Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Still undecided?

I was hoping to find a website where I could tick individual policies I liked and then find out which party might fulfill most of them, if not all of them. For instance I like some but not all Green Party policies, I like a lot but not all Lib Dem policies, I hate a lot of New Labour policies but like some of them...

I found a site that comes close to what I was asking for: www.votematch.org.uk.

It's a lot simpler and much quicker than the Vote For Policies website which Marmoset has linked to in the previous post. VoteMatch gives you individual policies to choose from – rather than the headache-inducing group of policies in the Vote For Policies poll – from unidentified parties, and you find out at the end who you are closest to.

The Vote For Policies site isn't working very well at the moment, possibly a victim of its own success on the very night it may be needed most. The link to it was sent to Crosswhatfields by the Green Party, and we found it strange that almost everyone who's done it comes up 'mostly Green'.

However, I also came up 'mostly Green' on the VoteMatch site, and that is sponsored by the weird combination of the Daily Telegraph, Goldsmiths College, and the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust.

Of course, that doesn't mean that's what I'll vote...

If the Greens get in, my MP will be the first Green in parliament and be swanning off round the country being a mascot for most of the time. If Joan gets in again along with her party, she'll be in Europe doing Junior Cabinet minister business on climate change most of the time. If her party doesn't get in, one wonders what she'll do...(possibly Shadow Cabinet Minister for Climate Change?) If the LibDems get in, we'll have a young novice, but also female, who will maybe stick around, and this may be the right tactical vote to keep the Tories out...or not...

However, who gets in as MP is of little importance to local matters compared to who is running Lewisham Council. Here I am tempted to vote ALL of the PeopleBeforeProfit folk in as councillors – or shall I do a smattering of Green, LibDem and PeopleBeforeProfit? Or do a three-hander of Lib Dems? Then again, Cllr Padmore (Labour and one of the few black candidates) has worked hard in our little area this year, even against his own party. (PeopleBeforeProfit also have a black candidate in our ward, Barbara Raymond; the LibDems have Duwayne Brooks in Downham; David Michael is an Independent in Catford).

As for Mayor, I love the idea that John Hamilton will do it for £24K instead of the normal mayor's salary of £80K (plus probably enormous expenses since that's less than half what the top execs at the council get) and then abolish the role. But I've met him and he has a permatan and he's quite posh, so I'm not so sure, he might possibly be a bastard son of the Redgrave family (if you know what I mean) and the policies are radical (as are those of the Greens - heroin on prescription, anyone?)...

But then, if ever a change was needed it's got to be at Lewisham Council where Labour have ruled the roost for 40 years, and worse, have been a New Labour flagship borough for the past 13. You might as well vote Conservative if you want more of the same.

BTW, LIb Dem Chris Maines also pledges to get rid of himself if elected Mayor...

The Deptford Dame has done some analysis of the litterature (I now have more election leaflets than flyers for local takeaways, with menus almost as long) and has posted about the Mayoral candidates here.

And take a peek at Brockley Central's election posts if you have the time...

10 comments:

  1. Paddy Power presently has 1/66 to Labour, 10/1 to LibDems, 12/1 to Greens, and 100/1 to Cons for Lewisham.
    No, this isn't spam. The Guardian reports "Britain goes crazy as punters wager up to 40m on election"...and Paddy Power has already paid out on a Cameron win.
    It makes you want to cry. That's all our jobs gone and everything sold off...
    Does anyone know anything about council election odds?...

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  2. I don't know any of these councillors I'm supposed to vote for, but that's supposed to be where my vote actually counts? If all I've got to go on is what's come thru the door, then I only know about People Before Profit and the Labour lot. Maybe they get my vote for actually bothering?

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  3. Oh god, I just read Dave Hill's blog on Nick Clegg in Blackheath (and all the comments) and now it's worse than ever...
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/davehillblog/2010/may/03/nick-clegg-london-working-class-housing-policy

    But I'm amused by The Blackheath Bugle's report on the same event (Clegg in Blackheath)...

    http://blackheathbugle.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/clegg-in-blackheath-why/

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  4. One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors - Plato

    Fuck it...

    Don't worry! Nobody can win!
    No matter who you vote for, the government always gets in - Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band

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  5. Undecided, I agree. Like what do we know about these people? They get £10K and what do they do? Some of them work in full-time jobs and if they have families what time do they have for all those meetings and people to serve? Cllr Padmore is retired, so maybe he should've been doing more than he's done (if he's done anything)? Thing is you only know about this stuff if you're 'involved' all the time in which case you might as well be a councillor and get £10K for it. Some people round here work full-time for £10K.

    Anonymous - I thought "the gov always gets in" was an anarchist slogan. I'm assuming you're using it as an excuse not to vote, but now I see it's been adopted by LibDems as part of a Facebook campaign ("For Britain's sake, let's at least give the underdog party a proper crack of the whip") – for proportional representation? Is this ironic?

    The hope is certainly that we'd feel more represented with PR (a particular version - STV - LibDem/Green style (does not depend on the existence of political parties) – not the Labour Party version), and people seem to be asking for a hung parliament because they know power corrupts. 'Underdog' is not actually a word that should be used in a democracy, and we really need to be rid of the power-corrupting 'whips' (who prevent the hound from wandering away from the pack)...

    Personally I always thought of the 'gov always gets in' saying as a salvo for disappointment on the day after the elections - except for the day after Labour won in 1997, but come 2001 when I was sick to death of Blair for reversing the manifesto in so many ways, it was highly appropriate. It is probably a more prevalent attitude than our overexcited media recognise this week...and its deep roots in apathy/life-as-the-underdog cannot be reclaimed by the LibDems, I fear.

    Oh well, if the Tories are in on Friday, we can look forward to a few good Greek-style riots this summer! So it's all good...

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  6. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/hardtalk

    Are we seeing the end of capitalism?
    Professor David Harvey on the need to think of alternatives to capitalism as endless growth is no longer a possibility.

    So it was worth staying up this late...

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  7. I've just had a look at John Hamilton's video here:
    http://www.johnhamilton.org.uk/cms/
    and I must say I'm impressed, tanned and posh regardless. What a reasonable man. He wants a coalition in charge in Lewisham...Now just have to decide who gets my second mayor vote. Perhaps Green, and then LibDem for MP.
    Also did the Vote Match thing and came out LibDem a little ahead of Green, New Lab third and a little bit Tory & the rest - probably quite accurate...
    Still got to decide on councillors, but I'm nearly ready to vote...

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  8. Oh sod, just downloaded the LibDem Lewisham manifesto from their website. That looks bloody reasonable too...might pip the Greens...
    So much for being decided.

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  9. the spice grillsThursday, May 06, 2010

    ''I now have more election leaflets than flyers for local takeaways, with menus almost as long''

    That's because Domino's Pizzas aren't standing for election.

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  10. I know it's a bit late for a comment on last May's elections but I just came across this blog and was surprised that Sue thought I was posh. I went to Lewisham Primary schools and Crown Woods Comprehensive and I work as a heating engineer - not very posh. As for the tan - my little boy asked if I was mixed race recently (even though he knows his grandparents are all white british). For some reason the tan just doesn't fade in winter - probably all the cycling in the fresh air. Enough about me, though, it's the policies of Lewisham People Before Profit that count and we are more active than ever countering Bullock's cuts. See www.LPBP.org.uk for more details. Thanks

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