Hurdles

While, post election, should Labour lose seats, any decision by Corbyn to resign will be a reflection  of the balance of forces in the party, if the number of votea increases the argument he should stay is as strong as it was for Kinnock. …

Public Interest

So no prosecutions for Electoral Fraud, now there’s a surprise! A blogger, calling him or herself the Secret Barrister explains in detail here, that the Conservative Party at a national level have been found guilty of electoral fraud and that investigations into further prosecution of their, then, national treasurer are still continuing.  At a local level, the CPS had to determine if there was sufficient evidence of corruption (prison) and/or false accounting (fines) to warrant prosecution. They decided that there was insufficient evidence of corruption at a local level, because the national party had told them the expenses were national party expenses, which they then, in some part, under reported. They also decided there was no public interest in prosecuting them for false accounting. The secret barrister describes this as charitable.

Given the amount of words used by the Electoral Commission, in levying the maximum fine, stating that part of the Tories’ offence has been the undermining of public confidence in the PPERA and its electoral expense control, one might have thought that the CPS would consider that there are public interest grounds for prosecuting those for whom evidence of false accounting was solid.

Who appoints the DPP? …

France

Last Sunday, Emmanuel Macron defeated the fascist Marine Le Pen in the run off election for the Presidency of France by a margin of 2 – 1 despite the late playing of “the you’ve been hacked” card. Others have accurately observed that the right wing part of the Republican Alliance held firm and voted for Macron, an ex-socialist government minister. We can observe, particularly, after President Trump’s dismissal of the FBI Director Comey, and the Congressional Republican’s supine & sectarian acceptance that populist dictators only succeed with the support of the once democratic right! The right in the US and the UK need to think very hard about what they’re doing. Vive la France. …

Progressives

Much has been said in favour and cynical dismissal of the grass roots progressive alliance. Like Labour, the Liberals and the Greens have supporters covering a broad spectrum of supporters, and frankly none of them can tell their voters what to do. These decisions must be taken in the light of what local people want but these deals aren’t easy and some candidates from all three parties can be deeply unattractive to the others’ voters.  However, UKIP are also standing down in some seats to give the Tories a clean run at mostly Labour MPs. …

Campaigning

A quick trip around the Lewisham Deptford constituency canvassing for the Labour Party. A couple of accusations about getting Brexit wrong, i.e. the nuance in Labour’s front bench position upsets i.e. pisses off London remainers. Labour’s candidate for re-election, Vicky Foxcroft , voted against the Article 50 notice bill, twice! It makes life easier for people like me; I am glad I don’t live in Vauxhall.

I am surprised at the large number of EU citizens I meet who cannot vote in the general election. Mistakes were made; it’s wrong that people who’ve been here for more than 5 years, in employment, paying tax can’t vote in the general election; nor in the referendum.

One issue came up which I had missed and not expected. The Tories have abolished the council tax support for those on the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Councils have had to develop ways of making up the shortfall, by either cutting (discretionary) services or levying council tax on ESA claimants. There are other laws that stop councils levying the council tax on the wealthier residents, if they have them…. It’s another Tory cut ensuring that Labour councils and the Party take the blame.

I’ll finish by stating that there were a few who say they’ve left Labour because of Corbyn. It’s sometimes hard to determine if this is actually about Brexit, or about other aspects of his politics, but I met one person from Northern Ireland who can’t support him over his record on that subject. Someone else did the talking, but I think these conversations have to start with whether they support the Good Friday agreement or not. From my point of view, the anti-corbynism on the doorstep is less frequent, if more vitriolic,  an occurrence then those who couldn’t support Ed Miliband because they didn’t like the way he ate a bacon sandwich, or something!. Labour supporters who repeat these damaging slurs need to remember the way that Ed was attacked as not being up to it and let’s not forget the attacks on Kinnock either.

A final note, Vicky is well known, although some still ask where Joan’s gone! …

Campaigning

How to help Labour’s campaign in Deptford to re-elect Vicky Foxcroft a Lewisham Deptford’s MP.

    1. If not on the electoral roll, register to vote before the 23rd May, here…, if you haven’t got your polling card by 15th, apply again! I didn’t know you could vote if homeless, but it seems you can, the form is here; you’ll still need an internet connection, a printer and an NI number, although alternative proof of identities are acceptable.
    2. Register for a postal vote here …, before the 24th May; you’ll need a printer
    3. Join the Party here …
    4. Donate to the national party here…
    5. Join us on the doorstep, find out where & when here …, or here … we also run phone banks for those who can’t or don’t want to knock on doors
    6. Put a poster, or posters up in your window, or garden, tell us here …, you’ll need to say that you want a poster
    7. Donate to Labour’s campaign in Deptford here …
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