I went to a private, catholic school on government assistance, it wasn’t particularly good, but it was decent and far better than my local sink-hole of a comprehensive – now for some reason I am punished by everyone for being ‘privileged’ – were I to go near the house of commons (which I am nowhere near connected enough to do) I would then be lumped in with the aristocrats as ‘privileged’ – all because there wasn’t a grammar school in my area

Actually there’s no reason why grammar schools couldnt be restored. The former GDR replaced their selective gymnasium system 50 years after it was trashed by Marxoid fanatics. The same could be achieved here if our rulers cared a shit about good education.

Its also funny how the liberal elite endlessly calls for our MPs be more racially and sexually representative of the country yet they would never tolerate a Parliament that was even remotely representative of the divisions in this country. Just to take grammar schools as an example. All three parties are now opposed to selective education yet half the public want to see academic selection restored. As for the issues of crime and immigration there couldn’t be a wider chasm between the rulers and the ruled. But do you hear anybody here calling for the Labour party to be more representative of the OPINIONS of Labour voters? Not a chance! They think that if they just let in some more gays and women they can allow the people some semblence of representation while continuing to ignore them.

Fear is the key – and life experience.

I think you know where I am going with this, but to persuade MPs to introduce more democracy is going to be tough. We will only get change when the people demand it in their millions. We got the vote through mass protest and civil disobedience, it will take the same again to get equality of votes.

After fair votes, the next most important step, is improving our political parties’ internal democracy. There should be no expulsions of members for holding views their leadership dislike and the power to select candidates should rest solely with the members.

People have stopped voting because they have come to realise that where you live influences how important your vote is. If you live in the 75% of seats that are safe, your vote is worth little or nothing, so why bother?

People have stopped joining political parties because members’ views are ignored, so what is the point?

Address these two issues and we will be back on the road to having a decent representative democracy in this country rather than the scam we have at present.

Meanwhile, never mind old Labour GMB or NUM, we have the disgraceful stance of the University and Colleges Union – of all organisations – excluding the distinguished independent candidate Craig Murray from its own hustings event in Norwich on Thursday.

Craig Murray, the former British Ambassador and now human rights campaigner, is the (student-elected) Rector of Dundee University, and has worked with UCU on an anti-cuts and anti-commercialisation agenda!

This by-election is the direct result of the recent expenses scandal and it is a valid and necessary platform to be arguing that we can’t rely on the establishment parties to clean up politics and state corruption. So, even if you don’t agree with it, it is outrageous for a union to deny that platform even the chance to be heard.

More at http://www.putanhonestman.org/ and http://www.craigmurray.org.uk

That’s not to say that grammar schools would be the answer now, but we should recognise what was lost when they were largely abolished.

I knew that this Tory would never beat Galbraith in a million years, and was baffled at his selection. Galbraith won. Then the egregious Nicholas Fairbairn died and his Perth and Kinross seat became vacant.

For this solid Tory seat, the SNP put up Roseanna Cunningham, mainly known then for being a republican and a trekkie. The Tories – incredibly – put up Tory Boy again, and I correctly foretold he would be wiped. The couthy folk of P&K looked at Cunningham and saw one of their own daughters: they looked at Tory Boy and saw an incomprehensible alien.

The Scottish Tories actually defeated themselves throughout much of Scotland, but have hung on (and have in some cases grown) in places where they put one of their own up.

Labour has of course put up absolute duds as well and paid the price for it when the opposing candidate was quality: Jim Sillars won Govan against a classic union nominee, who, when asked a simple question at a press conference, said ‘You’ve got me there’.

The SNP are ahead – barely – in Scotland for several reasons, and there seems consensus that for the moment they have the best candidates: but the trick of arguing for socialism in working-class constituencies while at the same time proclaiming that Scotland is ‘Open for Business’ can’t be maintained for long.