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Author | Topic: UK general election (May 5th) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
contracycle Inactive Member |
I'd be much happier to see an applecart-upsetting Lib Dem win.
I do not know what the outcome is going to be, and think there is a serious risk of the fraud issue dominating the outcome. I don't know if the Lib Dems will make much impact, but they stand to. As the only (parliamentary )party with both the principle and the courage to oppose the war, I'd be happy if they thrashed the warmonger parties to within an inch of their lives. Tariq Ali lives in my constituency, and called for a Lib Dem vote to punish the warmonger candidate, in this case Barbara Roche. Its a Lib/Lab race only. Nonetheless I am more likely to vote for Respect, if I vote at all. There is no difference between Labour and the Conservatives bar style. Both are parties of war and privatisation. The Candidates Find Common Ground Full employment, slave labor, and schemesAn unemployed workforce, the capitalist's dream But lets keep Britain working--either way we must keep Britain working Conventional weapons to kill people nicelyNuclear weapons to keep the peace But weapons definitely--either way we must defend ourselves Nationalization, with one big bossNo, privatization, with lots of little bosses But someone in control, of course, either way there must be someone giving orders (Chorus)A toast to democracy The prison guard of this society Sides in the voting game Disappear into the same machine The same machine A toastTo US bases and nuclear weapons To stopping pickets pulling down fences To the British troops in Northern Ireland To the wonderful victory in the Falklands To the plastic bullet and the riot police To the UDM, to the TUC To isolating gays and to law and to order To richer bosses, to poorer workers (Repeat chorus) To longer hours and to less payTo the courts for those who get in our way To the beating of people who step out of line To the use of troops to break a strike To the expulsion of extremists and political witch hunts To repatriation, to benefit cuts To peaceful settlements, and to no-strike agreements To authority, to power, to GOVERNMENT! One, two, threeTo the annual rise in the MP's wage To vested interests, to privilege To the party who wins the next election By definition a victory to capitalism
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contracycle Inactive Member |
No, I'm not a LibDem for several reasons, not least of which is that I am a member of a communist party. Secondly, I regard the Liberal movement as a sort of walking dinosaur that has already been superceded by the labour movement. Thats a long story though; the upshot is that the lack of commitment by liberals to actual Labour issues prevents me from supporting them. The only way in which I would consider doing so is in the form of tactical voting, and I am flirting with the idea because I think UK politics could stand to be shaken up by a third party.
The major issues depend on who you talk to - the major parties do not agree on what the central issue is. Labour have their "reform agenda", but this is such a dubious and charged idea that its hard to discuss without covering a lot of ground. Their essential offering is economic competence. The Tories have a fairly reacitonary agenda based on tax cuts and immigration controls. They are accused, rightly IMO, of playing to a racist audience in this regard; their tax proposals are controversial and disputed violently by Labour and the LibDems. The LibDems central issue is of course The War. Their secondary issues are a local income tax to replace council tax and a stop to the Private Finance Initiative by which the government is flogging off our assets. These are all good issues and tempt me to vote for them. Respect is a minor party headed by George Galloway, and which he recently described as "the ghost of Labour past". He is standing directly against the photogenic Oona King (related to ML King as I recall). But Respect is very young and is unlikely to have much impact overall. There are also some Muslim parties standing in opposition to the war and the demonisation of Islam. So, as you can see, which issues you think are major depends already on your predelictions. Labour are inclined to see opposition to PFI as a non-issue in our "post-ideological" age, but I can confidently say from my own knocker-hanging that it gets a lot of discussion on the doorstep. Similarly, there are now many reports that Blair is widely percieved to be damaged goods, and that Labour would probably do better if they ditched him in favour of Brown. Howard is making a much better showing than was expected, to be honest. I fear Blair actually has a genuinely ambitious man on his hands, and one who has nothing to lose. As a Newsnight reporter remarked, Howards whole life has been building up to his chance to run for PM, and you can bet he's going to make the most of it. I now fear there is a real chance the Tories will be returned to power.
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contracycle Inactive Member |
quote: The immigration "debate" is a nonsense; the UK population is actually falling. As John Snow covered last night on Channel 4 news, of 133,000 east europeans who entered the country last year, all of 23 are on benefits. But a public pole revelaed an aggregate estimate that 57,000 would be on benefits, in the public mind. The is a PERCEPTION of an immigration problem, but in fact there is no problem. IMO, this is entirely due to the Tories playing the race card, but phrasing it as an "immigration" debate rather than a racial purity debate, which is what it really is. As if to prove the point, the Guardian reports today already spotting on of the Tory posters on which someone had written "Paki's out" - this election issue is definitely pandering to racism.
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contracycle Inactive Member |
The royals are spreading like boils, it does your head in
We have no choice, we're invoiced for the weddings It's like a soap, a Dallas or a Dynasty We live in hope to put them out their misery Fire the freaky family, we're tired of the cheekAs you holiday your life away our futures look bleak As your castle's burning down you want the people to pay for it Ask us to defend you, we've got nothing to say for it The family, the family, the family horribilusThe family, the family... Kicking at the gates like we think we're on the guest listWe're told to wait - too late, we're getting restless The crowd is swelling as they're smelling the thrill There's dancing in the rubble and there's trouble at the mill There's warning of the storming, news of the resistanceThe peasants are revolting, advancing from the distance There's panic and there's anarchy and breaking the rules They're making fake money and they're taking the jewels What will it be? Funky! (x4) All without a fuss, the coup has been victoriousThe banners wave, proclaiming annus glorious What will it be? Funky! (x4) courtesy Pop Will Eat Itself.
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contracycle Inactive Member |
Both Blair and Kennedy suffered maulings at the hands of Paxman. Howard's on tonight, I doubt he will fare well.
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contracycle Inactive Member |
Well, I don't think he collapsed, but everyone has siezed on his inability to give a number for illegal immigrants and run off into the hills with it.
And, I keep wanting to slap Blair for saying "people have to make a judgement". We have made a judgement, thats his problem. I thought Kennedy just looked out of his depth.
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contracycle Inactive Member |
Galloway is an old fighter. He's always been a bit of eccentric, and always been a hard man to keep toeing the party line, especially as it became more and more new labour. Very old labour, joined as a young teenager, he's on the right side of the fence as far as I am concerned.
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contracycle Inactive Member |
quote: One problem with PR is that it severs the link between the seat and the candidate. At present, the safest seats are indeed given to party faithful, but those candidates still have to actually be elected. Under PR, seats will just be allocated to a list administered by the aprties. Thus, it may make politics even more remote and detached. Another major difference between the US and UK system is the direct election of the US president. In the UK the party leader becomes head of state by virtue of being party leader; this has often served to keep the leader under party control. Blair is something of an aberration in this regard, but for example the removal of Thatcher preserved the Tory government by making her a sacrifical offering. By contrast, the US ssystem is much more affected by the person of the president, and the president is held in much greater awe, seeing as he is the direct recipient of public acclaim.
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contracycle Inactive Member |
Simon Schama on differebces between American and British campaign styles, which may be of interest to some.
Edit: Erm, oops Now that's what I call democracy | Politics | The Guardian This message has been edited by contracycle, 05-05-2005 07:53 AM
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