4 ms·

It will be hard for people to vote for better politicians, so long as those politicians who are allowed to represent an existing party have to be selected by th

It will be hard for people to vote for better politicians, so long as those politicians who are allowed to represent an existing party have to be selected by the party itself.

gmac 10y ago
A large part of the problem is some of the existing parties, sure. But in Brighton, for example, we have Caroline Lucas, who is a wonderful MP.
- secfirstmd 10y ago
  Jeremy Corbyn for example is actually a decent human being (can vouch for this as work with him a bit in Westminster), despite some of his policies. However he is hounded out by the media and political class.
  - zigzigzag 10y ago
    You don't know he's a decent human being. He seems nice but has never been tested. Lots of tyrants throughout history have come across as nice in casual interactions and then shocked people with their behaviour once they got power. Corbyn catches flak because despite loudly proclaiming how straight talking and honest and pure he is, he refuses to disavow Marx (rather: dodged a question asking him to in a classic politician style), and praised Fidel Castro, both men whose ideas and policies caused profound suffering on a massive scale. That rather implies that if Corbyn ever got anywhere near actual power he'd rapidly start abusing it.
    - secfirstmd 10y ago
      No, fair point but I do know for sure that people like May, Cameron, Osborne, Duncan Smith, Gove, Johnson aren't decent people to start out with...
  - stevetrewick 10y ago
    Maybe. But where was he, and where were the rest of his party when this abomination was being shoved through parliament? Abstaining in the commons and cheerleading it in the lords. So pardon me if I don't buy him being a decent chap having any bearing whatsoever on this issue.
    - toyg 10y ago
      He is clearly not in control of his MPs in the commons, and even less so in the Lords (which are now stacked with Blair cronies). He has to pick his battles very carefully. Mandatory reselection after boundary changes should see to that.

It will be hard for people to vote for better politicians, so long as those politicians who are allowed to represent an existing party have to be selected by the party itself.

gmac 10y ago

A large part of the problem is some of the existing parties, sure. But in Brighton, for example, we have Caroline Lucas, who is a wonderful MP.

secfirstmd 10y ago
Jeremy Corbyn for example is actually a decent human being (can vouch for this as work with him a bit in Westminster), despite some of his policies. However he is hounded out by the media and political class.
- zigzigzag 10y ago
  You don't know he's a decent human being. He seems nice but has never been tested. Lots of tyrants throughout history have come across as nice in casual interactions and then shocked people with their behaviour once they got power. Corbyn catches flak because despite loudly proclaiming how straight talking and honest and pure he is, he refuses to disavow Marx (rather: dodged a question asking him to in a classic politician style), and praised Fidel Castro, both men whose ideas and policies caused profound suffering on a massive scale. That rather implies that if Corbyn ever got anywhere near actual power he'd rapidly start abusing it.
  - secfirstmd 10y ago
    No, fair point but I do know for sure that people like May, Cameron, Osborne, Duncan Smith, Gove, Johnson aren't decent people to start out with...
- stevetrewick 10y ago
  Maybe. But where was he, and where were the rest of his party when this abomination was being shoved through parliament? Abstaining in the commons and cheerleading it in the lords. So pardon me if I don't buy him being a decent chap having any bearing whatsoever on this issue.
  - toyg 10y ago
    He is clearly not in control of his MPs in the commons, and even less so in the Lords (which are now stacked with Blair cronies). He has to pick his battles very carefully. Mandatory reselection after boundary changes should see to that.