I want my say! Wha! Wha! Wha!

Hey,

These television debates, as I have said in previous blogs, have had a very influential say in the outcome of this election, whatever the outcome be. This Thursday's one on the economy is, in my opinion, crucial for two reasons; that it is the last one before voting day, and thus the most likely to stay in the electorate's mind. Also, it is on the economy, which is Gordon Brown's stronghold where in theory he should be at his best.

One of the few downsides to the debates in this election is that effectively all other aspects of campaigning are deemed nearly irrelevant. Leaflets, meetings with the public, going round constituencies: they are all supplementary to the nearest Thursday night.

This may be one of the reasons why the Scottish Nationalist Party are taking the BBC to court because the SNP will not be represented in the BBC's debate this Thursday. Now, independence is something I personally oppose, and it is not the reason why I disagree with their leader Alex Salmond, but to waste £50,000 on this court case is just ridiculous. The SNP are acting like the five year old girl who is crying because she can't go out and play with the big kids as she is just too small and will get hurt. Especially concerning the views on independence. That's the SNP, not the five year old, by the way.

I understand the SNP have a say in Scottish politics, they are after all the Government (albeit a minority) in Scotland. But the clue is in the name - they are in Scotland. This is a British election and, on a UK scale, SNP are but a minority. Also, Alex Salmond isn't even standing in this election, he is an MSP. Therefore, is this election not none of his business? Imagine if I was kicking up a fuss if I couldn't buy an omelette in a resturant, even though I have egg allergies? I would look a right twat. Essentially this is what Salmond is doing - trying to be taken seriously when no action at all would've been far more respectable.

Alex Salmond, in hindsight, should of just kept quiet and waited a year. Next year the Scottish Elections take place and with the success of this year's debates clearly evident it is inevitable that the format will continue into the Holyrood elections. No doubt Salmond will have a podium, but the real question is will the Conservatives? Currently, the Conservatives hold 17 seats in the Scottish Parliament, most of which they have gained through the Additional Member System. Using Salmond's logic they deserve a voice. Anyone who remembers the Poll tax may disagree.

But that's for another election. For the now, let's just focus on this election, and see which horse passes the post first or what have you. Or to rephrase it, who is the most efficient with their journey to the post so that they win the most seats, because being first doesn't always mean you win! Take that Liberals!

DC

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ELECTION '10 DEBATE-A-THON! (Part Two)

Hey,

Another Thursday, another debate, this time on foreign affairs and on Sky News. I'm starting to like Thursdays, purely because of their over-zealous political coverage. Remember on BBC it used to be "Thursdays are funny"? Well, it would take a rather acute sense of humour, now. Not unless you find the fact that Gordon Brown has to be on the right for the debates because of his eyesight funny. And I don't. I expected better from you, tut.

First of all, I need to say that I am a great supporter of these debates. I think it's great how it has re-energised politics, making it as exciting as it needs to be. Because I study politics at Uni, people are coming up to me now at work, asking for my opinions and giving their two cents back in return. I think that this is a great achievement, one which would be unlikely without the debates. But the debate on Sky News last night just didn't rest easy for me last night, for a number of reasons;

a) Sky News is a channel available to only those with satellite televisions. Those without Sky News (and subsequently satellite TV) are losing out from not catching the live debate, even though it was shown at the anti-social time of 11:35 last night on the BBC.

b) Rupert Murdoch. You know, that Australian guy who looms over our news-worthy skies with such pessimism and - whilst varying in strength between FOX News in America and Sky News here - bias towards some political thought.

c) Kay Burley. Have you seen/heard her? She is literally awful at being a journalist. For noone who has ever seen her in action, imagine a hybrid of Sarah Palin and Anne Robinson but with a humour engine replaced with a lack of tact. On previous interviews she accused the partner of the Suffolk Strangler of not satisfying his sexual needs, a possible reason why he killed five prostitutes. Seriously. She is like the Daily Mail but in human form, just blabbering about us lefties scrounging from the state with our immigrant friends whilst causing cancer or something (DISCLAIMER - Kay Burley never actually said any of the stuff from the "Daily Mail" bit onwards, but you know, she gives off that vibe of right-wing lunacy. A bit like Franck Ribery).

Ahh, newspapers. They love this election stuff, too. Elections are like Moses; they have the ability to split newspapers almost perfectly in two. You have your left-leaning media (The Guardian, The Mirror) and the right (The Sun, The Times, Express, Mail, etc).

The bias is clear. Cameron won the debate, according to the right. Brown was the only one with Prime Ministerial potential say the others. I was about to say that there was nothing wrong with bias, because when the bias is of a conflicting view we get offended but find it ok if it is in our favour. The same people who don't like Murdoch's influence in this election with his News International company probably didn't mind when said Australian backed Tony Blair in 1997.

I don't really mind bias because bias is opinion. Bias is preference. Bias is your say, and therefore, by association, it is democracy. But this week some of the right-wing papers went too far with the personal attacks on Nick Clegg.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1193693/Id-drunk-I-irresponsible-Criminal-Nick-Clegg-regrets.html

This link is just an example of the interrogation he has suffered from these fear tactics. He has even said himself he gone from "Churchill to a Nazi" within the week. And it's not on. I personally do not support the Lib Dems but they should be treated with the respect it deserves, none of this bullying.

Then again, this is the same paper which claimed white bread could give you cancer.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-411506/White-bread-increases-cancer-risk.html

Now that is funny.

DC

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I wish Iceland would stop vomiting everywhere.

Hey,

So, sorry for a fairly long absence on the blog front (minus the election "special" the other day). Truth be told I've actually been busy recently. You may or may not know that I was in Italy for a week, playing hockey. Despite one boy losing four teeth (unlucky Ross Hepburn) and the surprisingly good spring weather we actually won the tournament. The holiday was really good ta, thanks for asking.

What is most interesting about my trip looking back is that the entire journey was done by bus, an alternative forced on to many people now because of "that" volcanic eruption in Iceland. With the skies polluted people are having to travel by road, rail and ferry. You hear the stories about people who have had flights cancelled, and obviously it cannot of been ideal. But my trip from Glasgow to Rimini was 38 hours long and involved going through England, France and Switzerland. To many this would be an inconvience, but to my it was an adventure. I mean, I got to have a McDonald's in the Alps! You can't get that on a flight. My hypothesis is this; if you care to take life as a "glass half full" scenario, the whole concept of travelling round Europe could be fun. You can sort of see this in interviews in the news, which have become a game of Top Trumps to see who has had the most arduous journey:

"You had to pass through the Baltic States to get back from St. Petersburg? That's nothing mate, I had to walk from Paris to Bordeaux just to get a bus to Ze Brugge!"

It all follows that Monty Python sketch, regarding who had the worst upbringing. My sympathies go to Iceland, as a nation. Metaphorically, I have this image of a school trip, each country being a kid on this bus. You have the USA, the big kid who is the bully, with his chums like the UK sitting at the back of the bus. There's Iran, the guy who's a bit weird, a bit "too interested" in science, as well as North Korea, who's mentally disabled and probably has Columbine potential.

And then there's Iceland. Firstly, he loses all his pocket money, leaving him skint so he can't buy any souvenirs for his family. Unfortunately for everyone on the bus Iceland gets terribly travel sick, and he throws up. And I mean throw up. It completely coats the interior of the bus, and the smell alone forces all the countries to get off the bus, meaning noone can go travelling. Poor Iceland, it's not his fault, but he'll probably get kicked to bits after school tomorrow.

Thinking up metaphors like this is far too easy a distraction from revising.

DC

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ELECTION '10 DEBATE-A-THON!

Hey,

So no doubt you have been watching these debates and what have you which have been going on. Or, at least, if you haven't been watching them you have found them difficult to avoid.

Welcome to my life.

I love enthusiasm for the General Election, but people must remember that politics is for life, not just for an election. The people who are proclaiming love for Clegg as I type probably can't tell the difference in policies between him, Cameron and Brown. Everyone seems wooed by his "honesty and intergrety" and all that nonsense. Which is fancy-talk for he would definitely be the "Snog" in "Snog, Marry or Avoid". Brown will probably always be a debating bachelor.

The positive noises, tweets and facebook statuses are very similar to those same people who blurted "OBAMA" not so long ago. And this annoys me. See this is the bloody annoying thing about democracy; everybody is equal, regardless their stupidity. Which means that the fool who stares into Dave Cameron's hypnotic stare down the ITV lens (very much in a "Demon Headmaster" style) has the same influence over who gets elected than I do. Infact, because I live in a safe Lib Dem seat, they probably have a stronger influence than me because, due to the technicalities of First Past the Post, my vote doesn't really matter, really.

The debates were ok tonight. I wouldn't go as far as saying they were good, a few things could've been introduced. Mainly boxing related;

a) Proper introductions for the speakers. For example "In the red corner, from Kirkcaldy, Scotland, the disputed Prime Ministerrrrrrrr of the United Kingggggggdommmmmmmm!!!!!!"

b) An intermission of some sort, allowing coaches to step in and help out. Imagine Alistair Campbell coming in and shouting "Work the economy, upper cut the deficit".

c) A proper referee, none of this Alistair Stewart nonsense. All he did was shout randomly the leaders names. That's not control, that's tourettes.

d) Allow "yer maw" jokes.

I think I really just prefer boxing to debating, judging from my suggestions. Apart from the last one. That's a wee treat for me.

Anyways, political rant over. First of many I'm afraid.

Night,

DC x