Election quick links
BNP: Via Mod:
Liberal Democrats: Don’t Upset The Money (on Clegg's corrupt Big Oil funders); The truth about tactical voting; Lib-Con councils provide warning for progressives; The Lib Dems' "Canadian model".
Socialist Party: Campaign hots up in Lewisham; Vote Chris Flood, Jess Leech and Ian Page in Lewisham; Lewisham councillors' record.
Green Party: An Interview With Matt Selwood - Green Candidate For Hackney North and Stoke Newington; Exemplary Green Party foreign policy.
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The immigration issue: Locally: General election in Lewisham - racism rears its head
Duffygate: On the one hand: Dissent's Alan Johnson in Arguing the World, the IPPR's Sarah Mulley in the Guardian, and Paul Stott at his blog. On the other hand: History is Made at Night, who wants to vote for Amerie, Flesh is Grass, and Vince Cable in the Mail.
More Lewisham: Mayoral election: second preferences; Fantasy school places found!
Alliance for Workers Liberty: Camberwell and Peckham: housing, jobs and pay on people's minds in election.
Left Foot Forward has how an Essex newspaper has become the mouthpiece of the BNP. From Kirklees Unity, BNP lies outrage campaigners and Liverpool BNP Campaign in Disarray. At Lancaster Unity, On the front line of the war against the BNP and Police probe after the BNP parades fake soldier Walker. Finally, Norfolk Unity has BNP council candidate denies assault charges and Second rate and stupid – BNP’s East Anglian clowns rise to new lows. That last bit sounds about right.
Not forgetting Hope Not Hate have produced a good election guide.
Liberal Democrats: Don’t Upset The Money (on Clegg's corrupt Big Oil funders); The truth about tactical voting; Lib-Con councils provide warning for progressives; The Lib Dems' "Canadian model".
Socialist Party: Campaign hots up in Lewisham; Vote Chris Flood, Jess Leech and Ian Page in Lewisham; Lewisham councillors' record.
Green Party: An Interview With Matt Selwood - Green Candidate For Hackney North and Stoke Newington; Exemplary Green Party foreign policy.
.
The immigration issue: Locally: General election in Lewisham - racism rears its head
Duffygate: On the one hand: Dissent's Alan Johnson in Arguing the World, the IPPR's Sarah Mulley in the Guardian, and Paul Stott at his blog. On the other hand: History is Made at Night, who wants to vote for Amerie, Flesh is Grass, and Vince Cable in the Mail.
More Lewisham: Mayoral election: second preferences; Fantasy school places found!
Alliance for Workers Liberty: Camberwell and Peckham: housing, jobs and pay on people's minds in election.
Comments
I read something far fetched recently which argued that Lib Dems may not find PR so attractive if they get a foot in the door on FPtP. Once you're in on that system you stay in for ages.
Got mixed feelings about PR myself. I totally support it (though which form I'm not sure - I worry about the pure PR which leaves countries like Italy and Israel vulnerable to their extremists) but I'm also resigned to the fact that I'd be fighting the hard right, the hard left and the deep greens for the rest of my life.
The Danish system has a list system of PR with only 10 constituencies for a slightly larger population, and from what I understand there isn't the same culture of direct contact between national politicians and their constituents.
I also quite like the idea of keeping the "lower" house as constituency based, but replacing the "upper" house with a purely proportional house, each able to originate legislation and some kind of veto, with ideology versus place checking and balancing each other like the Senate and House in the UK.
Maybe I should be the prime minister...
But it seems to me that PR is an ultimately trivial issue to decide a vote, given the economic crisis, the need to sustain public investment rather than cut it, and all that sort of thing.