Euroelections 2014: South East Region
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SocialistPunk wrote:I saw Danny on the Daily Politics today and I agree with Vin, he did a good job.Well done Danny.I noticed the interviewer made a sarcastic comment about human nature. It always boils down to that in the end. Just shows that there is little in the way of substance among mainstream politics when they wheel out the human nature card.
Pretty sure Jo Coburn simply said she might dispute the notion of 'human nature' being put forward. I think even members of the SPGB could disagree on 'human nature'.
ALB wrote:Even though we are not standing a list in the London Region we have been invited by Lewisham People before Profit to this European elections hustings this eveningThis turned out to be an introduction to Lewisham local politics for the two of us who went. Lewisham is a Labour stronghold with three other parties vying to take them on: Lewisham People before Profit, a sort of radical residents association who organised the hustings, the Greens and SPEW as TUSC. Although they may have informal agreements not to compete in certain wards, as Lewisham has an elected mayor these have to oppose each other in mayoral election. With Labour members present too the first part of the meeting was not always a polite exchange of viewsThe European election hustings took place after. Represented were the Greens, No2EU (by a SPEW member), the Animal Welfare Party, the National Health Action Party, us and UKIP. The local SWP turned up to protest about UKIP being invited and a scuffle broke out. What's wrong with these idiots?The UKIP representative, Paul Oakley, was a smooth operator who was not intimidated by the SWP disrupters. In fact, ironically in view of UKIP's political pitch, he was the only career politician there, dressed in a suit and tie (though the leader of the Animal Welfare Party, Vanessa Hudson, was also dressed like a professional politician even though she isn't). A former chairman of the Greater London Tories, he is No2 on the UKIP list for London and stands a good chance of getting elected a MEP and so moving further up the greasy pole.Anyway, we got a chance to put our case to an audience of 40 or more, talk to politically interested people and to give out our leaflets and advertise our election broadcast.
Pretty sure Jo Coburn simply said she might dispute the notion of 'human nature' being put forward. I think even members of the SPGB could disagree on 'human nature'. I could'nt "disagree on "human nature", because simply put I do not believe in it's existence. It's a catch all term used, in my opinion, to justify the most spurious of arguments and hypothese.
I thought the 'Daily Politics' presenter treated Danny Lambert with supercilious disdain. And the woman sat next to her was glowering at him as if he'd just crawled out of a swamp. Very difficult to present our point of view in those circumstances. She put him on the back foot from the beginning and he coped very well.
rodshaw wrote:I thought the 'Daily Politics' presenter treated Danny Lambert with supercilious disdain. And the woman sat next to her was glowering at him as if he'd just crawled out of a swamp. Very difficult to present our point of view in those circumstances. She put him on the back foot from the beginning and he coped very well.Hi Rod, it's funny how we can see things very differently even though sharing a common political undestanding I thought the presenter was quizzical but friendly, clearly dealing with something she's not used to, politically-speaking, but not at all disdainful – (which is what I would have expected).As for the other guest, poor lass, I suspect she looks like that whenever she's not talking or smiling. In other words, like me she can't help her face
When Tom Hodgkinson profiled Kropotkin on the Daily Politics two weeks ago (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27342902), the presenter Andrew Neil said he'd never heard of him. This would be Jo Coburn's and most of the mainstream media's bemused feeling about the SPGB.I don't think the other guest was glowering either.
I reckon we were just expecting the worst – ridicule and contempt. No doubt the Beeb are saving that for next time
As the Regional Returning Officer had supplied me with a document authorising me, as election agent, to visit any polling station in the South East Region I decided to exercise this right by visiting one in Long Ditton, Surrey. It was in a school annexed to a Liberal Jewish Synagogue (a change from the usual Christian Church halls). The polling clerks had never had such a visit before. There were no voters there. I chatted to them and then to the representatives of the Tories, Liberals and UKIP outside and gave each of these one of our leaflets though they were there for the local borough elections.As I was leaving two policemen entered the polling station. I wouldn't have thought they have the right to unless called. I hope not anyway as in some countries this would be regarded as intimidatory. I didn't challenge them as my car was partly parked on double yellow lines, but I will check with the Returning Officer.Earlier I had voted in London where the ballot paper was over 2 foot long. The one in the South East will be shorter as there are only 14 lists there compared with 17 in London.
ALB wrote:As I was leaving two policemen entered the polling station. I wouldn't have thought they have the right to unless called.Perhaps they were there to cast their votes…
Quote:The one in the South East will be shorter as there are only 14 lists there compared with 17 in London.Just been to vote; reckon the ballot paper was around 20 inches long.
Letter from Rob Cox, another of our candidates, published in yesterday's East Kent Mercury (somewhat belatedly as yesterday was polling day):
ALB wrote:When they sang the Red Flag (twice) at the Levellers event, we sang the version which starts "The people's flag is pinkest pink; it's not as red as you might think".Came across this version recently:
Quote:The people's flag is pale and grey It hangs at half mast every day To symbolise the creeping death Of what they called the 'loony Left' So let the dishcloth flap and fly For what's it's worth, we really tried Though some continue fruitless plans The revolution's not at handWhen the Oxford Mail published a full list of the candidates standing in the elections they mistakenly used Militant's logo instead of ours. Candidate Max Hess wrote asking for this to be corrected. The correction, with a barbed comment but reproducing one of our logos below, appeared here (scroll down).
One of the visitors to West London's public meeting last Tuesday on the Euroelections was the cartoonist who does the "Seen & Heard" political satire cartoon each week in Private Eye and will be doing one on these elections in next Wednesday's edition. It will be interesting to see if it contains any echo of our "EU in or out, it doesn't matter either way" position.
Just sent this letter to the Oxford Mail;Dear Sir or Madam, you recently published a correction with regard to mixing up the logo of Militant Tendency with that of The Socialist Party of Great Britain. In it, you stated the following; "To set the record straight, here is the Socialist Party of Great Britain’s logo. Some things never change, and its good to see factionalism in Britain’s left is one of them. Your remark re factionalism, is wide of the mark. The "Left" organisations including Militant, to whom you refer, have one glaring difference to the SPGB. All these groups believe that you can "make" Capitalism a bit nicer, that you can get reforms to "humanise" Capitalism. Running the slaughterhouse in the interest of the animals, springs to mind. Moreover they are "nationalist in outlook.The SPGB do not advocate reforms to Capitalism but it's replacement, lock, stock and fetters, with Socialism. They are, moreover, a totally internationalist Party. Wanting a world without artificial national boundaries.Not "factionalism" but a totally different political ethos!!!
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