Ryburne

Small ads

Vote for policies

From Ben Plumpton

Thursday, 22 April 2010

This is an interesting website to help decide who to vote for.

It’s like a survey. You get to choose 4 or more issues you care about, and for each it shows you the main parties’ policies on those issues but without telling you which is which (though sometimes it’s easy to guess!). You choose the policy you like best for each issue, and at the end it shows you which party/parties your preferred policies belong to.

It didn’t actually change my mind about who to vote for. But it did get me more engaged with the issues than any number of tedious pre-scripted television debates where the “winner” is the one with the best PR style.

Cheers,

Ben

From Graham Barker

Friday, 23 April 2010

Maybe I’m getting too cynical for my own good, but I have no interest in policies or manifestos because once parties get into power, all their promises tend to become worthless. I’m therefore much more interested in the quality of the candidates who are briefly after my one measly vote.

And here comes my beef. From all the dead tree bumf that comes through my door, I learn very little about any of them. There might be a fleeting reference to a career, but no answer to the only question that matters: if I’m going to be stuck with you for maybe five years, what qualifies you to be my MP? Simply being your party’s selected candidate doesn’t make it. I want to know if you have a mind of your own, and if so, how did you get it and how does it work?

A CV half a sentence long will never get anybody a job, so why should it get anybody elected? It seems that the expenses scandal and the general disenchantment with politicians has taught our current crop of candidates nothing about earning votes.

From Jason Elliott

Saturday, 24 April 2010

Graham,

Perhaps you’d like to look at the the three video interviews I conducted with some of the candidates (publicised elsewhere on the Hebweb) for more of an insight into what makes them tick.

Whilst the interviews do focus on policies (with a couple of exceptions), their answers should give you much more of an idea about the candidates themselves.

From Kate Sweeny

Saturday, 24 April 2010

I don’t really agree with Graham’s premise, in that I worry about the increasing personalisation of our politics. Anything which brings us closer to the US way of doing things needs careful consideration before we leap aboard!

On the other hand, the growth of the internet and blogosphere has made it easier for us all to get our thoughts and personalities out there. Alone among the Calder Valley candidates, I maintain a real and personal blog. Spend a few minutes on there and you’ll certainly get a feel of who I am! Two of the other parties are carrying on a nice little squabble on the comments pages right now…