Your Prospective MP??

[peckhamboy]

VikkiM - people in glasshouses and all that. I hope you're not suggesting that Labour have no non-dom connections?

For example, before you start throwing stones at the shockingly non-domiciled multi-millionaire Zac Goldsmith you may like to consider that, according to the Guardian "Of the ?188m raised by political parties from donations since 2001, some ?17.5m, or 9.3 per cent, comes from those who have declared themselves to be non-domicile or are very likely to enjoy that status. Labour has received ?8.9m from non-doms or suspected non-doms. The Tories have received ?5.6m."

Perhaps in the interests of fairness you will be writing to Gordon and asking him to return the ?4.1m donated to Labour's coffers by Lakshmi Mittal who is *gasp* not only non-dom but a multi-billionaire and one of the world's richest men. Puts poor little to Zac to shame doesn't it?

How about a bit of rational, reasonable, balanced debate rather than petty party-prejudice stone-throwing and name-calling?

[Laurie Eggleston]

@VikkiM Going into coalition with the Tories was more for practical reasons rather than any great policy allegiance, as you know full well. Believe me, we're doing all we can so the coalition won't be necessary next year and we can have overall control :) (although speaking of policy, it's sad that will take the Tories to save us from your party's ID cards)

Agree with you though that Zac Goldsmith is appalling and sums up the Tory attitude, for all their talk. Let's hope Lib Dem MP Susan Kramer can defeat him eh?

While we're here, Vikki can Peckham Rye Labour please take down the google advert for themselves they've placed under my name. I'm flattered you want to be associated with me, but wouldn't want people to get confused.

Think sometime after the election all us local activists from every party should get together one evening and talk shop. Would be interesting!

[Brendan]

Ratty may have been ranting but to a degree he has a point. I say this as someone who has taken a lot of time to get an objective view of the British political landscape since I moved here 7 years ago and not as someone who supports a certain agenda. The supporters of the conservative party have a very arrogant demeanour about their party being ?right? but very little to back it up when you ask about what good it will do for society in general. Apart from an assertion that what is good for them will obviously be good for everyone as long as they stop being so dam insolent.

(That?s not to say that those in power in the labour party are any better to be honest)

I used to have quite a lot of sympathy for and interest in what the conservative party could do but I have now witnessed what happens to them when they catch the scent of power on the wind. There is a mean spirited spitefulness behind the glee in many of their eyes that leaves a horrible taste in my mouth. (That?s not aimed at MM who I genuinely believe has sincerity in his political assertions)

I?ve come to sum it up like this. If you benefit from something but someone else somewhere loses out and you see that as good and just because you are more deserving and you have to look out for you and yours. If that is where the moral thought process ends for you then the current ethos in the conservative party seems to cater to you.

If however when people lose out and it doesn?t affect you directly you still see it as a negative thing for you because you are part of the same society and what is bad for one person is bad for everyone else. Well then you?re a bit stuck on who to support.

The labour party?s idea of maintaining a socialist system that exist separately from but is dependant upon a modern capitalist economy equates to little more than a type of economic apartheid in my mind.

Whereas the conservative idea of making poorer people take responsibility for their financial security will not work for the benefit of everyone without serious readjustment of the economy to address the wealth gap. But curbs on excess and the raising of low wages so that people can live with comfort and dignity will not be popular with tory voters so will not happen.

It?s not going to make much difference for those of us in the middle but I suppose it all comes down to how you see yourself as part of society.

Anyway where was I actually going with this? Perhaps it just reflects the rambling malaise of dilemma that many of us are being faced with at the moment.

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[VikkiM]

I think anyone putting themselves up for election should be have to pay the same tax as you and I. I think it?s outrageous that it?s one rule for some people and another for the rest of us. I don?t think that?s prejudice or stone throwing. I think that?s fair dos.

If I lived in Richmond Park I?d vote Labour. Labour represents the values I believe in so that?s how I?m going to vote at the ballot box.

You?re got to stand up for the values you believe in, that?s why I think is disingenuous for the Lib Dems to suggest their coalition with the Tories is for ?practical reasons?. Especially when the formal agreement they signed with the Tories stated that they would combine around a common policy agenda.

Think after the election, party activists should carry on putting the hard work in on the doorsteps and campaigning for local issues. Issues and concerns don?t just emerge at election time, they happen all year round.

[*Bob*]

VikkiM Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

Issues and

> concerns don?t just emerge at election time, they

> happen all year round.

Strange how our local politicians have suddenly 'got all busy' on here recently though, wouldn't you say?

[????]

I still haven't had a Labour canvasser knock on my door since 1997.....

[Brendan]

I think they have steered clear of the area since one mistakenly woke Mockney from his hungover slumbers early on a Saturday.

[James Barber]

Amazing how pious Labour are about the Lib Dem - Tory coalition running Southwark Council.

As part of that coaltion the Lib Dems negotiated two exec roles for the tories. Labour offered 3 but tory central command blocked it.

As part of the Lib Dem - Tory coalition it was agreed that every single Lib Dem manifesto commitment - and we had over 50 pages - was part of the deal.

Tough choice - deliver all our Lib Dem manifesto commitments using tories OR be in opposition and deliver none.

[Huguenot]

So you delivered all your manifesto commitments despite not having been elected to do so? And you're proud? You stole control?

Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh I'm so outraged I can't even express myself reasonably, I've had to edit this several times.

I call that Wankshaft. Corruption. Theft of liberty. You widdled in the face of the public.

Not that I don't agree with a LibDem point of view, but I prefer democracy, and despise those who smugly subvert it to fit their own agenda. I've defended you previously when I thought you were getting an unnecessary shoeing, I should have walked on by.

I don't know when you lost your moral judgement mate, somewhere where you lost interest in the people and got into point-scoring?

[Magpie]

As probably the only other Tory in ED, I think its pretty rich for Ratty to describe all tories as arrogant, who think that they are always right, when only a few posts ago he rants (and yes it was a rant) about basically what disgusting human beings all tories are. That certainly demonstrates a certain arrogance in the correctness of one's own beliefs.

Clearly some tories are only concerned about their own interests (how is that different to trade union reps who are only concerned about their members not society as a whole, but some of us actually consider that people should be self reliant and self organising and not rely on the state to support them. The social safety net should be just that, a safety net to support those who can't take care of themselve. It shouldn't be a way of life, which is what it is for many people.

For what its worth, I don't think the tories have any chance around here, given that its a mix of white working class and metropolitan liberals, as well as having a large non-white population, groups that typically vote labour.

[ratty]

Oooh, looks like we need to add "Bitter" to that description. Dunno why you tories are worrying, you'll get your govt next year and make the country suffer again.

Oh and if you want to see a rant - just wait and see what I think of the BNP.

[Magpie]

If anyone comes off as bitter its you "make the country suffer again" . . . .

[Michael Palaeologus]

This will be the first Forum election and I can see that we can look forward to some calm headed debates.

I long gave up tribal affiliations. The Labour party is as vile and venal as the Conservatives, they have been in power for too long and have a touch of the Nero about them (the Roman Emperor not the chain of cafes); and no, I dont think things would be any worse under the Tories, no better but no worse.

I am not impressed by any 39 year old that is photographed infront of a Council estate wearing a hoody proclaiming his faith and social mission - a recipe for a messianic megalomaniac if ever there was one.

Tessa Jowell has not impressed me, I dont think having a Minister as your local MP serves the local population well as they are too busy elsewhere and are never going to go against the Party line to support the needs of their constituents. I want my MP to represent this constituency, not the "Olympic Boroughs" (ie not Southwark).

So, I will wait to see who comes up with the most credible offer and isnt too tainted by sleeze.

[ratty]

"Above the sound of ideologies clashing"

CBA TBH!

[MitchK]

Magpie, don't worry, you are not the only Tory in East Dulwich. We are a steadily growing band.

[*Bob*]

Are you into double figures yet, Mitch?

[Brendan]

Magpie Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The social safety net

> should be just that, a safety net to support those

> who can't take care of themselve. It shouldn't be

> a way of life, which is what it is for many

> people.

I know of very few people who will disagree with you on that point BUT what do the almighty conservative party intend to do to adjust the economy so that those who have to get off their arse and work can live with some semblance of dignity and quality?

I?ll give you the example of someone I know. He lives in a house similar to mine with his family but he rents it off the council and he receives benefits which help support them. He works long hours sometimes 15 a day. He is not the type of person who can spend a few years re-qualifying and start earning ?200p/h and we all need people who do his job even though it?s paid very poorly. Without government support (or a serious rethink of the value of people and the distribution of wealth) all he would be able to afford to raise his family in would be a 1 bed flat in a block somewhere not even remotely fit for human habitation let alone dignity.

Or is that not the conservative party?s concern?

[p_in_ed]

ratty Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Dunno why you tories are worrying,

> you'll get your govt next year and make the

> country suffer again.

It's not a done deal yet.

Here's a scenario for 2010, remembering 1992. Labour win the general election. Cameron resigns Tory leadership. Boris Johnson wins the subsequent party leadership election. Ken Livingstone wins the subsequent Mayor of London election. Tenable? Improbable, but I bet rarely a week goes by that Neil Kinnock doesn't turn his mind back to April 1992.

Cameron could yet have his 1992 moment. The opinion polls and the press called it so wrong. I remember the realisation, as the Luton result was announced for the Tories, that we were in for another five years of John Major.

[SeanMacGabhann]

depends who you are - I don't suppose you or I will do much worse but an awful lot of vulnerable people will see things differently

[????]

...like the bottom 10% who have seen the wealth gap between them and the rest widen under Labour?

[SeanMacGabhann]

Oh I don't intend to defend labour. Call it incompetence, call it weak, call it deliberate.. they have mucked their chance up. They are bad bad bad

But do I think things will be worse under a Conservative government? Absolutely - I think the Tories are basically admitting as much

[????]

It will be worse whoever gets in because were not far short of bankrupt, thanks in some part to Labour's irresponsible spending, expensive and innefective target culture, ill thought out PFIs and basing their finances on 'no more boom and bust'...and, paradoxically, completley laissez faire legislative approach to controlling our banks

as someone once said "That's the problem with socialism, eventually you run out of other people's money"

Welcome to the new austerity people....

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I'm going to stand for the Sunshine Party. Iaineasy will be my Minister for Hugs.

Vote for me!

[Brendan]

Do we have a Loony candidate lined up for the next elections?