes & further shifting of BBC towards right-wing agenda making it even more difficult for other voices to be heard or prevail. Oh, and 5 years more of nasty, divisive scapegoating, marginalising the most vulnerable and cuts like we haven't seen.

Reasons to be hopeful: passion, compassion, solidarity and real politics start local, between neighbours; truth and justice, mercy and love *will* have the last word.

Now, as friends of mine have already said this morning, time to roll up sleeves and get stuck in. The politicians won't do it. We need to.

Can any of my friends tell me where one fills out emigration forms.....?

 

If you're moving to Scotland we're coming too........Isle of Mull is really nice, so I've heard!!

 

more years of government murders then?

 

My picture is one of mourning for our country and the impact this result will have on the most vulnerable. For the fact the Tory party have gained support despite what they have done for the last five years. For the disappointment of people voting to benefit the individual rather than the community. Devastating.

 

Whatever political landscape we find ourselves in, we all have the capacity to inspire and work out a soulful politics from below. Shalom.

 

A more hopeful message, "Politics is about far, far more than parties, elections and polling days. We need to resist the plans for a massive extra £12bn in welfare cuts, the privatisation of the National Health Service, the ongoing attacks on education and the welfare state, the fuelling of climate change, the sale of arms to tyrants and the plans to throw £100 bn into a new generation of weapons of mass destruction... We can resist such policies in Parliament, through fresh ideas, in the media, on the streets, in our workplaces, in our communities and faith groups and places of education, through strikes, through protests, through nonviolent direct action and in our daily lives."

 

Retweeted Polly Toynbee (@pollytoynbee): So much to fear - for the NHS, for the BBC, for the low paid and the sick

Labour seat in Lancaster & Fleetwood just announced!! a small piece of good news.. Congratulations Cat Smith.

I'm conflicted by the fact that despite getting 12.4% of the vote, UKIP has one seat. Glad we were protected, devastated that it can happen in a 'democracy'

Its a long way up this bloody hill !

I am tired of politics... I wish I was stood here again watching the sun go down over Derwentwater & Keswick. In fact - If I get my way, I might just do that tonight!

Pray, pray pray for our best beloved community- it's gonna get a lot worse

getting the Blues; feeling so sad; wish i were asleep...

Moment of silence please, for all those trying to make it in the arts industry for the next 5 years under a Tory-led UK.

What a disaster

Perfect fear casts out love. I cannot believe the political illiteracy and mean spirit of so many voters in England. More years of increased suffering for the poor and vulnerable looms. Those who voted Tory and hid their intentions from the pollsters should be ashamed.

Shame on you who voted Tory !

PR is a fairer system

Something has gone horribly wrong when the best bit of news all night is that George Galloway and Tim Aker have failed to win.

 Exit poll looks like UK could be on way out of EU and Scotland out of UK. Disaster all round then.

I can't bear the thought of another Tory government. They will destroy everything. I cannot believe so many people have opted for such an uncaring, selfish, arrogant, bunch of blockheads.

I am without hope !

 Would you please join me in hoping that those exit polls are wrong, I fear the people I love and work with simply won't last another five years. Especially with the threat that 'we will finish the job'.

Speechless......

Woke to find I live in a country where the desire and greed of the well off and rich few is put before the needs of the many

Shocking number of people in ‪#‎England who lied to the pollsters about their voting intentions..

I dread to think what will happen to the poorest areas now. It will signal the death knell of Local Government as central government funding is decimated.

I'm going to be having to work even harder for disabled people

Cameron's victory speech. Horrible, cruel drama tonight. Some bewildering losses. Expectation raised by polls & lost. So sorry. Knackered...

Looks like Conservatives will govern the Union, but have laid the foundations for destroying that Union in the process.

Reading Facebook posts, I don't seem to know any Tories . Do they just keep their heads down more than gobby lefties?

One consolation is that the lib dems are being destroyed (given how much they sold their supporters short of their 2010 manifesto, they deserve it!)

My former home, Nuneaton, stays Tory. Feel sorry for friends there.

Wow, scary looks as if the tories may have a majority, umm ukips getting some votes

Sorry to see Douglas Alexander go. One of the good guys, with a world-wide perspective on the common good.

Get Boris off the air!!!

Retweeted Milton Jones (@themiltonjones): Think tonight all returning officers should start with 'it's great to be back

Hey ho. The great British public have bottled it and voted in favour of another 5 years of Katie Hopkins. Self-interest once again looks like trumping the common good, but that's democracy for you (or at least what passes for democracy in a first-past-the-post system).

Tories taking Nuneaton with increased majority is bad news. Outcome is becoming clear. Sickening. The implications for the vulnerable and weak in our society are grim.

It just hit me and I sobbed my heart out. I am genuinely frightened for the sick, young, poor, disabled, all of us.

I think that I'll be re-discovering my Scottish Roots. I think that the Australian ones are less attractive at the moment ...

cannot tell you how sick the election results are making me feel