Why I'm a Lib Dem

[shinytoaster]

In 2001 I voted Labour. I have absolutely no regrets about this - simply because we had absolutely no idea then that what was about to happen was about to happen. I voted for them as a taxpayer because I felt their record on the economy was superb. I voted as a disabled person because the Tories want to privatise the NHS by the back door, and make me pay for the care I may need in the future. I voted as a gay man because they backed my right to not be discriminated against. Yes, I voted Labour in 2001 and it doesn't bother me.

But I can't vote for them again.

Looking back at Iraq, I can see that I was wrong on a number of points. Whatever I may have said about the situation in the past, I now believe I would have supported the war with a resolution.

However, the mess we now see in Iraq is entirely of our own making, based on false intelligence and base lies. If Tony Blair, who I used to like, would go that step further: apologise; admit his errors; his lies - because he is a liar, that's the one thing the Conservatives have got right - then my respect for him would skyrocket.

But he won't and so I won't vote.

So it's eight years - though it doesn't seem it - since we got rid of the Conservatives, and eight years on their back is still broken. They have elected a succession of buffoons and idiots as leaders. Their support base is a joke. They are a joke; Michael Howard looks and behaves like Dracula. Boris Johnson is a bumbling arse in a blond fright wig. Oliver Letwin is actually mythical. The Conservatives are a comedy party; they exist for our amusement.

I do not believe they will be back in power for a long time.

Good thing, I say.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have been 'sailing the river of progressive politics' as the Guardian put it, for some time, and so I see this election as a choice between those two parties, and I will be voting Liberal Democrat tomorrow.

I don't believe for one second the Liberal Democrats will win. I doubt Charles Kennedy's ability to form a cohesive government. I doubt their policies - some of them are very strange. They are stretched too thinly to cover the ground between centrism and the left.

In realistic circumstances, it would take a swing of such magnitude to displace Labour in favour of the Liberal Democrats, that it cannot happen. It is impossible - it would require the Conservatives to be wiped out in every seat they hold. So why vote for them?

I see this election as another step towards a viable three party state. I think it's important that we move away from a two party system. I want to strengthen the Liberal Democrat hand in this election so that they are in a position to make a serious challenge for Downing Street in the future - it may not be in 2010 or 2015 or even 2020, but I genuinely believe we will see a Liberal government in our lifetimes. I think they will make gains tomorrow - possibly substantial ones. I certainly hope they do.

Therefore, tomorrow, if you can feel you can safely vote against Labour without risking Conservative gains, then I urge you to back the Liberal Democrats. If you do not feel you can make that choice, then the other alternative is to spoil your paper. Please consider doing this.

Comments

[wordplay.livejournal.com]

Well, that's exactly the issue. England is the cradle of "first past the post" voting systems (we borrowed it from them) and they suffer some of the same difficulties with it in parliamentary elections that we do. It seems like I heard noise about election reform to move closer to a proportional representation model some time ago, back when all the cool kids were doing it, but I don't think any of those discussions ever went anywhere, did they?

And for whatever it's worth, Alex, this reasoning is why I was a Nader voter in 2000 and I have no regrets about that. The electoral college made my presidential vote usless, anyway, and I had some hope that a vote for a 3rd party candidate would help qualify them for federal election funding and send a message to the Democratic Party. I don't share your hopes, though, that a third party has a chance to break that system in the US; I hope you're right that the situation is more fluid there.

Nice essay - thanks for sharing. It's a nice thing to be able to vote for a candidate you have strong confidence in, and I persist in the hope that we'll both have a chance to do that sometime soon.

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

Ah, yeah, we do indeed run First Past The Post here, too.

I think the difference arises from the fact that we are a viable third party - the last few days we're consistently polling above 20%, and against the Conservatives and Labour, who are polling 30% - 40% in general, that ain't going to get us into government.

If Nader could have gotten into that position, who knows things might have been different, I'm just not sure how he could have managed that - and would those votes come more likely from Democrats or Republicans. I fear the former; in my constituency, the Labour/Liberal vote is split, and the result is consistently 50% Conservative, 25% Labour and 25% Liberal. This is surely a worry in the US if a third candidate starts polling significantly high.

[padders.livejournal.com]

i find this very depressing, like a game between a blue team, a red team and a yellow team. i wonder who will score the most goals.
joy
http://www.livejournal.com/users/padders/211215.html ?

Sigh

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

I don't agree with you 100% politically but I did read that and think some of your points were well made. I just don't feel I can justify spoiling my own paper. And yes, it is depressing - it probably always was that way.

[lasultrix.livejournal.com]

Hee, did you see the cover of the Sun this morning?

[ias.livejournal.com]

I would happily vote Lib Dem again (and help enure Don Foster gets ack to Westminister) but the University stole my vote, so I cannot vote at all. Instead, I shall be doing my usual thing and going around halls, getting the students out to walk the great distance to the campus polling station in the Library.

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

I feel really rotten for you - as you've always struck me as one of the most politically minded people I know - and I don't know how much it must suck. :(

[ias.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

And Happy Brithday!

[minkboylove.livejournal.com]

I see this election as another step towards a viable three party state. I think it's important that we move away from a two party system.

What was it Uncle Monty said it 'Withnail and I'? "Shat out by the Tories, shovelled up by Labour."

And that's pretty much been the state of British politics in my lifetime. Bring on the Real Alternative, I say. Let's have a different opposition. One with some bollocks.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Alex, so nice to see you waxing political again.

So what does this mean, to spoil your paper? Not only as an effect, but as a practical process?

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

I believe you have to do as little as scribble all over it, or write SPOILED in big letters, but don't quote me.

[katiemorris.livejournal.com]

No I won't spoil my paper. I'm sorry but I think that's a bad and pointless thing to do. There is always an alternative to that. There is a Monster Raving Loony Party in Maidenhead and my daughter is going to vote for them because there is no way the Conservatives will not get back in to the high-falutin' Windsor and Maidenhead seat. (Also they're giving out free chocolate if you vote for them, which I think may have influenced her slightly).

Apart from that I agree with absolutely every word you said and I WILl be voting Lib Dem in the Wantage burough. I actually quite like the Lib Dem guy here and though I agree that they haven't a hope of getting into power, I just can't vote Labour. I loathe Blair now. He reminds me forcibly of the Joker in Batman. That permanent and false smile makes my skin creep. But if I didn't vote Lib Dem I would vote Green (also with no hope of getting in, but at least a proper vote.)

Michael Howard looks and behaves like Dracula. Boris Johnson is a bumbling arse in a blond fright wig. Oliver Letwin is actually mythical. The Conservatives are a comedy party; they exist for our amusement.

I roared at this. SO true. I was wondering why watching Michael Howard makes my left eye twitch. Will you be sitting up all night watching? I never intend to, but often get carried away and end up sitting on the floor, pissed and hugging the cushions at about 3 a.m.

[ias.livejournal.com]

Given we have no option for 'none of the above', spoiling your ballot paper is the only legitimate way of registering your protest. There isn't always the option of helping save someone's deposit without registering a vote for a minority party whose policies you detest (for example UKIP or BNP).

[katiemorris.livejournal.com]

Yes, on reflection I think you're right. I hadn't considered the possibility of the BNP being the only alternative - *shudders*

I just hate the idea of wasting anybody's vote. How do you go about spoiling the ballot paper though, in a responsible way, that doesn't just brand you as a lout?

[sweet-merak.livejournal.com]

Or if they can't vote Lib Dem for themselves, they can vote it in my stead, because it's not as if we actually get correct representation for our votes anymore here in America, and I *would* vote Lib Dem if I could... :D

More importantly, they should spoil their papers writing, "Happy Birthday Alex!!"

*love and hugs*
I hope you have a great day tomorrow, love.

[holdmybreath.livejournal.com]

I know that it's been...gosh, YEARS since we've talked. But I just wanted to say hello to you, and see generally how you have been doing. It's Geralynn. AKA: Ger AKA: the teenage American idiot who used to bug you all the time when you were still writing fanfic about Harry Potter. (I dont know if you still do that but if you do, kudos to you).

I don't know why but i've been reminicing, and I have fogotten over time how cool of a guy you were. I suppose its time for me to say thanks for being there when you were. You were generally nice to me. And you were very much appreciated. Every so often I wonder how you are doing but I never got enough courage to really ask.


So I just decided to come on over, (saw you changed the LJ name) and make a comment. Hell, you don't even have to reply. I'm not 16/17 years old anymore, *laughs* (in fact im a bit older now, 21 to be exact) so I know it's probably very odd that I even left a comment.

Wow, I'm losing track of my point. Just...thanks for being coolwhen we were friends. Or aquantinces. *shakes head* Friends. I thought you were a friend. And when we stopped talking, I did miss you for a while. And hence me writing this.

Hope life treats you well. And keep writing.

-Geralynn

[benjj.livejournal.com]

Happy voting!
I'm afraid I voted LibDem despite the fact that the tories might (sort of stay rather than) get in - really not being able to vote for Labour. Ho hum. #frets and drums fingers# I'll have to watch Peter Snow tonight I expect.

Happy Birthday! >:D<
Are you going out to your insane restaurant? Or tomorrow?

I ask out of curiosity

[lasultrix.livejournal.com]

Since you're not particularly into Lib Dem policy as it stands at present, what about following the Conservative advice of "Vote Blair, Get Brown?" I note that your post castigated Blair and not New Labour in general.

[aome.livejournal.com]

Completely unrelated, but Happy Birthday! :)

[dinosaurcostume.livejournal.com]

I'm nodding my head like mad, but I'm still not 100% sure which way to go. It's a question of what my little vote's going to do. On a local level, I'm told the Greens could get their first MP! Wouldn't that be wicked! But is that a pipe dream? Am I just opting out? If so, then it's got to be one of the three parties. Obviously, Lib Dems are the best of them - Kennedy's a bit dodge but at least he's not a liar or Michael Howard. But again, is that splitting the Nonservative (if that makes sense) vote? Is that keeping Labour out? Is that bringing in the Blues? Eek! How bloody exciting, I'm loving it.

I wanted to wish you a very happy birthday, by the way. I don't have your email address any more! If you want to contact me on nick.campbell@hyde-housing.co.uk, feel free. I hope you have a brilliant day and a brilliant year.

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

If the Greens could carry Brighton Pavillion (I'm assuming, as that's where all their local council seats are) then that would be spiffing. I trust you voted wisely.

I will email you my email address at the double. It's nice to hear from you - I am lousy to the max at keeping in touch, but thank you for the good wishes, and love to you and the boy.

Happy Birthday Alex!

[ruchbah.livejournal.com]

Just a wee postscript to Nick's comment to thank you for sending love / saying hello. Also, awesome post up there about the voting dilemma -- you really should be a journo, you know. I'm about to vote (Green) after a lot of humming and hawing about Labour. Your piece and another in today's Indie really helped me make up my mind...

Enjoy the rest of your birthday and see you soon maybe

xx jon

[jiggery-pokery.livejournal.com]

Many happy returns of the day, you, and I hope that there's a good result tonight as the best present for us all. :-)

[rhiannon333.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday! Many happy returns!

From Down Under - best wishes for a belated happy birthday and a great year to follow.

Megan and EQ