Post by swl on Apr 20, 2009 15:35:05 GMT
Ahem.
Yes, I've decided to run as an Independent Candidate at the forthcoming European elections. I've spent years bumping my gums on these boards about politics & politicians so it's about time I put my money where my mouth is.
Over the last week or so, the idea of standing has grown from an initial one of just representing constituents to actually having some policies. Here they are:
1) Reform of Common Agricultural Policy. (85% of £55bn goes to 2% of farmers)
2) Common Sense with Climate Change - Current policies are disjointed and often counter-productive. For instance, the directive that all fuel should contain 3.5% vegetable oil is leading to increased CO2 emissions (transporting grain from Brazil), increased fuel prices and a worldwide shortage of grain! I'm all for renewable energy sources, but they have to be seen as an extra, not an answer.
3) A referendum in every country on the Lisbon Treaty
4) Prioritising the EU as a trading bloc, not a platform for posturing "World Leaders"
That's just a flavour - more opinions on request ;D
If selected as an MEP, I intend to practice Open Democracy in a way that hasn't been done before AFAIK. My expenses will be published online monthly along with a schedule of meetings and debates - allowing people to submit opinions and queries online in advance to issues of interest to them. In addition to face-to-face sessions at surgeries, I'll do a regular web-surgery where people can ask questions or air grievances by web-cam and chat-room. As a representative of the message board community, I feel this medium is a great way of letting democracy be seen in action.
Anyway, my candidate profile is at www.juryteam.org/candidate-profile.php?id=10537
I'm currently in a hustings whereby members of the public can vote for me by text (costs 25p). This determines my place on the candidate list. Under Proportional Representation, if the Jury Team candidates collectively poll enough votes in the election proper, there's a chance that the highest placed name(s) could be elected.
To see how the race is going, check - www.juryteam.org/region.php?select=scotland
To Vote - TEXT ALAWAL01 TO 86837
It's one vote per mobile, so if you've already voted (as I know some of you have), feel free to persuade a partner or friend to vote too ;D This is NOT a vote for me in the election, just a vote for me as a candidate. So you can safely text for me and vote whatever way you want to in the election itself.
Come on guys, let's get a message-boarder into politics to ask the questions we've all been asking over the last few years.
Yes, I've decided to run as an Independent Candidate at the forthcoming European elections. I've spent years bumping my gums on these boards about politics & politicians so it's about time I put my money where my mouth is.
Over the last week or so, the idea of standing has grown from an initial one of just representing constituents to actually having some policies. Here they are:
1) Reform of Common Agricultural Policy. (85% of £55bn goes to 2% of farmers)
2) Common Sense with Climate Change - Current policies are disjointed and often counter-productive. For instance, the directive that all fuel should contain 3.5% vegetable oil is leading to increased CO2 emissions (transporting grain from Brazil), increased fuel prices and a worldwide shortage of grain! I'm all for renewable energy sources, but they have to be seen as an extra, not an answer.
3) A referendum in every country on the Lisbon Treaty
4) Prioritising the EU as a trading bloc, not a platform for posturing "World Leaders"
That's just a flavour - more opinions on request ;D
If selected as an MEP, I intend to practice Open Democracy in a way that hasn't been done before AFAIK. My expenses will be published online monthly along with a schedule of meetings and debates - allowing people to submit opinions and queries online in advance to issues of interest to them. In addition to face-to-face sessions at surgeries, I'll do a regular web-surgery where people can ask questions or air grievances by web-cam and chat-room. As a representative of the message board community, I feel this medium is a great way of letting democracy be seen in action.
Anyway, my candidate profile is at www.juryteam.org/candidate-profile.php?id=10537
I'm currently in a hustings whereby members of the public can vote for me by text (costs 25p). This determines my place on the candidate list. Under Proportional Representation, if the Jury Team candidates collectively poll enough votes in the election proper, there's a chance that the highest placed name(s) could be elected.
To see how the race is going, check - www.juryteam.org/region.php?select=scotland
To Vote - TEXT ALAWAL01 TO 86837
It's one vote per mobile, so if you've already voted (as I know some of you have), feel free to persuade a partner or friend to vote too ;D This is NOT a vote for me in the election, just a vote for me as a candidate. So you can safely text for me and vote whatever way you want to in the election itself.
Come on guys, let's get a message-boarder into politics to ask the questions we've all been asking over the last few years.
A.P.P.S
S C 
