I’d just like to put on public record my thanks to the many hundreds of people who supported my views and campaigning for economic wellbeing, social justice and environmental protection by voting for me as the Green candidate for Bristol East in the general election and for Knowle in the local elections. I’m finding the coalition government election outcome a fascinating one to see developing and unfolding. I have mixed feelings about the coalition because whilst I support the principle and practice of cooperation and consensus decision making between all parties it is very clear that the Liberal-Conservative Government is far from progressive and modern: it is planning both huge cuts in public services and large tax rises; the AV voting system we are to have a referendum on is no more fair and proportional than the current system and just tends to reinforce the status quo power of centre-ground politics; the new Cabinet does not fairly reflect our population eg 83% are male and 65% went to either Oxford or Cambridge; it has no more idea on how to reconcile our economy and society with the environment to build a fair, green and sustainable future than the Blair or Brown Governments.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Elections and coalition government
I’d just like to put on public record my thanks to the many hundreds of people who supported my views and campaigning for economic wellbeing, social justice and environmental protection by voting for me as the Green candidate for Bristol East in the general election and for Knowle in the local elections. I’m finding the coalition government election outcome a fascinating one to see developing and unfolding. I have mixed feelings about the coalition because whilst I support the principle and practice of cooperation and consensus decision making between all parties it is very clear that the Liberal-Conservative Government is far from progressive and modern: it is planning both huge cuts in public services and large tax rises; the AV voting system we are to have a referendum on is no more fair and proportional than the current system and just tends to reinforce the status quo power of centre-ground politics; the new Cabinet does not fairly reflect our population eg 83% are male and 65% went to either Oxford or Cambridge; it has no more idea on how to reconcile our economy and society with the environment to build a fair, green and sustainable future than the Blair or Brown Governments.
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...large tax rises - wasn't that Green Party policy too?
ReplyDeleteThe Green Party manifesto did not propose BOTH cutting public services AND raising taxes - that's the point Anon, because that's what we are going to get from the Lib-Con Coalition.
ReplyDeleteIn any case Greens proposed a radical redistribution of wealth and a wholesale change in the design of the tax and benefits system which was far from your simplistic 'large tax rises' description. Yes we should increase the overall tax burden (to avoid cutting vital public services) but at the same time take the opportunity to change the system to tax rich people more, waste, finite resource use and pollution more and poor people less.