Posted on 05 May, 2010 -
Does our future hinge on tomorrow?
The People’s Manifesto: 18 world-changing new policies as voted by the British public
Are we seeing the beginning of a new era in politics?
A few humorous words from the wise to help you through the momentous day tomorrow
Here we are - just one more day to go until the General Election and vast numbers of people still can’t decide who they’re going to vote for.
Which party will do best by all people? Which party will make our economy more buoyant, vigorous and rewarding to take part in for all (if indeed, you believe in such an egalitarian society)? And… perhaps… which party will do best by you?
The problem I’ve personally always had with politics is that I often haven’t felt either sufficiently qualified or informed to feel that I could make a rational, fair and ‘correct’ decision. I am rarely able to come to conclusions myself about what should or shouldn’t be done to resolve issues and serve all the people of the nation better.
These days, of course, there is also the problem that it’s more difficult to differentiate between the parties. No party is going to openly express opinions or policies that would be unpopular with a large number of people.
Are we seeing the beginning of a new era of politics?
I wonder, perhaps, if this election might even herald the start of a new era in politics? An end to party politics and the beginning of policy politics perhaps? After all, if it’s difficult to tell what a party really stands for compared to the others, why have parties at all?
With policy politics, for example, we might be given the chance to vote on certain policies rather than choosing one political party and a) relying on them keeping to their word and b) having to put up with some of the policies you feel are plain wrong or even frightening just because the other parties have policies that seem even worse or more frightening still.
As Will Rogers nicely put it: “Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do.”
A lot more sense and reality in these 18 policies chosen by the people of Britain?
But I am rambling - and allowing myself to wander into a minefield I’m normally wary of entering. What I have for you this week, in fact, is a lot more interesting than what I have to say so I’ll cut to it quickly!
Last year, in a series of live debates recorded by BBC Radio 4, political reporter and comedian Mark Thomas asked audiences from around the country to put forward, discuss and vote for new policies. Now made into a book called The People’s Manifesto, the policies certainly make for some very interesting food for thought.
Here’s a selection of the policies the audiences voted for:
Party Manifestos should be legally binding.
Shut down tax havens… Bomb Switzerland
Models should be chosen at random from the electoral roll
It should be legal for gay couples to get married
People who allow their dog to **** on the pavement without cleaning it up should be forced to wear it as a moustache
The Daily Mail should be forced to print on the front of every edition the words: “This is a fictionalised account of the news and any resemblance to the truth is entirely coincidental”
There should be a maximum wage
MPs should have no job other than that of MP
To introduce the 1967 abortion act into Northern Ireland
Everyone should be entitled to phone in work one day a month and claim a ‘****’ it day off
Everyone should be given the day off on their birthday
To introduce a prohibition of deception act
All politicians should be forced to wear the names and logos of the companies which sponsor them
There should be a public referendum before going to war
There should be an age of consent for religion
Private health companies that use NHS-trained staff, doctors, nurses, clinicians etc., should pay a levy worth 25% of the staff pay to the NHS to reimburse them for the training costs
We should adopt an opt-out system for organ donations
To introduce ‘non of the above’ on ballot papers
And finally, to add some extra inspiration to help us carry out the huge responsibility we are being asked to perform tomorrow, some words from the wise and the humorous:
“Politics - the gentle art of getting votes from the poor and campaign funds from the rich, by promising to protect each from the other.”
Oscar Ameringer, American Socialist leader
“Political ability is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. And to have the ability afterward to explain why it didn’t happen.”
Winston Churchill
“Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.”
J.K. Galbraith
“The public say they are getting cynical about politicians; they should hear how politicians talk about them.”
George Walden, Lucky George
