Leila's blog

Wed, Apr 30, 2008

Don't forget to vote

I have a lot of friends who won't be voting tomorrow out of principle. They are of the opinion that anarchic self rule is the only option for governance or that the current system is so corrupt / pointless that voting only acts to legitimise a system that is inherently flawed. However, as it is the system we live under and as no revolution is seriously brewing, voting for people who agree that it needs changing is a protest against that system and a mechanism for achieving change. Not voting doesn't make any sense to me; spoiling a ballot paper is a legitimate form of protest but a change to a more democratic system relies on removing power from those who wield it badly. By not voting those in power are able to say that people are happy with the status quo because the opposite isn't being clearly demonstrated; by not voting the UK's two party 'dictatorship' is upheld. Yet the very people who refuse to vote are the most likely to be active and concerned about human rights abuses in more obvious real dictatorships. We have a limited choice as to who makes the important decisions - to go to war or not, what to spend income tax on, to abide by or challenge international bodies, how to organise recycling collections - but it is a choice nonetheless. The elected body may be in charge of decisions momentous or mundane, but they are decisions made on the behalf of their electorate. A simple analogy is going to a restaurant and letting the strangers at the next table choose what you'll be eating. You wouldn't let that happen. So, please make that effort to go to the voting box as it is your hard won right to choose who is in charge.

For those of you who do vote, no matter who for, thank you.

Mon, Apr 28, 2008

Springing into action (uhm)

It seems that not a May goes by without an election to wear out shoe leather. When voters naturally complain that they only see politicians on their doorsteps when there is an election, it is worth remembering just how many thousands of people we are talking about here. It takes 2 hours for four people to knock on 500 doors if your lucky. Multiply that by your average constituency of 3 - 5 thousand and it is a lot of work. Meeting people is vitally important but most 'politicians' are just normal busy people who are involved because they hold a passionate belief that they way things are could be better. So they spend much of their spare time opposing planning applications, working with community groups, helping someone in difficulty with the council / meals on wheels etc. So, maybe it should be less of a surprise that we only spend every spare hour we have for 2 months of the year door knocking and leafleting.

Having said all that, we have been in luck with the weather. I have yet to get seriously rained on when out and about. The countryside round here is beyond beautiful at this time of year. The greenery seems to be fighting amongst itself to be the most abundant and luxurious, whilst the wildflowers riot on the verges and blossom appears like magic among the branches. It is the wake-up call, the bird song alarm that spring is here and the blanket of winter can be thrown aside to greet the new year. Where I work the children cannot get enough of just being outside tumbling in the grass and wallowing in the sunshine, no need for toys or props. Perhaps this is the real reason for elections in May - politicians are forced to spend their days surrounded by growth and transformation to inspire them.

Thu, Apr 17, 2008

More work, more money, more guilt.

This Saturday begin a journey that will change your life- take a holiday from consumption by joining in with InterNational Downshifting week. This simple concept puts into practical terms many green ideas. The premise is basic; the more you work, the more you spend, the less time you have with those you love and the less happy you are. So work less, earn less, enjoy life more. In fact this ties in well with a recent study that shows that people work more when they do not have as much sex as they like...because they are working so much. It's a triad that should inspire anyone to seriously consider earning less - more time, more sex, more happiness.

Sat, Apr 12, 2008

Tired feet

Since I last blogged I have been super busy with elections and work. I spent today traipsing the streets of Lampeter in support of our candidate Elly Foster, delivering leaflets and meeting people. Lampeter is such a beautiful town and has been the hub of transition town activity in Mid-Wales. For a small town it has a green feel to it, with two organic vegetable / health food shops as well as a wide selection of locally owned and run shops - not a clone town yet. However, the core of its vitality is now under threat; the Post Office has been moved to an out of town store and now the community owned swimming pool may close as a large chunk of its funding has been taken away. Meanwhile our current council is spending a whopping 12-15 million pounds on new offices on a flood plain. What a waste of local tax payers money.
If you live in one of the following places in Ceredigion you can vote Green in either your town or county elections on May 1st: Aberystwyth (North), Lampeter, Llanfair Clygodau, New Quay, and Ystwyth. Wales Green Party are also standing candidates in Cardiff, Swansea, Monmouthshire, Rhondda, and Torfaen.

It would be nice to field more candidates but as politics has become an insult to democracy it is harder to persuade people to stand. Local elections also face greater problem, there is little awareness amongst voters as to what the different tiers of government are responsible for. Furthermore, local government is also severely restricted in what it can do by numerous dictates from Westminster about how they can spend their money. If decentralisation is what Labour and the other large parties are in favour of, they have to be prepared to give spending rights along with responsibilities to councils. Despite this bind, greens have shown across the country what they can achieve at a local level, hopefully I will be elected in my own ward to prove it can be done in Wales too.