Being a UKIP type chap there are comments one receives that are metronomic by their regularity. The one that I want to mention at this point is one that comes from Tory friends and acquaintances,
"By standing in this election, all you will do is let in the Labour/Lib Dem Party" (depending on location)
Of course this line of arguing is pure hokum. Anybody has the right to stand anywhere, as long as they have the requisite number of signatories, and in the case of Westminster elections sufficient funds for the deposit.
The argument goes along the lines of; if you take 2%, 5%, 10%, etc then that will mean that the non Tory candidate will get in, and they are worse than us.
Well the basic argument against this is very simple. If the Tories, or anybody else can provide a decent candidate, with a decent policy platform, no matter how many other people stand they will receive the requisite votes to win the seat. If they do not then people will vote for others. No party has the right to a vote, there are no such things as Tory, Labour, Lib Dem, UKIP, Green or Monster Raving Looney votes, there are just votes. These votes will go to the person thought most likely to do the job, or to the person deemed to have the best policies by the elector whose vote it is.
Why I am I blathering about this?
Well in the Northern Echo today, (Serving Southern County Durham no less), we have a reworking of the theme. But this time it is the Tories who are being denounced for having the temerity to stand by the Lib Dems.
He said: "They abandoned Wear Valley for the past 20 years, so what are they doing?
"Everybody in Wear Valley knows it is either Labour or Liberal Democrat. They could help Labour stay in control."
....
Conservative spokesman Jim Tague said: "We have a legitimate right to stand. We have some enthusiastic candidates, including some as young as 18 and 19, and we will fight a positive campaign."
Ho Ho
4 comments:
Vote UKIP and get Labour - even the Socialite 4th Baronet of Bwllfa has said he will help Labour keep the seat by splitting the Tory vote - UKIP GUILTY as charged.
http://www.ukipwales.org/home.html
Sir Dai, 61, rated his prospects as “extremely good” and said he did not fear helping Labour hold the marginal seat by splitting the Tory vote.
Which is precisely not the point, do keep up. UKIP is not there to either keep Labour in power, or put the Tories in power. The point is is that it hardly matters which shower controls the levers, they both point them in the same direction.
The point of UKIP is to present their own policies and gradually persuade the nation that they are the right ones to improve the lot of all in our country.
Do you understand democratic politics?
First of all, union with Europe will make this nation more powerful; we just need to cut the bureaucracy crap. Did you know that Europe combined has a larger economy that the USA? We just don't wield the power because were not united. Second of all, immigrants are the only thing keeping this country on their feet. Did you know that they contribute 10% to this economy AFTER you deduct what they take out? Don't listen to the tabloids; it appears that 3 separate political parties (including yours) have been formed based on the xenophobic lies coming out of the daily mail, the sun etc.
Whislt I agree with your post on the importance of voting, I have to say I am going to disagree with you on this.
Am I in politics to make Britain more powerful? Not really my thing, independent, yes. Powerful, well if it happens all to the good, but that isn't my driver, freedom and self respect are more to the point.
The Economy, hmmm. Well yes the European internal market is greater than that of the EU, granted. But again, that isn't really the point. The world is bigger than both combined and that is where I would see the UK trading, setting its own constraints and trade policy democratically in its own interests.
On the immigration point about economic contribution, I would say that the jury is out on that. I have read pretty convincing arguments from both sides of the debate, but a democratic country should have that debate and be able to set such restraints on the free movement as it sees fit. (after all, if the decision it makes is a bad one, it is able to alter the decision, by sacking those who made it - not possible with a comon EU immigration policy).
On the stifling layers of bureaucracy, well sadly that is just the way the place works With 8 years of experience of working in and around the law factory, I would say that to my regret I have come to the conclusion that it is unreformable, which is why I made the move to UKIP. Not something I ever thought I would do, but there you have it.
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