I'm Iz Gonna Be Politician *Nods*
I went to a "political party presentation" this evening at the town hall.
Background: That's the hall of the town I'm not technically in and my vote has nothing to do with. Area is largely Tory. [Town I actually get to vote for is Labour.]
My own political views... pending. I am anti Conservative, but I can't find enough socialism in the current Labour or Lib Dem, it would appear. I'd be inclined to vote Lib Dem just for the no tuition fees, but I fear thats them trying to hook me in on that and then they'll manage to scam me somehow once theyre in power. If that ever happens.
So at the minute I'm unhappily apathetic by default.
Was attended by a reporter from the local paper, the mayor and a couple of councillors, three youth town councillors, a guy I didn't know, me, George, Sim and Nathan.
Talks by two people from Labour... one who was heavily "I hate what Labour have become, I was a socialist, blahblah look at us now", and the other of whom was not the best person to take all the inevitable criticism [due to local tory love and the fact that everyone hates Labour currently], not least because she wouldn't admit Labour had done anything wrong. She was also quick to answer with government spiel and not an actual answer.
EDIT: QOTD from her
"Well, we're more central now than we used to be, but that's where the voters are!"
*headdesk*. Never mind your actual political view, you just need to put yourself where the voters are.
Then the Conservative guy, reasonable bloke, unfortunate that I disagree with all of his viewpoints. When I put it to the councillors that there shouldn't be a political party undertone to a town council - it should just be a group of people nominated by the town for the town [mostly to do away with the Tory undertone in the area which I in my biased position feel is unfair], his response was quote of the evening:
"Well you know it's really difficult to get in on an independent, and there's a lot more paperwork, so what I'd suggest is join a party, get in with them, then switch to Independent. You can do anything in politics!"
It's nice to know what sort of a system we're in.
Lib Dem was our good friend Jeanne, famed for hating my cynicism. It's a shame I have to be so cynical but when they talked of redeveloping the town in December 2007 I said "never gonna happen" and indeed as yet nothing has happened. QED, as far as I'm concerned. She was basically just like vote us! vote us! vote us! for no reason other than the tuition fee thing. And the fact that Lib Dem are "green". I dunno, I'm not sold.
The question and answer time after was George and the Con guy nodding enthusiastically at one another, the Labour guy cutting in about how terrible his own party is, the Labour woman making irrelevant comments, and Jeanne dancing around in a slightly more formal voice than normal with "Lib Dem have this policy too, you know. Lib Dem!"
Still the whole thing was wonderful fun and there was free food. I'm going into politics!
Background: That's the hall of the town I'm not technically in and my vote has nothing to do with. Area is largely Tory. [Town I actually get to vote for is Labour.]
My own political views... pending. I am anti Conservative, but I can't find enough socialism in the current Labour or Lib Dem, it would appear. I'd be inclined to vote Lib Dem just for the no tuition fees, but I fear thats them trying to hook me in on that and then they'll manage to scam me somehow once theyre in power. If that ever happens.
So at the minute I'm unhappily apathetic by default.
Was attended by a reporter from the local paper, the mayor and a couple of councillors, three youth town councillors, a guy I didn't know, me, George, Sim and Nathan.
Talks by two people from Labour... one who was heavily "I hate what Labour have become, I was a socialist, blahblah look at us now", and the other of whom was not the best person to take all the inevitable criticism [due to local tory love and the fact that everyone hates Labour currently], not least because she wouldn't admit Labour had done anything wrong. She was also quick to answer with government spiel and not an actual answer.
EDIT: QOTD from her
"Well, we're more central now than we used to be, but that's where the voters are!"
*headdesk*. Never mind your actual political view, you just need to put yourself where the voters are.
Then the Conservative guy, reasonable bloke, unfortunate that I disagree with all of his viewpoints. When I put it to the councillors that there shouldn't be a political party undertone to a town council - it should just be a group of people nominated by the town for the town [mostly to do away with the Tory undertone in the area which I in my biased position feel is unfair], his response was quote of the evening:
"Well you know it's really difficult to get in on an independent, and there's a lot more paperwork, so what I'd suggest is join a party, get in with them, then switch to Independent. You can do anything in politics!"
It's nice to know what sort of a system we're in.
Lib Dem was our good friend Jeanne, famed for hating my cynicism. It's a shame I have to be so cynical but when they talked of redeveloping the town in December 2007 I said "never gonna happen" and indeed as yet nothing has happened. QED, as far as I'm concerned. She was basically just like vote us! vote us! vote us! for no reason other than the tuition fee thing. And the fact that Lib Dem are "green". I dunno, I'm not sold.
The question and answer time after was George and the Con guy nodding enthusiastically at one another, the Labour guy cutting in about how terrible his own party is, the Labour woman making irrelevant comments, and Jeanne dancing around in a slightly more formal voice than normal with "Lib Dem have this policy too, you know. Lib Dem!"
Still the whole thing was wonderful fun and there was free food. I'm going into politics!