Political & Constitutional Reform Committee!

So i wrote to PCRC on Monday and they've agreed to publish my evidence which can be found here. Mine is the last bit of evidence on that page.

When the clerk for the committee e-mailed me saying the committee had agreed to publish my views on the matter, he also said that the committee chair, Graham Allen had specifically told him that he was impressed with what i had written.

Now Graham Allen is completely new to me as are most politicians but from what I've seen of him, i really like him as a person and I would trust him to make decisions on my behalf if he were my MP. I've seen his voting record and whilst i don't agree with all of them, i still respect him and would vote for him if he was a candidate in my constituency.

To me, this shows what i said in my evidence that voting for a candidate isn't party based as my MP, Sandra Osborne are from the same party but i would vote for one to be my MP but i wouldn't the other. The problem in our democracy, if you like a party, you have to take the candidate they offer which i think is wrong.

I'm interested in reading their report released on Monday, the 2nd of August.

Spot the Difference!

Can any Labour MP or any Labour member or even any member of the public explain something to me about Labour and the Iraq War. What makes Labour and Blair/Brown any different from Saddam Hussein. As of 2003 when we went to war:

Hussein                                   Labour

Socialist                                  Social Democrats
20% support in Iraq                24.2% support in Britain
WMD                                     WMD (Trident)

What is actually different between these two administrations?

Labour and Social Democracy.

I've been following the labour leadership contest and i read David Miliband's Keir Hardie Lecture and thought that that is a Labour party i could join, i could be part of.

My one problem with Labour and social democrats, socialists, and democratic socialists is that they say they believe in these movements and these views but they like First-Past-the-Post electoral system which is the most undemocratic, unfair system in the world.

Tony Blair defined the Labour party as "The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party. It believes that by the strength of our common endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone, so as to create for each of us the means to realise our true potential and for all of us a community in which power, wealth and opportunity are in the hands of the many, not the few, where the rights we enjoy reflect the duties we owe, and where we live together, freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect."


If you believe that you should be one of the democratic socialists, social democrats and socialists that make up the Labour party.


Look at the 97, 01 and 05 election stats for the election of a labour government and think if they represent Labour values of democracy, of tolerance, of respect.


              % electorate     % vote    % seats
1997               30.8           43.2         63.4
2001               24.2           40.7         62.5
2005               21.6           35.3         55.2


I, as someone who wants a democracy, can't say that those numbers are fair. I see the complete unfairness in those numbers. The problem i have with Labour is that they think those numbers are fair. My Labour MP likes FPTP, she thinks it fair to take away 20% of people's vote, she thinks its fair to take away the voice and the vote of 20% of people who voted -  for what power. 


Andy Burnham loves these numbers, he wants to see those kind of numbers for the rest of the century, in fact i think he would love to see labour get 30% of the vote and 60% of the seats. My problem with Labour is every single leadership contender actually condones these and wants to see them again. If you're a Labour member/supporter and like those numbers then i'm sorry but you've just sold out your principles for power. Those numbers are not tolerating 20% of the views that you have ignored and you're not respecting those 20% of voters who voted for someone else.


Labour keep hounding Nick Clegg for selling out, he made a difficult decision. He had to compromise with someone. Labour sold out their social democratic principles and they didn't even need to compromise.


If you believe in Labour values, then you have to support proportional representation. AV maybe a step in providing that but it is still unfair and undemocratic.

AV Campaign posters!

Just did a couple of AV campaign posters seeing as the "No" campaign is under way with posters. See here.

My posters for the "Yes" campaign. Very simple but powerful, i hope.

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

UPDATE: I did a second version of the second poster, let me know which one you think is better.