The Future Is Yours

As a youth I was probably the most arrogant person you could meet.

I was a Conservative in the 80s (not a card-carrying-one I might add), but I believed the guff that Saint Margaret T proclaimed with all the relish and zest of a Young Tory Entrepreneur.

I believed the stuff about the unions trying to run the country (via Labour), and I even accepted the stuff about the Conservatives having the answers to the economy problems of the 80s.

My love affair with Tory politics came to ahead in the 90s when I woke up to the mess they had left behind them. And with the revelation of my own naivety, I lost faith in the Tory party totally. I underwent a change; doing a 180 degree turnabout from what I used to be.


I’m better now - lol

(Brit) SocialMedia: Brussels plot

SHAMEFUL MEPs are already plotting to torpedo the historic EU budget cut.

The Euro politicians want a secret ballot on the issue so they can vote for a rise anonymously and escape their national leaders’ fury.

Tories warned the sinister plot, unveiled yesterday by the MEPs’ German president Martin Schulz, would “almost certainly” succeed...

« Read the Rest @ The Sun »

(Brit) SocialMedia: 'U-turn' over scrapping of GCSEs

Planned switch from GCSEs to Baccalaureate in England 'abandoned'

Plans to scrap GCSEs in key subjects in England and replace them with English Baccalaureate Certificates are being abandoned by the government.

The reversal was announced by the education secretary in the Commons, alongside curriculum changes.

Michael Gove said plans for the new exams had been "a bridge too far".

« Read the Rest @ BBC News »

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See also: « Michael Gove: Labour think poor children should stick to their station »

Project Get Elected (2)

« Blogged from: ProjectGetElected »

Intro:

The initial decision...

Two weeks before my 47th Birthday I decided I'd like to be an MP. But things are not always as they seem...

Is politics on the decline?

In 1945 72.8% of the electorate voted in the General Election - by 2001 that had dropped to just 59.4% - but in the last General Election, of 2010, only 65.1% of electorate bothered to turn out. (Figures from http://www.ukpolitical.info/ Turnout45.htm and exclude votes deliberately or accidentally spoiled.)

UK Political Info (2012)
Image: ukpolitical info

This general decline in political interest is caused by an apathy in the general electorate of the United Kingdom. The reason is, people are not engaging with political parties any longer. As the Guardian warned in a recent article (of 06/07/2012) British Democracy is in "long-term terminal decline... and disillusioned citizens [have] stop[ped] voting". We feel let down by the sleaze and the lies and want (even expect) more...


A state of mind can't easily be changed

As I said, things are not always as they seem. We all say "I'm too old to change now" or "its too late for me". But it isn't, you know. While ever your alive, it's never too late!

So I made a decision to change things!

The thing is, I'm a punk. I may have blue hair, but I'm no young Conservative. I'm a working man, but Labour isn't my colours either. I'm a socialist and democrat, but I'm no Liberal Democrat. Neither the Greens nor UKIP appeal, and the fanatics (BNP, SNP, etc) don't interest me in the slightest.

So what's a punk supposed to do?


Taking a stand

At first, it was one of those throw-away ideas. You know, the sort that we have from time to time; when we think "Ooh, that seems like a good idea". And that's usually as far as it goes. We make a random decision to do something, that disappears just as quickly as it comes.

But it didn't go. It lingered on, and on, and on.

By morning, the 10th of September 2012, it was clear in my mind - a need, an urge, a must...


When, if not now?

It had to be now ... or never!

So I sat down and decided to form my own party: the (British) Social Media Party was born.

But who sets off on a journey without first deciding where they are going to end up? I had one place in mind, and that was Westminster. I decided I'd become A Punk in Parliament.


Project Get Elected

As I set off down this road to Westminster I decided to document my life experiences here and on several of my blogs:

Project Get Elected is an integral part of that process. If not my actual road map, it shall become my compass - pointing me in the right direction.

i-thorts' i-Politics: Welfare Cuts? - Not In Our Back Yard!

Reblogged from The Writing's on the Wall: i-Politics:

BBC reported (Child benefit 'nimbys' accused) that Middle-classes are fuming at the thought of losing some (or all) child-benefit one parent is earning from £50,000 to £60,000 and over. (Families of three children could loose £4,000.)

This comes after poorer couples (working under 24 hour a week between them) lost up to £100 week (£5,200 a year) in working tax from this April ... and no one battered an eye or even seemed to report it. These are families on minimum wage, earning under £6,000.

Project Get Elected (Part 1)

I decided on the 10th of September, twelve days before my 47th Birthday, that I'd like to be an MP.

The thing is, I'm a punk, I'm neither a Labour man nor a Conservative. And the Liberal Democrats have been shown to be a traitor to there own policies; so they are out. I don't have faith in the fringe parties - neither Greens nor UKIP. And the fanatics don't interest me in the slightest (BNP, SNP, etc).

So I sat down and decided to form my own party: the (British) Social Media Party was born.

(Photo credit: CyberPunk65)

Within the first month I created a twitter account (@B_SocialMedia_P), a Facebook Fan Page, a Google+ page, a weblog, a mission statement and spoke about the party on two of my other blogs.

This is where I am now. I'm trying to come up with a philosophy (but it's slow going).

Should Andrew Mitchell Resign?

reblogged from i-thorts' i-Politics

If it was a sack-able offence to be a jerk, then half the cabinet would lose their jobs. So, should Andrew Mitchell really resign?

The allegation is that he called police “f****** plebs” and “morons”; however, Mitchell denies using those “words attributed” to him.

English: Andrew Mitchell. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Having stayed away from the Tory's conference (last week), probably in the hopes of quelling speculation over his future.

Not that it seems like he has much future, with the 1922 (backbench) comity baying at his heals for answers.

The police are not happy with the whole incident (where Mitchell is alleged to have sworn at an officer outside 10 Downing Street). There are questions as to whom is lying - police officer or Member of Parliament. Mr Mitchell may have to answer these questions at Scotland Yard.