My David Cameron – Disobey Murdoch remix

by Unity    
May 6, 2010 at 3:26 pm

A special election day remix of the Ian Cawsey’s My David Cameron poster video…

Majority Government – or tabloid rule?

by Hobhouse    
May 6, 2010 at 3:20 pm

A hush is spreading. The sun is bright and hopeful, there’s smiling on the streets. One in seven of us, even more, could vote today.

And perhaps, just perhaps, we’re electing a Majority Government.

What does it mean? When the dust settles, in a week or three, we could have a new government, elected by a strong majority of voters, ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work — for all of us.

A National Government? A Reform Parliament? Maybe even a good one.

This couldn’t be a government of one party alone. Nor could it be a Conservative one. Even if the Tories win a majority in Parliament, they’ll have little more than a third of the vote. And they’ve made it clear that if they fall short, they’ll try to govern alone.

The Tories have turned their faces away from a deal with the voting majority. They’ll only go into coalition with the tabloids.

So our hopes for Majority Government hang between Liberal Democrats — and Labour. And either side could screw that up.

It’s a new and delicate dance, demanding courage and humility. For not a few politicians, this is quite a stretch. But here’s how it could go:

Gordon Brown’s time is done. But only he is prime minister. Only he can bless a Majority Government out of the gate. But he can never lead it.

Brown must say that Labour wants a Majority Government with the Lib Dems, while acknowledging that the coalition will choose its own leader and that this may not be him. Then he has to step back as caretaker, and let others negotiate for him. Labour will have to go beyond its comfort zone and genuinely share power.

This can’t be a Labour Government, but a government for all. Who knows, perhaps Greens, Scots, Welsh or Irish will be welcome too?

The Lib Dems must say that this is a vote for change and reform, and that they’re ready for a coalition built on fairness. Forget first chances — most people haven’t voted for any one of the three: the next government needs a mandate from the majority.

The Lib Dems will be right to make genuine partnership and fixing the broken electoral system red lines. But they must not overreach.

And no-one can leak, or they’ll lose the public’s trust.

Our next prime minister could be Alan Johnson, Nick Clegg or Jack Straw for all I care. They must be brave, smart and modest: leader, listener, and bridge-builder. Rebuilding a sustainable economy and the public finances and reforming our politics is hard and responsible work, and we need everyone involved.

In the background, as Sunny says, Labour needs a months-long conversation, a real contest, and new foundations. Go back to the roots with humility, listen, and think again.

But we need a responsible Majority Government fast. Otherwise the tabloid story – of Tory triumph – will grip us. And that would be the most lethal and corrupt of lies – making minorities of majorities and majorities of minorities, and leaving us saddled with a weak and nasty Tabloid Government. Shiver.

Either way we’re making history. Let’s do all we can to get it right.

And if the majority needs to take to the streets to be heard, that Parliament Square flashmob was a start, and this Demo for Democracy looks like a good idea.

Demo for democracy Saturday, for real change!

by Sunny Hundal    
May 6, 2010 at 2:38 pm

Although the outcome of the election is still uncertain, one thing’s for sure: our voting system will deliver an arbitrary and unfair outcome and we will have a parliament which does not reflect what people voted for.

It is therefore highly likely that lots of people, many of them young people who have become involved in politics for the first time, will be angry and disillusioned and looking for change.

We are organising, along the rest of the democracy movement (Unlock Democracy/Charter 88, Power2010, Vote for a Change, Avaaz, 38 degrees, Compass etc) a rally and protest for the afternoon of Saturday May 8th at 2pm in Trafalgar Square.

The unions, the green movement and other sectors are also involved so it has the potential to be a large mobilisation and with the viral power of the web could be even bigger.

Party activists (once they have recovered!) will also be showing out we hope. We are asking people to wear purple – the colour of the franchise.

If necessary, we’ll gather again outside Parliament on the 15th.

We will be gathering to demand reform, an end to the old politics and for this to be the last election under the broken first past the post system. We will call for a citizens convention to draw up a new voting system to be put to referendum and there will be a new website (not branded by any organisation) with a petition that calls people to the rally.

This must be the last election under our broken system.

No more wasted votes. No more stitch ups.

Join the Facebook event page!

The Sun Front Page Parodies – the Video

by Unity    
May 6, 2010 at 12:02 pm

A selection of today’s parodies set to the poetry of  the great John Cooper-Clarke [warning, audio NSFW]

Watch: If there were no Rupert Murdoch

by Unity    
May 6, 2010 at 10:38 am

Philippa Stroud – a correction

by Unity    
May 6, 2010 at 8:55 am

Over the last few days, a sizeable number of articles have been published about Conservative Party candidate, Philippa Stroud, which contain a  error of material fact.

As Ms Stroud has, seen fit, through her lawyers, to contact a number of media organisations and invoke the provisions of s106 of the Representation of the People Act, under which it an offence to knowingly publish an untrue statement about the character or conduct of a parliamentary candidate during an election period, we feel compelled to issue the following correction on behalf of the blogosphere.

It has been suggested, by numerous sources, that in 1999, Ms Stroud ‘wrote’ a book entitled ‘God’s Heart for the Poor’ in which she allegedly explains how to deal with people showing signs of ‘demonic possession’.

Further inquiries indicate that although Ms Stroud is, indeed, listed as one of two co-authors by Amazon, this is, in fact, incorrect, as indicated by the following statement, which appears on the personal website of the books’ other listed author, Christine Leonard:

God’s Heart for the Poor, ghosted biography/how to for Philippa Stroud. Kingsway, Aug 1999 Out of print

It would appear, therefore, that Ms Stroud ‘wrote’ this particular book only in the same sense that Wayne Rooney is the ‘author’ of an ‘autobiography’ and Katie Price is a successful ‘novelist’; and so, on behalf of the blogosphere, we unreservedly withdraw the claim that Ms Stroud is a published author.

Any further correspondance on this matter will, as matter of course, be referred to the response provided to the plaintiff in the case of Arkell vs Pressdram.

What are your predictions? Election day open thread

by Sunny Hundal    
May 6, 2010 at 8:45 am

What do you think will be the share of the national vote? And who will end up forming government, with how many seats?

As there won’t be much news today, or articles asking you to vote this or that way, tell us your predictions.

Here is my prediction: Conservatives around 36%, Labour 29% and Libdems 28%.

I think the Libdem vote will be slightly higher than projected by others because of a surge in the youth vote. But it’s very unlikely to hit 30%. Like the professional pollsters, I also don’t think Libdems will come second in the popular vote (which is unfortunate).

There’s no point using the Uniform Swing Calculator to project seats using these percentages. That model is dead.

With such a low share of the vote, I’m hoping that Gordon Brown announces his resignation as party leader as soon as possible and Harriet Harman and Alan Johnson take over as caretaker leader to call for a proper leadership debate and vote. If the Libdems come close in third place, then a coalition with Labour would have much more democratic mandate than a Conservative government with just over a third of the national vote.

It’s very likely the Tory supporting papers will try and call the election early for the Conservatives. We have to resist the Tory coup as much as possible.

At around 10pm the live-chat applet will be launched for constant discussion.

If you’re stuck for somewhere to go and watch the election, you could always come to the Royal Festival Hall.

So… what’s your projected share of the vote, projected seats (if you really want to) and any other predictions on what to watch out for?

VOTE!

by Laurie Penny    
May 6, 2010 at 12:16 am

The sky over London is pathetically empathic, brooding and low and just about to break into a weird little squall. I’ve been woking 14-hour days for the past six, and I’m bleeding and I’m tired and pissed off, and Torygeddon seems to be coming, and there’s nothing I can do or say to make that better. No matter how much I scream and stamp I can do nothing to stop what’s coming over the hill, not on my own.

Apart from vote, of course.

Which is the only thing we can possibly do tomorrow that matters.

So here’s how it goes: you. Vote. Yes, you, with your quietly freakish views and your weird opinions that no mainstream party will ever quite understand. Vote.

Yes, you, with your sulkishly correct intimation of having been betrayed time after depressing time, in small ways, with politicians taking away your faith and your fervor piece by piece. Vote. I know you think it doesn’t matter, not where you are. It matters.

I don’t care how much you hate them, every single one, how much you want to tear it all up and sit in your living room and throw guilty glares at the TV and not be implicated in this whole fucking mess. You are implicated already. Now go out there and take some sodding responsibility.

Not that you should vote for just anyone, of course. You should vote for whoever is going to beat the Tories in your area. Not just because they’re evil, or because they’re incompetent, or because (with the exceptions of a few notable people who I know read this blog) they hate you and everything you stand for. Vote for progressives because Tories are scummish and dull and boring. They are boring. Look at that sky. Taste the clammy May air, how grey and hopeless it is, spring sap run to rot. Remember when it tasted like this? That was the early 90s. Do you remember the early 90s? Vote.

Because if you don’t get out there and tick whatever box you need to tick, right now if you’re at home, or as soon as you can get out of work, I shall consider whatever happens tomorrow your fault. And you should too, because it will be. Turn in your internet license, you’ve got no more business ranting at empty cyberspace if you can’t put your shoes on and engage with hard copy the one time it matters.

Which is right now.

Get your shoes on, get out of the house and vote. Put the internet away. This is it. Game on.

Go.

WTF? Sun paints Cameron as Obama for front page

by Sunny Hundal    
May 5, 2010 at 11:55 pm

This has to be the biggest joke ever…. tomorrow’s front page of the Sun

via @JonathanHaynes

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TEMPLATE: You can make your poster from here (via @political_cream)

Update: The parodies have already started! Got any more? We’ll publish them

by @xerode

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by @mattleys

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another one by @xtaldave (strong language)

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by @THEjaydoubleyou

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by @charlie109

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by @political_cream

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by @YouAreNotGavin

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by @brokentv

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by @donnachadelong

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Another one by @chezghost (strong language)

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by @franticplanet

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by @tommyhawkins

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by @richardpmilner

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by @disastronaut

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by @stevedesigner

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by @stevedesigner

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by @JSlayerUK

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by @michellelgraham

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by Bam bam

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by @Cro_Mag_Non

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by @colinstaniland

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by @brumplum

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by @hmgovt

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by @BeauBodOr

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by @BeauBodOr

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by @toreSupra

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TEMPLATE: You can make your poster from here (via @political_cream)

(upload the pic to your Twitpic.com account or something and then post the link below. The best ones will be added above)

YouGov predicts minority Tory government

by Sunny Hundal    
May 5, 2010 at 9:31 pm

YouGov’s final eve-of-election poll results show the Conservatives ahead on 35%, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats neck-and-neck on 28.

Con 35% (+2 since 2005)
Lab 28% (-8 since 2005)
Lib Dem 28% (+5 since 2005)
Others 9% (+1)

Sample: 6,483, polled on 4th and 5th May 2010. On those figures, Labour is back to its 1983 levels of support, under Michael Foot.

YouGov also polled nearly 2,000 respondents in Labour-held marginal seats that would go to the Conservatives on a swing of 3-7%:

Con 36% (+3 since 2005)
Lab 33% (-11)
Lib Dem 23% (+6)
Others 8% (+2)

Sample: 1,909, polled on 4th and 5th May 2010.

This means the swing from Labour to the Conservatives is 5% nationally, but 7% in key Labour marginals.

On these figures I would expect the Conservatives to gain around 100 seats from Labour.

It will be a closer race for second place in overall votes, and it’s harder to call Con-Lib and Lab-Lib marginals. But I would expect Liberal Democrats to gain more from the Tories than they lose – and for them to gain up to 20 seats from Labour.

Overall, YouGov President Peter Kellner’s prediction of the outcome tomorrow is:

Conservative: 300-310 seats
Labour: 230-240
Lib Dem: 75-85
Others: around 30

[Sunny adds: If that turns out correct, Cameron would not have enough seats to form a majority government.]

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