Comments on: Ken steals Boris's Mayor Fund idea

By: Sister Mary Clarence

Sister Mary Clarence — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:56:00 +0000

David, I agree entirely with your assessment of the current situation and what the near future holds, but the conclusion you should draw from that is that our support (our vote) is becoming worth more every day.When the result of an election is obviously going to be clear cut, there is no need for the candidates to court votes in the same way as we are seeing in the mayoral elections and will see in the next general election. When every vote counts a powerful block vote from the gay community can win or lose an election. We should make the most of it. We won't be in such a pivotal position for long.

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By: David S

David S — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:58:00 +0000

The more I read this debate, and the more I observe the media and its reporting of political news, the more I feel that politics in the UK (and for that matter much of western Europe and the USA) are pretty rotten. The Mayoral election in London is but a small part of a much bigger picture – a picture of corruption and decay. I am convinced that the recession we are about to enter, combined with energy and food shortages, will be really painful for all of us, and I fear it is us, the GLBT people, who will find that our rights will easily be traded in an attempt to gain some kind of "order" in our chaotic world.

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By: Sister Mary Clarence

Sister Mary Clarence — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 22:30:00 +0000

The other reason for the proliferation of extreme left wing groups in that the SWP breeds them like cattle and every time one errs from the path the SWP have instructed they pull another one out of the stable.

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By: apYrs

apYrs — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:31:00 +0000

As a non-Londoner I have only a tangential interest in the goins on in the capital: however, it does contain most of the money and power, and it does (sometimes) lead events.The history of the splintered left of labour parties is fairly well known and docuemnted, not least because even old lablour tried to purge itself of them, with wide and unfair reportage from the rightwing press. What isn't obvious is (that apart from BNP and the more respectable UKIP) there aren't right wing factions. The reason is that the Conservative party is content to offer a home to the more "colourful" elements of the right wing with only a smokescreen to prevent the more loony antics getting out (again with a degree of collusion from the right wing press.We must be aware of this: we must also be aware that in many ways the tory party is the same unreformed one that exiated under Thatcher; if Cameron fails we may again her the dulcit tones of Tebbit and his type issuing from the front benches

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By: Sister Mary Clarence

Sister Mary Clarence — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:49:00 +0000

In part I agree with MC. We do all need to be clear about which party is fielding which candidate. After having been the main stay of two extreme left coalitions (or front organisations) in recent years, which the SWP deliberately wrecked once it became clear they were losing their stranglehold on them, the sinister face of left wing extremism in Britain has sired another child, the Left List.I have to say I’m rather surprised that electoral law permits the SWP to conjure up a series of phantom organisations promoting an agenda identical to theirs, staffed by members of their own organisation, and fielding candidates that are senior members of their own organisation, Lindsay herself being a very long-serving central committee member.If it looks like SWP, if it sounds like SWP and if it smells like SWP, it probably is SWP and that’s what it should say on the ballot paper.Left List is not an independent party it is one hundred percent controlled by its SWP masters who time and again have shown that they do not tolerate dissent in any way, shape or form, as George Galloway can testify and as can other former SWP brigadiers, Rob Hoveman and Kevin Ovenden who dared to question the party line.How long will it be before the Left List evolves into its own free standing, free thinking organisation and Lindsay scurries back under the SWP wing?Obviously I know you can really give us an honest answer on any of this MC without fear of being tossed out of the SWP, so perhaps we’ll all have to just wait and see.

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By: George Broadhead

George Broadhead — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 18:17:00 +0000

Ken Livingstone's defence of his welcome for the Muslim cleric Yusuf Al-Qaradawi and his attempt to brush aside the homophobia of the previous pope are pathetic. He is clearly woefully muddled about the homophobia coming from religious sources.

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By: MC

MC — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:47:00 +0000

Wish I could have attended!By the way, can you leave out 'Respect' when referring to Lindsey German, and just refer to her as 'The Left List' candidate as that is what will be on the ballot paper (and Galloway's lot are standing as 'Respect' so it might get confusing).Thanks

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