Friday, 23 April 2010

Level Pegging

It is not my thing to discuss politics on line, but in view of the recent debates between Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg and David Cameron, I am inspired to share some thoughts. These are my own opinions and they should be treated as such.

Gordon Brown - good track record, lots of financial experience in top office, lots of social investment, well respected proven track record.
Nick Clegg - been around the jobs, good ideas man, I can see where he is coming from, supports review of the current political system.
David Cameron - worries me, unclear manifesto, seems to change ideas to suit his surroundings, driven rather than leading.

I am inclined towards Clegg and the Liberal Democrats for the following reasons. First past the post is renowned for giving one party the power. This can lead to a lack of fair representation in politics as many citizens will not support the incumbent party. Lib Dems support political negotiation and this has to be good for representation of all the people. I see a 'hung Parliament' as a distinct advantage for democracy. This type of politics is already familiar to the rest of the UK, so why not in London? Shame about shelving the trident project.... but priorities have to be set.

It is clear that there is an opportunity here to change the system for the better. Whatever the outcome, the world will go on.

1 comment:

Robert said...

I printed off the bagel recipe and will let you know how I get on. I suspect that a good few others will be giving Clegg a chance this time around — especially after Brown's outburst today. The trouble with politics is that we can't pick and mix when it comes to the policies we want, so just like you have to bite the bullet and accept that Trident would not be upgraded by the Liberals, as a lifelong unilateralist, I have to accept that Labour is committed to replacing Trident. Like you, I want PR. It might just help persuade Labour politicians that they can be left wing and do not need to court the centre to win votes. Have a nice break. It was lovely seeing you both last week.