1. When food reaches its supermarket sell by date it becomes bad
2. Mega Rich people pay more tax than poor people
3. We have freedom of speech and freedom of expression in the UK
4. Some food is not organic
5. Renewable energy is renewable
6. Free Range Hens run around in a field
7. Slavery has been abolished
8. Henry the VIII had six wives
9. Jesus was born on the 25th December
10. Alessandro Volta invented the battery
Of course, you don't have to believe me.......
But then we live in a world of mistruths, fabrications and outright damn lies. Until May, we'll have a lot of Politicians knocking on our door. Here's a few questions you might want to ask them. I suggest that you ask them this and if they can't give you a straight answer, you send them packing.
Questions for Conservatives
1. How much money has Barnet Council spent on "consultants" whilst outsourcing public services in Barnet Council?
2. How much money has Barnet Council spent on court cases against its own citizens since the 2010 general election?
3. How many local museums has Barnet Council shut since the last election?
4. How many jobs have been lost in the London Borough of Barnet since the last general election, due to the outsourcing policies of our Conservative Council?
5. How much has council debt increased in the London Borough of Barnet since the Conservatives took control of the council in 2002 (it was £38 million then)?
6. How many statements have your local Conservative MP's made to defend the people of Barnet against this onslaught of ideology driven cuts, job losses and waste?
However you may have a Labour Canvasser knock on your door. Labour have decided that this is the NHS election. You may like a few answers to these questions.
1. Which party was in government when Edgware General hospital was closed, despite supporting a huge local campaign to retain it.
2. Which Party was in government when the only hospital privatisation in the UK took place?
3. Which Party brought in Public Private Partnerships as back door privatisation of NHS and Public services?
Or you may get a Lib Dem canvasser. For them, there is only one question worth bothering with.
1. Before the last election, every single Lib Dem candidate signed a pledge to oppose increase tuition fees. As soon as they joined the Tories, every single one of these MP's broke that pledge. How on earth can we trust any of them ever again?
And what about UKIP? They are in the fortunate position of having no track record. So they've not broken any promises. But there are a few questions we can ask them.
1. How many promenant and wealthy members of UKIP in Barnet have had enforcement action taken against them by Barnet Council for ignoring planning procedures and building on the green belt/conservation area?
2. What pecentage of UKIP's campaigning budget is being paid by a small clique of millionaires and what is the payback they are expecting if UKIP get into government?
You may conclude that I am a tad disillusioned with Politics. You'd be spot on. I will however be voting. I happen to think we have a moral and civic duty to vote for the "least worst" party that we have in our neck of the woods. I'm not going to be telling anyone who to vote for, but please consider a few points.
1. Has your local MP worked hard for their constituents, or have you not seen them since the last election?
2. Is your sitting MP only interested in supporting campaigns which are run by powerful local lobbies, or do they work for everyone in their locality?
3. Has the main challenger to your MP got a strong track record of hard work for local people and important local campaigns?
4. Which Party do you believe will work hardest to ensure that the people of the UK live in safety and security?
5. Which Party do you trust to ensure that the NHS is preserved, maintained and run in the most beneficial way to the majority of the UK population?
6. Has the candidate you are considering voting for got a realistic chance of winning?
Make no mistake, whoever you vote for, they will let you down at some point. You will, at some point kick yourself for trusting them. But this is not the point. The point is that we have a massive challenge as a country and we need to make a wise choice.
But then we live in a world of mistruths, fabrications and outright damn lies. Until May, we'll have a lot of Politicians knocking on our door. Here's a few questions you might want to ask them. I suggest that you ask them this and if they can't give you a straight answer, you send them packing.
Questions for Conservatives
1. How much money has Barnet Council spent on "consultants" whilst outsourcing public services in Barnet Council?
2. How much money has Barnet Council spent on court cases against its own citizens since the 2010 general election?
3. How many local museums has Barnet Council shut since the last election?
4. How many jobs have been lost in the London Borough of Barnet since the last general election, due to the outsourcing policies of our Conservative Council?
5. How much has council debt increased in the London Borough of Barnet since the Conservatives took control of the council in 2002 (it was £38 million then)?
6. How many statements have your local Conservative MP's made to defend the people of Barnet against this onslaught of ideology driven cuts, job losses and waste?
However you may have a Labour Canvasser knock on your door. Labour have decided that this is the NHS election. You may like a few answers to these questions.
1. Which party was in government when Edgware General hospital was closed, despite supporting a huge local campaign to retain it.
2. Which Party was in government when the only hospital privatisation in the UK took place?
3. Which Party brought in Public Private Partnerships as back door privatisation of NHS and Public services?
Or you may get a Lib Dem canvasser. For them, there is only one question worth bothering with.
1. Before the last election, every single Lib Dem candidate signed a pledge to oppose increase tuition fees. As soon as they joined the Tories, every single one of these MP's broke that pledge. How on earth can we trust any of them ever again?
And what about UKIP? They are in the fortunate position of having no track record. So they've not broken any promises. But there are a few questions we can ask them.
1. How many promenant and wealthy members of UKIP in Barnet have had enforcement action taken against them by Barnet Council for ignoring planning procedures and building on the green belt/conservation area?
2. What pecentage of UKIP's campaigning budget is being paid by a small clique of millionaires and what is the payback they are expecting if UKIP get into government?
You may conclude that I am a tad disillusioned with Politics. You'd be spot on. I will however be voting. I happen to think we have a moral and civic duty to vote for the "least worst" party that we have in our neck of the woods. I'm not going to be telling anyone who to vote for, but please consider a few points.
1. Has your local MP worked hard for their constituents, or have you not seen them since the last election?
2. Is your sitting MP only interested in supporting campaigns which are run by powerful local lobbies, or do they work for everyone in their locality?
3. Has the main challenger to your MP got a strong track record of hard work for local people and important local campaigns?
4. Which Party do you believe will work hardest to ensure that the people of the UK live in safety and security?
5. Which Party do you trust to ensure that the NHS is preserved, maintained and run in the most beneficial way to the majority of the UK population?
6. Has the candidate you are considering voting for got a realistic chance of winning?
Make no mistake, whoever you vote for, they will let you down at some point. You will, at some point kick yourself for trusting them. But this is not the point. The point is that we have a massive challenge as a country and we need to make a wise choice.
The demise of Edgware Hospital
ReplyDeletecame about.When the Major Gov
shut down THE A&E Dept and closed
down wards and reduced services.
Which in the end cost sitting MPs
their seats. The Tory plan was that the new build Barnet hospital and Northwick park would
replace Edgware. Edgware was not
left a viable position after all this. Hence the New Hospital.
I expected better from you .
Expected better of me? I expected better of the Labour party who won the Hendon seat on the basis of opposing the closure of the hospital. Barnet General has never been able to cope and the A&E should have been enhanced and reopened as a matter of priority by the incoming government in 1997.
ReplyDeleteIf they had, we'd not have an A&E crisis now
I have just seen Andrew Dismore's
ReplyDeleteletter on his website,about this
matter.On reflection do you not
think a in depth look in to the
facts.Would have been better than
"what party shut Edgware" just a thought!!
I don't suppose it occurred to you that in 2007 I met with Andrew Dismore and discussed this issue at length with him, does it? How arrogant are you to assume I know fuck all about this? I helped organise many of the events in the Save Edgware Hospital campaign and worked tirelessly to save the hospital. I followed the whole car crash from start to finish and I find your arrogance in assuming otherwise sickening.
ReplyDeleteWell as you tell me you knew all
ReplyDeleteabout the case of Edgware Hospital
And spoke to Mr Dismore ten years
after the event, and knew all of the background to this sad affair
Then my point that the question
implied, the incoming Gov did not
care or try to save Edgware as a
General Hospital after the election is a valid one!! I had three knee ops at Edgware and great care I had there.
As for the present A&E crisis dare
I suggest the problem, could just
have something to do with the present Gov ? Just one more of my thoughts! The reason I said what I did you, say you knew all the details of the case .Then you must know why the closure of the
hospital was irreversible !
Would asking the Cons why they closed the A&E a better question?
Don't let my alleged sicking
arrogance get you down!!keep up the good work I mean that please
don't tell me to intercourse off
I am a really a very sensitive soul!
Don't get me wrong, the Tories have made the situation worse, and you are 100% correct that they initiated the disaster with their policies under John Major. The point is that, however you present it, Labour won the 1997 election and could and should have reversed the closure of A&E. Barnet General has never been a fit for purpose solution for people in Edgware, Burnt Oak, Mill Hill and Colindale. I was born in Edgware General Hospital,I was admitted into A&E when I was run over in 1988 in Burnt Oak. I personally have adeep attachment to it and I'm glad I didn't have the extra wait that it would have taken to bus me up to Barnet in excruciating agony.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reply. I still
ReplyDeletethink the vandalism carried out
at Edgware had gone to far.
Time to move on I think. I too was
born at Edgware, and ended in A&E
after being run over when I was at
Dollis school!