It’s a genuine question. There is much speculation about a hung Parliament and potential coalition governments. Is tactical voting a sensible idea?
Here’s my view on the issue.
Vote For Change Or Vote For Gordongrad
With rumours abounding of when a General Election might be called it seems a good time to present a few salient facts about this “government”. Regular readers will already know the kind of things I’m going to say.
The current “government” is unacceptable. A Prime Minister the people did not vote for, seemingly given the position on the basis of some Hansie Cronje-like match fixing agreement. Utterly distasteful and disrespectful. It has its fair share of ministers and MPs who completely lack Clue. Stephen Pound, Jack Straw, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham and Hazel Blears being examples of this stupidity. Jacqui Smith’s replacement, Alan Johnson, isn’t much better either. Trying to spin the party line he ducks the facts about Gordongrad, formerly known as Broken Britain.
Then there’s Mandelson. It’s quite ironic that Mandelson is an Anglicisation of the Mendelssohn family name (a large number of whom fled the totalitarian state of Nazi Germany) when he is helping to impose a totalitarian state in this country. Not only did the “government” refuse to enforce the law over BT’s use of Phorm’s illegal surveillance technology, Mandelson is now driving the Digital Economy Bill through the Commons which will allow sanctions against people purely on the basis of allegations rather than evidence. That is the act of a totalitarian state. Quite why any internet user would vote Labour after its complicity in the Phorm case I don’t know.
Dear Alan Johnson: This Is Broken Britain
My writings might not have appeared on your radar. Perhaps this one will. Since you have decided to spout “New Labour” dogma in a newspaper article I must respond directly to you and put you right on Broken Britain. Home Secretaries often get a lot of flak, much of it justified in the case of your various predecessors who seemed obsessed with making the Orwellian nightmare a reality in this country.
This broken country.
Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government was complicit in trying to allow the illegal interception of peoples’ internet activity for advertising purposes.
Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government has refused to answer questions about YOUR government’s complicity in the Phorm scheme to the people YOUR government is supposed to serve.
Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government’s staff, departments and contractors routinely lose personal information thus compromising the security of thousands of people. Here’s one example for you.
Broken Britain is the country where teachers now go in to work in fear for their safety and knowing that the education system with which YOUR government has interfered and which Ed Balls now wants complete control over offers them precious little support.
Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government’s Police harass photographers, making up the law as they go along.
Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government considers making the mere sight of certain things illegal.
Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government has tried to spread fear of people who prefer to keep themselves to themselves, accusing them of being terrorists.
Broken Britain is the country where YOUR government has overseen the explosion of the Surveillance Society. 174 CCTV cameras recorded me on a recent trip just up the road. I counted them.
Broken Britain is where YOUR government is failing the test of civilisation.
And Broken Britain is where YOUR government now screens outgoing mail to citizens.
One Conservative MEP may speak for himself about the NHS but does he speak for the rest of his party? Does he speak for his leader and his shadow cabinet? Does he speak for me or my family? Does Dennis Skinner MP speak for you on anything? Does he speak for the Cabinet on any matters?
Mr Johnson, the barbarians of whom you speak aren’t the Conservative party. The barbarians are already in government and ruining this country.
I challenge you, Mr Johnson, just as I have challenged Jack Straw and Stephen Pound. Neither gentleman had the desire to try and prove me wrong. Read my response to some of Mr Straw’s bleatings and respond substantively to it.
Prove me wrong if you can. While I’m here prove me wrong on this one too.