Alan Johnson accused of accepting campaign donations

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Their policies of reforming democracy and re-engaging voters is very interesting:

http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/policyp ... vt&dem.pdf

What needs to be done?
• A new written constitution should be
devised, defining the rights and
responsibilities of citizens.
• Elected Regional Assemblies should be
introduced in England.
• New Parish and Community Councils
should be set up.
• The House of Lords should be replaced
by a wholly elected second chamber.
• Elections should be by a system of
proportional representation.
• The constitutional functions of the
monarchy should be abolished.
• The Church of England should be
dis-established, placing all religions and
denominations on the same footing.
• The voting age should be reduced to 16
years.
• A 'recall' system needs introducing –
where politicians must step down to
face re-election if petitioned to do so by
a significant proportion of electors.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/policyp ... rvices.pdf

Will the unions regain an unnecessary
amount of power?

The notion that unions had unnecessary
power stopped being relevant in the 1980s.
It is no longer possible for the unions to
have too much power. It is a pity the same
cannot be said of unaccountable private
companies to whom the taxpayer hands
over millions every year. Unions play a
vital role in representing many public
sector workers, and the Green Party would
expect them to play a role in the
rebuilding of the public services, including
the working conditions for the nurses and
teachers that any society is dependent
upon for health and knowledge.

Again an interesting policy

[brothermagrew]

I couldnt agree more with your points.... Its the working classes that SHOULD call the shots as we contribute the most to the masses...

We need a veichle to use and make the BROWNS AND BLAIRS of this world sit up and take notice... I wont be lied to again by bullshite and LIES of labour...

The Cons... Is a non starter... Its always the protest vote for me until i see a party with balls....


OUT


UP THE BURSLEM MASSIVE.... EAST LONDON BACKING YA ALL....


NEVER LET THE BASTARDS GRIND US DOWN!!!

Comrade L Tommo always look forward to reading your posts doesn't the current Labour Government have an Ed Balls in it? (Quote - Until I see a party with Balls).

[dvbuk55]

You know what they say about talk being cheap.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

You know what they say about talk being cheap.

So is labour available at the Pound Shop or bargain Bucket

[dvbuk55]

You know what they say about talk being cheap.

So is labour available at the Pound Shop or bargain Bucket

Only the sweat of the brow labour, New Labour on the other hand has to remain electable AND Govern at the same time no easy feat especially when you see a daily dose of sticky finger syndrome. There is no doubt in my mind that all the rhetoric from marginal political parties doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

[DirtyHarry]

I couldnt agree more with your points.... Its the working classes that SHOULD call the shots as we contribute the most to the masses...

We need a veichle to use and make the BROWNS AND BLAIRS of this world sit up and take notice... I wont be lied to again by bullshite and LIES of labour...

The Cons... Is a non starter... Its always the protest vote for me until i see a party with balls....


OUT


UP THE BURSLEM MASSIVE.... EAST LONDON BACKING YA ALL....


NEVER LET THE BASTARDS GRIND US DOWN!!!

Couldn't agree more, Tommo mate. We can only vote for a party that seems, at the very least, like it will be fighting our, the masses, corner.
As other posters have pointed out, working class people could do worse than give the Green party serious consideration. We have no representation in
parliament, apart from one or two worthy backbenchers, we must have some sort of parliamentary party representation.

[DirtyHarry]

DH, you might be right about voting green. I found this on the green party web site;
(http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/policyp ... index.html has a list of their policy documents)

"The Green Party opposes privatisation of public services. Not only does the UK have pressure from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) through the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), the other main parties all promote privatisation policies such as the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), which undermine public accountability and leave communities with a future bill to pay and no guarantee of quality. Local provision and access to public services such as schools, libraries, hospitals, nurseries, post offices and public transport are essential to maintain thriving communities and a good quality of life for all."

and

"We would restore the rights of workers and trades unions, and extend workers rights to
part time, casual workers and the selfemployed.
In particular we support collective bargaining and would protect workers from the first day of employment.
We support the Institute of Employment's Charter of Workers' Rights"

Seems like the Green party are singing from the same hymn sheet as the people New Labour have unwisely decided to abandon. I shall certainly give the
Greens some very careful consideration, I now have little choice but. The more I read your above post, jemima, the more I warm to them.

[DirtyHarry]

Policies that SHOULD be in a Labour Party manifesto.

Exactly, mate.

[DirtyHarry]

Their policies of reforming democracy and re-engaging voters is very interesting:

http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/policyp ... vt&dem.pdf

What needs to be done?
• A new written constitution should be
devised, defining the rights and
responsibilities of citizens.
• Elected Regional Assemblies should be
introduced in England.
• New Parish and Community Councils
should be set up.
• The House of Lords should be replaced
by a wholly elected second chamber.
• Elections should be by a system of
proportional representation.
• The constitutional functions of the
monarchy should be abolished.
• The Church of England should be
dis-established, placing all religions and
denominations on the same footing.
• The voting age should be reduced to 16
years.
• A 'recall' system needs introducing –
where politicians must step down to
face re-election if petitioned to do so by
a significant proportion of electors.

There's not a lot there I disagree with, if anything at all, teebs.

[DirtyHarry]

http://policy.greenparty.org.uk/policyp ... rvices.pdf

Will the unions regain an unnecessary
amount of power?

The notion that unions had unnecessary
power stopped being relevant in the 1980s.
It is no longer possible for the unions to
have too much power. It is a pity the same
cannot be said of unaccountable private
companies to whom the taxpayer hands
over millions every year. Unions play a
vital role in representing many public
sector workers, and the Green Party would
expect them to play a role in the
rebuilding of the public services, including
the working conditions for the nurses and
teachers that any society is dependent
upon for health and knowledge.

Again an interesting policy

Music to my ears! I think I'm falling in love Errrm, with the Greens statements, not you teebs Though I'm sure you're lovely, I bet you're not a patch on that Maria bird in Coronation St.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

There is no doubt in my mind that all the rhetoric from marginal political parties doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

But was not Labour a Marginal Political party when it first started as the LRC in 1901 until the early 1920s when it overtook the Liberals as the main opposition party. Every political party starts small and if given a chance, and if policies are acceptable to a substantial part of the voters, it will stop being a marginal party and eventually given enough time and support will affect the policies of the major parties or effect change itself.

However, given the way the Conservatives and Labour parties change the Electoral Boundaries to suite only themselves, and are not willing to change the voting system that keeps them in power, any other party wishing to gain power will have to have overwhelming popular appeal.

[k979aaa]

I remember when tony bliar (deliberate miss spelling) said " WE WILL CLEAN UP POLITICS IN THIS COUNTRY " well they are certainly cleaning up now mopping up all the cash they can carry!.

[Night Tonic]

Historically all political parties seem to do that and its always the opposition that calls for 'proportional reprentation' until they actually get in power and the concept is dropped lke a stone.

[dvbuk55]

There is no doubt in my mind that all the rhetoric from marginal political parties doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

But was not Labour a Marginal Political party when it first started as the LRC in 1901 until the early 1920s when it overtook the Liberals as the main opposition party. Every political party starts small and if given a chance, and if policies are acceptable to a substantial part of the voters, it will stop being a marginal party and eventually given enough time and support will affect the policies of the major parties or effect change itself.

However, given the way the Conservatives and Labour parties change the Electoral Boundaries to suite only themselves, and are not willing to change the voting system that keeps them in power, any other party wishing to gain power will have to have overwhelming popular appeal.

If the marginal political parties manifesto contained anything that was remotely feasible, sustainable or electable then one or the other main stream parties would already have stolen them.

It's pointless to turn back to the early 1900s as we are so far removed from our ancestors point of view. The great political debates have already been fought we aren't going to return to the days of depression, mass unemployment, lack of medical facilities, starvation, votes for women, union recognition, - all those great debates are over. We should be used to the two party system, that's the way it is and no amount of wistful thinking is going to change that.