One of the first testing grounds for the new Libertarian Party was fighting the Norwich North By Election. We learned a huge amount. We gained precious little in the way of votes, but a huge amount by way the cynical way elections are run.
We were criticised for having such a young candidate, but the winning conservative candidate was barely a few years older and had precious little in the way of life experiance either. Which proved to me that the voter does not vote for the candidate but for the biggest party machine.
Whilst holding no brief for the BNP and the English Democrats, the shenanigans in Oldham where the BNP candidate was ejected from a hustings is further evidence of the ongoing ‘fit up’ in local and national elections. Perhaps we should call in Kofi Annan to supervise our elections as well.
The Quiet Man and Dick Puddlecote carried this story yesterday.
Whilst hustings are held on public property and the £500 deposit is payable by all registered parties, hustings should be open to all candidates, not having these private ‘affairs’ . Norwich North was just the same, the LPUK, UKIP (who beat the Greens)and local independents were all not invited to hustings.
I object to the Labour Party on the basis that I object to their core principals of individual coercion and a ‘big state is good’ . However I would never ‘ deny them a platform’. A central tenet of socialism since the seventies. I did not see the Conservatives or Liberal Democrats objecting to the BNP being ejected.
The Labour Party cannot argue the BNP do not deserve to stand because of their racism, considering Jack Straw’s cynical little outburst on Asian gangs preying on young white girls in the days running up to the Oldham election.
Also lets not forget the reason why this by election is being fought. Because an electoral court found again the ‘principled’ Labour Party and Phil Woolas’ activities in the General Election. Harriet Harman was right to eject him from the Labour Party, something a good section of the Labour Party disagreed with as they condoned Woolas’ actions.
If you think we have problems with gerrymandering, I have invited Mik Robertson of the Libertarian Party in Pennsylvania to contribute an article on the problems of even gaining ballot access in the bastion of Democracy- the United States.
Politics- no wonder a huge proportion of the electorate do not bother to participate any longer.
Why is it?
1 day ago
6 comments:
I wonder what the police would have done if the BNP candidate had objected to the presence of the labour party candidate, and asked for him to be removed? Perhaps that's how the game has to be played in the future.
"Which proved to me that the voter does not vote for the candidate but for the biggest party machine."
Yep, blame the stupid voters. They're the problem, right?
No that is not what I said at all.
The voter votes negatively, not what he/she is for but for the largest party machine that will stop what he is against.
This has been demonstrated over and over again, that is why we have 'landslide' Governments with bare one-third of votes cast, let alone the total electorate.
It is the onlty rational way to vote under FPTP
As someone said a long time ago, people basically vote to get a party out rather than get one in (especially at general elections).
The problem is it's easier for the Media to adopt a 'two/three horse race narrative' for elections rather than cover all parties.
Oldham has 10 candidates, if the media were impartial it should treat the election as if every candidate has a 10% chance of winning regardless of opinion poll or ideology.
While in UK wide General election giving small parties attention becomes more difficult that does not mean they should be pushed into the 'Others' box and forgot about
If you pay your £500 you should be entitled to get equal coverage for your message from the State broadcaster
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