Comments on: The trouble with politicians http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2009/06/02/the-trouble-with-politicians/ Liberal, Green and Fair Sat, 13 Feb 2010 07:56:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Cheap HIPS http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2009/06/02/the-trouble-with-politicians/#comment-78336 Cheap HIPS Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:29:41 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/?p=1297#comment-78336 Why we choose that kind of politician who not even give an answer of simple question. Why we choose that kind of politician who not even give an answer of simple question.

]]> By: jameshigham http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2009/06/02/the-trouble-with-politicians/#comment-78333 jameshigham Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:16:22 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/?p=1297#comment-78333 Right. Can we please stop employing interviewers who are after soundbites. Can we please stop quoting soundbites in the ‘news’. And can we please use the BBC (a public service broadcaster afterall) to remind people that at all elections except those to the EU ‘parliament’ we are voting for individuals not parties. Right again. Right.

Can we please stop employing interviewers who are after soundbites. Can we please stop quoting soundbites in the ‘news’. And can we please use the BBC (a public service broadcaster afterall) to remind people that at all elections except those to the EU ‘parliament’ we are voting for individuals not parties.

Right again.

]]> By: Gav http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2009/06/02/the-trouble-with-politicians/#comment-78332 Gav Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:46:59 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/?p=1297#comment-78332 I don't have a 'view' on homosexuality any more than I have a 'view' on heterosexuality. It is an intrinsic part of the person that they are sexually attracted to people who are the same sex as they are. I don’t have a ‘view’ on homosexuality any more than I have a ‘view’ on heterosexuality. It is an intrinsic part of the person that they are sexually attracted to people who are the same sex as they are.

]]> By: jameshigham http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2009/06/02/the-trouble-with-politicians/#comment-78330 jameshigham Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:49:47 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/?p=1297#comment-78330 What is your view on homosexuality, Gav? What is your view on homosexuality, Gav?

]]> By: Gav http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2009/06/02/the-trouble-with-politicians/#comment-78329 Gav Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:03:43 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/?p=1297#comment-78329 <a href="#comment-78328" rel="nofollow">@Kalebarkab</a> Such a random comment that I had to approve. Use Spotify. @Kalebarkab Such a random comment that I had to approve. Use Spotify.

]]> By: Kalebarkab http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2009/06/02/the-trouble-with-politicians/#comment-78328 Kalebarkab Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:16:33 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/?p=1297#comment-78328 I want to find good pop music. Help me please. I want to find good pop music. Help me please.

]]> By: Gav http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2009/06/02/the-trouble-with-politicians/#comment-78293 Gav Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:17:53 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/?p=1297#comment-78293 I am thinking of a post on that subject actually James. You may be pleasantly surprised. I am thinking of a post on that subject actually James. You may be pleasantly surprised.

]]> By: jameshigham http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2009/06/02/the-trouble-with-politicians/#comment-78275 jameshigham Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:45:39 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/?p=1297#comment-78275 Become a Christian and all will be well, Gav. :) Become a Christian and all will be well, Gav. :)

]]> By: Gav http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2009/06/02/the-trouble-with-politicians/#comment-78239 Gav Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:18:57 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/?p=1297#comment-78239 I do understand that people didn't vote for me -- they voted for the blue rosette but it is the fault of the party machines that I had to. The expenses scandal has presented us with a unique opportunity to fundamentally reform the system. It won't happen of course, but if it did... We could have a ban on political parties and whips. We could have recall on all elected representatives all voted for on a single transferable vote or other fairer proportional representation system. These decisions could be made by holding sub-regional town-hall sessions where *real* debate could help decide the decision locally before a national referendum. But it won't happen. We may deserve the quality of the media, but we are not deserving of an enforced de-facto rolling LibLabCon dictatorship. I am not convinced that I know whether the media or the politicians are the chicken or the egg, never mind which came first! And I would not trust an army of helpers to know what I would stand for, what I would break with the party whip over etc. I do understand that people didn’t vote for me — they voted for the blue rosette but it is the fault of the party machines that I had to.

The expenses scandal has presented us with a unique opportunity to fundamentally reform the system. It won’t happen of course, but if it did…

We could have a ban on political parties and whips. We could have recall on all elected representatives all voted for on a single transferable vote or other fairer proportional representation system. These decisions could be made by holding sub-regional town-hall sessions where *real* debate could help decide the decision locally before a national referendum. But it won’t happen.

We may deserve the quality of the media, but we are not deserving of an enforced de-facto rolling LibLabCon dictatorship. I am not convinced that I know whether the media or the politicians are the chicken or the egg, never mind which came first!

And I would not trust an army of helpers to know what I would stand for, what I would break with the party whip over etc.

]]> By: Colin Vane http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/2009/06/02/the-trouble-with-politicians/#comment-78235 Colin Vane Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:45:14 +0000 http://www.gavpolitics.co.uk/blog/?p=1297#comment-78235 Gav, Whilst I agree with the broad sentiment of your comments, I believe that you are, at best over simplifying the case, and at worst naive. As an elected councillor, you are a product of the party system. Much as you're a personable character, how likely is it that you would have been elected if you didn't have a party machine behind you to campaign on your behalf and to give you a convenient label for electors to have an idea of what you stand for? Like it or not, the party label (or pigeon hole) is a convenient shorthand that helps electors distinguish you from your opposition. Even in a district council ward it is almost impossible to get your personal views across to a significant proportion of electors without a small army of helpers. How much more difficult must it be in a parliamentary election. Richard Taylor and Martin Bell were exceptions, but they were elected on single issues and marginalised such that they didn't really have any impact on matters outside of their primary declared interest. Although technically we may be voting for indiduals, those individuals are inevitably defined by their party labels, and anyone without such a label severely reduces their chances of success. As for media interviewers, they might stop looking for soundbites when interviewees stop trying to declaim their soudbites at every available opportunity. The BBC might stop broadcasting soundbites when the rest of the media desist from the practice, but that will only happen when the likes of you and me stop demanding our news in pre-digested packages that require no effort to assimilate. Arguably, the plethora of available media today puts us in a better position to look behind the headlines and soundbites. How many of us do so? We have the media we deserve and therefore the politicians we deserve. Gav,
Whilst I agree with the broad sentiment of your comments, I believe that you are, at best over simplifying the case, and at worst naive. As an elected councillor, you are a product of the party system. Much as you’re a personable character, how likely is it that you would have been elected if you didn’t have a party machine behind you to campaign on your behalf and to give you a convenient label for electors to have an idea of what you stand for? Like it or not, the party label (or pigeon hole) is a convenient shorthand that helps electors distinguish you from your opposition. Even in a district council ward it is almost impossible to get your personal views across to a significant proportion of electors without a small army of helpers. How much more difficult must it be in a parliamentary election. Richard Taylor and Martin Bell were exceptions, but they were elected on single issues and marginalised such that they didn’t really have any impact on matters outside of their primary declared interest. Although technically we may be voting for indiduals, those individuals are inevitably defined by their party labels, and anyone without such a label severely reduces their chances of success.
As for media interviewers, they might stop looking for soundbites when interviewees stop trying to declaim their soudbites at every available opportunity. The BBC might stop broadcasting soundbites when the rest of the media desist from the practice, but that will only happen when the likes of you and me stop demanding our news in pre-digested packages that require no effort to assimilate. Arguably, the plethora of available media today puts us in a better position to look behind the headlines and soundbites. How many of us do so? We have the media we deserve and therefore the politicians we deserve.

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