Brown and the Bigot Gaffe

Not everyone is perfect – even politicians. Nevertheless politicians are kept to the highest standards. Of course, its not a particularly high standard not to describe a voter as bigoted.

But consider the things you’ve said about politicians. Haven’t many people said far worse? We don’t hold ourselves to the same standards that we hold them really, do we?

Suddenly your vote matters

I know many people who read this will be living in a super safe constituency and won’t feel there’s much of a point in voting. If you have a bunch of no hoper candidates then that will make it even worse. The first past the post system can make people in these circumstances less inclined to vote. I reckon if you know someone is going to get in anyway, the likelihood to vote saturates at some point. In addition, tactical voting comes into play when you believe your chosen party can’t possibly get in. For these reasons and more, you can’t interpret the result of a FPTP system in a Proportional Representation way.

Since we are in a first past the post system it should be the number of seats which matter. Thats not an endorsement of the first past the post just a fact.

However, the Liberal Democrats have made it clear that they will be interpreting the response of the electorate through the popular vote. Although I disagree with taking this approach before we have the proper electoral reform to support it, Nick Clegg doesn’t read my facebook notes. Like yesterday’s.

So even if your chosen candidate is guarranteed to go in because its a safe seat, you should vote anyway in order to be counted in the national popular vote. #nickcleggsfault

Why I’m voting labour pt 1

So we’re off. It’s started. No more decent tv for ages now, except for Doctor Who. BBC News 24 finally has something to report. In the unlikely event the result of the election its not enough, theres Alex Salmond.

Ho ho.

I think I’ve made my mind up – I mean to vote Labour. Don’t ask me if I voted for them last time. Probably should have been, might have actually been a member at the time. But I really don’t recall. Something about Iraq I think.

Anyway, there’s lots of reasons I’m voting Labour. Truth. If I can be bothered I’ll try and deal with one per post, both a reason why, and a kind of apologetics about a common objection to labour.

This week I’ve been having trouble sleeping and listening to extracts on bbc parliament. Note not at the same time. The liberal democrats, or the tories (which is which?) were saying the gap between rich and poor has gotten bigger during labour’s terms in office. This has really stayed with me since I just got back from america.

I was staying in downtown LA. Both times I’ve been to the US I’ve stayed in rough areas in inner cities, the first in Camden New Jersey. Homelessness was ubiquitous. The amount of homeless people suffering from frightening mental illnesses, eating from bins, living under bridges,  it scars your conscience. I think there are many great things about the US that we need to emulate here, like their passion for sport which could help solve so many social problems here, but when I see teachers who must work over summer as waiters to pay their rent and when people are terrified of getting sick, when people are not simply homeless because of an addiction, I think we have something here worth celebrating.

We aren’t perfect, and I don’t say we’re the best in the world. But the US, the mightiest country on earth, cannot touch UK social welfare with a barge poll. Try telling people struggling to make ends meet in America its time we changed the government here.

I don’t honestly care if rich people get richer. I do support raising the minimum wage, I am so glad we’ve got one under labour. That and paternity leave, maternity pay, new deal (not perfect…), nursery places, so many things. You could double the minimum wage and still relative poverty could increase  – because I dont think relative poverty is the best measure here.

People have basic human rights, which is a part of how we should measure it, with more attention to absolute poverty than relative poverty. And we need to help people who are struggling especially now, theres so many. They might not be perfect, but I think labours done a lot in our time to change the UK for the better.

I mean don’t get me wrong. I’m sure Gordon Brown has a list of problems. I could give you a list. I even voted for him in the leadership election, as I thought the competition was uh oh…yeah. But at least he knows how to do a good U-turn, and although he may do maddening things sometimes, its better you sometimes get it right than just don’t know what you’re doing at all.

Seems he never gets any credit, this Gordon Brown. When he does something capitalist, folks say New Labours sold out. When he does something socialist like buy a bank or take over a rail line, no praise from the left.

As I said I was in california –  and didnt get a tan. I didn’t get a sunburn. I would have settled for, you know, if not a beautiful brown, at least bright red. There’s a profound political comment in there somewhere.