Will Kate Middleton’s Baby Help David Cameron Win Another Election?
Kate Middleton’s due date is nearly upon us, but will the birth of the Duchess of Cambridge’s second child –and all the subsequent fanfare and fierce feelings of patriotism the arrival of the little Princess or Prince will invoke in many Brits, help David Cameron and the Conservative party win the forthcoming General Election?
In short, for better or worse, will Kate Middleton and Prince William’s new baby influence the fate of Britain?
It may at first seem a slightly strange question to ponder, but according to The Mirror, Kate Middleton super fans are already gathering in their hordes outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London, to get a ringside seat for the royal tot’s eventual unveiling.
Nestled in a sea of Union Jack flags, balloons and buntings, the Kate Middleton fans sit content, much like livestock in the field, as they wait patiently outside the hospital for the fourth in line to the throne to be born.
Now while such obsessive –some would say sycophantic – behaviour is the sole prerogative of the super fan, the U.K. as a whole, has a sense of being put on standby as it awaits the arrival of another royal.
Under the inflammatory headline of “Another royal scrounger is a crowning injustice,” the Socialist Worker has written an explosive editorial on Britain’s fascination with Kate Middleton and the royal family.
“In a few weeks’ time the front pages will be still plastered with pictures of babies. But they will no longer be the ones murdered by immigration controls in the Mediterranean. Farce is rapidly taking the place of tragedy as Kate Middleton is set to give birth to another royal scrounger.”
The provocative piece then goes on to suggest that David Cameron and the Tories will do their best to exploit the national mood of optimism generated by the birth of Kate Middleton’s baby, to basically say, “Vote for us, you know it makes sense.”
“The Tories are certainly hoping it will give them a boost. There’s nothing quite like a royal birth to bring the nation together before the Tories have to face re-election. Except perhaps for a war.”
Traditionally known as the party of people who own a lot of land and possess substantial wealth, the Tories have long been associated with the royal family, in a way that the Labour party or Plaid Cymru have not.
In fact, Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron is a descendant of King William IV, which makes him the Queen’s fifth cousin. So in a sense, any Brit who votes for Cameron and the Conservatives in the May 7 General Election, will be voting for a member of Kate Middleton’s extended family. Something that the Socialist Worker considers an outrage and therefore asks its readers to dig a little further behind the pomp and feel-good factor of a new royal birth when it comes to casting their vote.
“Behind all the pomp lies a brutal society plagued by inequality and misery. A third of children in Britain live in poverty—while the new arrival’s brother is already a multi-millionaire at nearly two years of age.”
Not that such sentiments matter to Kate Middleton’s legion of fans. Take pensioner Terry Hut, 79, for example, he’s currently camped out on a bench outside the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital.
A defiant Mr Hut told the Mirror that he’s not going anywhere until Kate Middleton gives birth and “the baby comes out.”
“Last time I slept here for 12 days.”
