I am becoming increasingly impressed with the Green Party"s pronouncements! I have voted Green in the past where proportional representation ensured that they got one MEP into Brussels!
I enjoyed their leaders contribution to the televised debate.
When I listen to the promises from the parties it's as though the clock has been turned back several decades! Council homes to buy, pouring money into the NHS, balancing the books, clearing our financial defecit. We have all heard it all before...several times in the case of those of us who are ancient.
The world has changed and the only party who recognises that is the Green Party. Many of the battle grounds rehearsed day after day by the main parties are the hostages to the fortune we have already taken our position on. Perhaps that's the point...they hope that if they push familiar buttons our traditional votes may go their way!
The chances are that as we get closer, the promises will get wilder and become impossible to carry out.
I hope that there will be no negative campaigning....that puts me off quicker than any other...any party engaging in personal insults lose my vote instantly...it is insulting to the electorate to assume we will react to their slurs by voting for the party that uses them.
We are not at the finishing line yet....I am listening...and considering my choice....what ever happens it looks increasingly likely that we will end with coilition government. So every vote counts.
The words used by the leader of the Green Party are the only words to inspire me yet..."Vote for what you believe in." Fair enough!
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5 comments:
'Vote for what you believe in' is good advice I think, although hard to discern how to follow that, especially if none of the main parties tick the 'right' boxes. I do agree about the same old battlegrounds being fought in the same old ways - a definite turn off for me. I'm having to use a postal vote this year so need to make up my mind soon - but how?
the Green Party manifesto . Here are some highlights:
“a complete ban on cages for hens and rabbits”
“end the use of the whip in horse racing and conduct a full review of the sport”
“end the practice of grouse shooting”
“ensure UK taxpayers’ money is not used for bullfighting”
“ban the import of fur products”
“ensure that all schools, hospitals and other public buildings have solar panels by 2020″
“closure of all coal-fired power stations”
“make equality and diversity lessons mandatory in all schools”
“progressively introduce anonymised CVs”
“strengthen Travellers’ rights”
“cancelling student debt”
“revive the role of trade unions”
“phase in a 35 hours week”
“work for the abolition of the City of London Corporation”
“introduce a wealth tax of 2% on the top 1%”
“raise the additional top rate of income tax to 60%”
“increase corporation tax from 20% to 30%”
“introduce new taxes on the use of water”
“ensure that no company owns more than 20% of a media market”
“state funding of political parties”
“pursue a policy of defensive defence, which threatens no one”
“a ban on the production and sale of fois gras”
There are a couple in there I am not sure about but I am breaking the habit of a lifetime by publishing something that was sent to me anonymously.
I'm happy with the Green agenda and joined the party some years ago, once I had the freedom to do so. Quite a socialist agenda, but one that is about protecting our environment and creation - actually quite idealistic.
Not on their manifesto list is the legalisation of drugs, which was policy, but now seems to have been quietly dropped. They are being criticised as having uncosted proposals, but the evidence is that they've taken independent fiscal advice on their proposals and they measure up.
Lots of their proposals won't be popular among those who've got used to the status quo and selfishly expending the earths resources in our generation, without any regard to our children's, children. Any increase in taxes will cost, but it we cut out the obscene trident and the billions due to be spent on the HS2, there will be plenty money for education and the NHS, let alone the downgrading and getting rid of carbon guzzling energy producers. It will take time, but if given a chance, they have the prospect of changing the whole culture of greed and consumerism to one of joint responsibility and sharing for the greater good.
As for Defence, I think that in the short term, we need to maintain the capability to defend ourselves and for our partners, who we have treaty obligations towards - I'm not sure of how long such treaties have a life span - given the world wide changes in the developing world, which unfortunately are moving towards the western culture of consurmerism and squandering of resources. But in the longer term, there should be investment in the United Nations as peacekeepers and peace makers, and our external defence capability should be focused on that.
I can live with quite a socialist agenda!
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