Keith (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} keith_london) wrote,@ 2008-05-01 12:12:00 |
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| Current mood: |  contemplative |
London Elects
Did you know? "The London elections are held every four years. The first were held in 2000. There are almost 5.5 million registered voters in London. You have to be on the electoral register to vote in the London elections in 2008."
(As mentioned previously, I'm voting Boris for mayor). To help make up my mind about the second choice candidate, I decided to go through the Candidates' booklet this morning.
Looking at the BNP's mayoral candidate's page, I would agree, "it's not racist to oppose mass immigration and political correctness - it's commonsense!". Looking at their range of policies, I really don't see anything racist as such. I would rather vote for them than the Jesus freak from "The Christian Choice", who is standing on the basis of family values as a panacea to all society's ills. Ever since we learnt that John Major had been bonking Edwina Currie whilst promoting "Back to Basics", I have a deep suspicion of anyone who says they will "promote marriage and stable family as a long term solution to youth crime, educational-underachievement and child poverty". (You know what, when these sanctimonious people trumpet "marriage" - the last thing they mean is gay marriage!)
The English Democrats "Putting England First" - are against a "Scottish-run parliament". I think they're fraudulent no-hopers, as their candidate Matt O'Connor has dropped out of the race (last Friday) - after falling out with the party. Anyway, as he was the person behind "Fathers 4 Justice", he is, in my view, unfit for high office. (I am appalled that ITV News still haven't drawn people to the fact that although his name is still on the ballot, the candidate has withdrawn).
Lindsey German (one of the anti-war lefties) states, "I stood against the Iraq war from the beginning, and have been central to resistance to the New Labour wars". As far as I'm concerned, so what? This is the London mayoral election, not a war council. She's a loser, sorry, and does not deserve my vote.
Oxford educated Sian Berry for the Green Party is an attractive option for my second preference vote. Nothing too far-fetched in her proposals, although I have my doubts about imposition of a "living wage of £7.20" per hour and the 20 mph city-wide speed limit on all residential roads. If I don't vote her for second choice, she'll probably get my vote for the London Assembly.
The UK Independence Party says "No to mass immigration" - which I can agree with, but they seem lightweight on other issues.
There's nothing intrinsically wrong about the Lib-Dem policies offered by Brian Paddick. But he's gone right down in my esteem after publicly calling Kate Hoey "bonkers" (why the personal attack?). I also dislike Nick Clegg, so too bad Lib Dems. I voted for Simon Hughes (second choice) last time round, but no longer can the Lib Dems count on my wasted or tactical votes.
Quentin Letts wrote, "She [Kate Hoey] stands up to the bullying of party conformists. In the best sense of the word, she has class. It is perhaps little wonder, then, that so many of her fellow politicians find her so difficult to understand. An angry Ken Livingstone sneered yesterday that she was a 'semi-detached' member of the Labour party. Quite unlike serial disloyalist Ken himself, of course. Meanwhile, the Lib Dems' London mayoral candidate, Brian Paddick, reacted to news of her cooperation with Boris by saying: 'Hoey is bonkers — she and Boris make a perfect couple.' This was silly of the generally level-headed Paddick. Kate Hoey may be outspoken, but she's not bonkers for standing up for her beliefs. Should that not be an ideal for all good politicians, especially those who call themselves Liberals?" [The Daily Mail - Courageous. Free-thinking. Principled. That’s why Kate Hoey is a very unusual MP]
As for Ken, I can't stand him any more. He's smug, arrogant, imperious, untrustworthy. True, he provided excellent leadership in the aftermath of London's "7/7" incident. But I'm afraid his rude behaviour towards London Assembly members, his tendency to court left wing leaders and controversial Islam mullahs (I'm referring of course to Al Qaradawi - mentioned here), not to mention all this evasiveness about his children by so many different mothers - all count against him this time.
