Reply to: Hazel Blears's car smashed up while she speaks to voters

[motoukenin]

I agree , most politicians tell people what they want to hear because most electorate are too thick or lazy to work out the fine details and realize that these policies wont work.

Reform of lending policy is a classic example.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Why would anyone trust the bank's promises any more thank any politcian's? Also isn't this just a recipe for populist, rather than effective policies?

To answer your question - the Bank would not make any 'promises' or visionary statements whatsoever eg cut crime and the causes of crime - their only remit would be to venture their macro-economic policy for the UK's economy ie setting of Interest Rates and other monetary matters - so they could make very easy commitments such as we will ensure Interest Rates remain at least 0.25 per cent above inflation - the other banks would have broadly similar poilices but varying amounts.

If the economics are soundly managed - and who would argue against the Banks performing this task - the socio-economics will fall into place - by its own accord.

It would not be populist in the sense that the fiscal polices are set by the Boards of the Banks - again there is in fact little to chose between them - altough this is arguably more effective than the current political schema ie

'Make up anything to persaude the electorate to vote for you to gain power - then once you are in - do what you will and forget about the voters .'

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Indeed EO - but here is arguably a better evolutionary path for the British Political System



First ; The dissolution of all current politcal parties, the Houses of Parliament , The House of Lords and other related legacy systems..

Second : The adoption of British (or partly British owned) Banks as candidates to replace Lab Con Lib etc

Each Bank would jockey for Political Power with their own manisfesto - which would only vary slightly in terms of macroeconomic policy ... there would be no need to waste money in expensive electioneering as these manisfestos would be on the Banks Web site - voting would take place by registered email indicating the Bank of your choice.


... eg Barlcays may try to win your vote with a 3% Interest Rate but offer 2% less for State Pensions whilst RBOS offers 2.4% Interest Rate but offers 2.5% for State Pensions etc

This was a couple of years ago before the Banking Crises - but now as the Government has nationalised the banks - the above scheme is making far more sense and I suspect - would be more popular with the electorate.

Why would anyone trust the bank's promises any more thank any politcian's? Also isn't this just a recipe for populist, rather than effective policies?

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I know, and they had slaves as well.

What I mean is, all those eligible to vote, get to vote on every issue in the lobby.
You wouldnt need representitives any more, or parties ,or a government. Just lawyers to draft up laws, guided by civil servants based upon decisions voted in by all the voters.

What a horror government by lawyers, civil servants and proles ............ Oh hang on

[AlfredJPruffock]

I know, and they had slaves as well.

What I mean is, all those eligible to vote, get to vote on every issue in the lobby.
You wouldnt need representitives any more, or parties ,or a government. Just lawyers to draft up laws, guided by civil servants based upon decisions voted in by all the voters.

Indeed EO - but here is arguably a better evolutionary path for the British Political System



First ; The dissolution of all current politcal parties, the Houses of Parliament , The House of Lords and other related legacy systems..

Second : The adoption of British (or partly British owned) Banks as candidates to replace Lab Con Lib etc

Each Bank would jockey for Political Power with their own manisfesto - which would only vary slightly in terms of macroeconomic policy ... there would be no need to waste money in expensive electioneering as these manisfestos would be on the Banks Web site - voting would take place by registered email indicating the Bank of your choice.


... eg Barlcays may try to win your vote with a 3% Interest Rate but offer 2% less for State Pensions whilst RBOS offers 2.4% Interest Rate but offers 2.5% for State Pensions etc

This was a couple of years ago before the Banking Crises - but now as the Government has nationalised the banks - the above scheme is making far more sense and I suspect - would be more popular with the electorate.

[EternalOptimist]

"Maybe in the brave new world of IT and the interweb we can get to a proper Athenian type democracy." ET

Women couldn't vote in that "proper" democracy. Oh, I see...

I know, and they had slaves as well.

What I mean is, all those eligible to vote, get to vote on every issue in the lobby.
You wouldnt need representitives any more, or parties ,or a government. Just lawyers to draft up laws, guided by civil servants based upon decisions voted in by all the voters.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

The author of the blog did previously go to pains to show that NL are in fact a right wing party - Blair being the best Tory Prime Minister ever etc ... de-regulation of financial markets ... etc

In essence the British Political Systen offers two flavours of Right Wing Government - pretty much like the Republican and Democrat 'choices' in the US - ultimately no matter who you vote for - the Government always gets in.

There you have it.

It's true - Thatcher smashed the post war concensus (on, for example Nationalised Industries) and replaced it with a right wing agenda that Labour has largely followed. You can't fit a fag paper between the two major parties on most issues now, but aside from the occasional blip like the minimum wage, the whole country has moved to the right. I'd have thought the Thatcher lovers would be happy about that although I can see they might wonder why bother with imitators if you could have the original?

[TinTrump]

"Maybe in the brave new world of IT and the interweb we can get to a proper Athenian type democracy." ET

Women couldn't vote in that "proper" democracy. Oh, I see...

[AlfredJPruffock]

Er, wot

I think I've slipped into another quantum reality again.

The author of the blog did previously go to pains to show that NL are in fact a right wing party - Blair being the best Tory Prime Minister ever etc ... de-regulation of financial markets ... etc

In essence the British Political Systen offers two flavours of Right Wing Government - pretty much like the Republican and Democrat 'choices' in the US - ultimately no matter who you vote for - the Government always gets in.

There you have it.

[HairyArsedBloke]

...but being Right Wing automatically means you can't run the country properly because, as we've seen over the last 3 decades, Right Wing policies lead, as night follows day, to division and misery for the masses....

Er, wot

I think I've slipped into another quantum reality again.

[ratewhore]

Right Wing policies lead, as night follows day, to division and misery for the masses

Written by a screaming lefty no doubt...

[AlfredJPruffock]

I agree with you there EO - fat chance of that good idea ever being approved - Ken Livingstone wrote a book 'If Voting changed anything - they would abolish it'

Anyway I read this on a blog which I think epitomises the situ in UK Politics :

You have to be Right Wing to get elected, but being Right Wing automatically means you can't run the country properly because, as we've seen over the last 3 decades, Right Wing policies lead, as night follows day, to division and misery for the masses.


So we'll keep being messed around by the Right Wing until the electoral system changes, which it probably never will because it keeps The Right in power so they can keep doing us.

Britain, 2009AD. The choice is Right Wing or Even Righter Wing.

Don't go blaming the electorate for the government. It's not as if we have any say in it.

[EternalOptimist]

Theres the Rub.

This is the essence of British Democracy - you give the electorate the Illusion of Democracy and participation but in reality you have long ago set your poltical agenda irrespective of the masses and the electorate are at best an annoyance at worse a target for your riot police.


Theres no point in asking
You'll get no reply ...
We're so pretty - pretty vacant

It's the systems. We dont have the systems in place for a proper democracy, so we are stuck with the representitive/party setup that we have now.
Maybe in the brave new world of IT and the interweb we can get to a proper Athenian type democracy.

there's plenty to explore

[AlfredJPruffock]

This government will not take account of the electorate's views on any major issue, no matter how widespread or longstanding and I think the point of last resort has been reached and passed.

Theres the Rub.

This is the essence of British Democracy - you give the electorate the Illusion of Democracy and participation but in reality you have long ago set your poltical agenda irrespective of the masses and the electorate are at best an annoyance - perhaps to the point they become a target for your riot police.


Theres no point in asking
You'll get no reply ...
We're so pretty - pretty vacant

[BrilloPad]

Telegraph.




Made my day.

One should not condone violence. But I would like to buy the perpetrators a pint or two.....