On his visit to Cardiff today, the deputy PM, Nick Clegg spoke about the cuts, urging people to keep them "in perspective". Whilst there are some economic grounds for cuts, he should be more honest about the "perspective" side of things. The government is expected to reduce public spending by around 25% over the next five years. This is not only going to cause huge economic pressures, we will have the largest employment upheaval since the war. Yes, the economy as a whole might cope, but we have to be honest, when put in perspective the cuts hard, very hard. We're going to have a very different kind of country in five years time.
Our public services, some of the very institutions that give our nation uniqueness in this ever more homogenous world, will lose their status. And with the inevitable increase in protests, violent crime, and disorder as people lose their jobs, should we really be cutting spending for the judiciary and the police? I think we need to keep increasing NHS funding, instead of just not cutting. NHS trusts have enormous (and rising) PFI debts to pay, and if we don't keep up the flow of money, patient care will be hit. The redevelopment of the JR site would have cost £170-180 million, but with PFI we will pay over £830 million. We are already seeing job losses in Oxford's front line services. Whilst we shouldn't make Clegg a scapegoat, he could have more humility when it comes to people losing their jobs, otherwise he could be next in the firing line, if the current opinion poll trend continues.
Tuesday 18 May 2010
Sunday 9 May 2010
A stitch up and a con
The Liberal Democrats cosying up to the Tories is a sign that tactical voting does not work. Where I live, thousands of principled progressive voters voted Lib Dem to "keep the Tories out", as the Lib Dems insisted that voting Labour / Green was a waste of a vote. This, like in many other constituency was a dirty and wicked tactic, and shows the lack of logic behind their campaign strategy. No vote is a waste, it is a strong message that that voter was not satisfied with the other parties and they need to do better.
So much for the "vote Lib Dem here to keep the Tories out" slogan. This is complete rubbish as we can now see. The two parties do, by their own admission, share ground on some "key policy issues". The Tories won in my constituency, and the Liberal Democrat party looks set to form a coalition with the frankly rotten, out of touch and selfish Tories who's principles do not stretch beyond the interests of the wealthy and big corporations. This stitch up of a fake "good party" and the "wannabee good party" is a sickeningly vile form of anti-democracy. A majority of voters voted for progressive parties with competent manifestos favouring electoral form of our rotten and corrupt system. Now one of these parties has betrayed millions who may have otherwise voted for Labour, SNP, Plaid or The Green Party.
I say to the Lib Dems, "shame on you", this is a morally decrepit move that shows what you really are. Any alliance with the Tories is only a way of illegitimately bolstering their power, thus delivering more wealth for the few and less services and action for the many. The Lib Dems came into this election as a thoughroughly anti-Tory party, now we know that this was completely dishonest and they are undeserving of tactical anti Tory support in the future. The Tories/Lib Dems will slash spending on public services and raise our taxes, when they should be locking up greedy bankers. The Lib Dem leadership can be likened to the Sheriff of Nottinghams' henchman- the infamous character- Guy of Guisbourne, stopping Robin Hood from doing his good work.
Perhaps one day the people will learn that tactical voting doesn't work, and democracy only works if you truly vote for what you believe in. The Labour Party have had their time and have well and truly let us down. UKIP and the BNP are conspiracy theorists, xenophobes, and in the BNPs case NAZIs. The only party with a FULLY costed, well thought out, manifesto built on fairness and justice is the Green Party. For goodness sake, in the next election (when they tell you to get it right and have another go), get it right, vote Green!
In a year or so, having failed to form a proper government, the old parties will come back to us and ask us to "get it right", even when they failed so spectacularly to "get it right" themselves. We need to tell them this by voting for a positive, different party. Don't fear radical change. Fear years more of the old ruling class dominating the way we live. Take pack power, let the Green Party sort things out, and then we can all be satisfied with our votes.
So much for the "vote Lib Dem here to keep the Tories out" slogan. This is complete rubbish as we can now see. The two parties do, by their own admission, share ground on some "key policy issues". The Tories won in my constituency, and the Liberal Democrat party looks set to form a coalition with the frankly rotten, out of touch and selfish Tories who's principles do not stretch beyond the interests of the wealthy and big corporations. This stitch up of a fake "good party" and the "wannabee good party" is a sickeningly vile form of anti-democracy. A majority of voters voted for progressive parties with competent manifestos favouring electoral form of our rotten and corrupt system. Now one of these parties has betrayed millions who may have otherwise voted for Labour, SNP, Plaid or The Green Party.
I say to the Lib Dems, "shame on you", this is a morally decrepit move that shows what you really are. Any alliance with the Tories is only a way of illegitimately bolstering their power, thus delivering more wealth for the few and less services and action for the many. The Lib Dems came into this election as a thoughroughly anti-Tory party, now we know that this was completely dishonest and they are undeserving of tactical anti Tory support in the future. The Tories/Lib Dems will slash spending on public services and raise our taxes, when they should be locking up greedy bankers. The Lib Dem leadership can be likened to the Sheriff of Nottinghams' henchman- the infamous character- Guy of Guisbourne, stopping Robin Hood from doing his good work.
Perhaps one day the people will learn that tactical voting doesn't work, and democracy only works if you truly vote for what you believe in. The Labour Party have had their time and have well and truly let us down. UKIP and the BNP are conspiracy theorists, xenophobes, and in the BNPs case NAZIs. The only party with a FULLY costed, well thought out, manifesto built on fairness and justice is the Green Party. For goodness sake, in the next election (when they tell you to get it right and have another go), get it right, vote Green!
In a year or so, having failed to form a proper government, the old parties will come back to us and ask us to "get it right", even when they failed so spectacularly to "get it right" themselves. We need to tell them this by voting for a positive, different party. Don't fear radical change. Fear years more of the old ruling class dominating the way we live. Take pack power, let the Green Party sort things out, and then we can all be satisfied with our votes.
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