[pp.int.general] Democracy in PPI

[Andrew Robinson]

2010/1/17 Jeremy Morton <admin at game-point.net>:
> My question to AndyR: why the hell does stuff have to be orchestrated
> carefully around the next general election?  Do you think we have a rat's
> chance in hell of winning a seat, or influncing anyone else's winning a
> seat?
>
> (if he bothers to respond to that, it will be a record)

This is already offtopic for both the thread and the list, but since
you've decided to attack me here...

It's true that we are incredibly unlikely to win a seat this time
round due to the 'first past the post' system, that's also true of the
majority of all candidates. ALL serious parties contest seats that
they are unlikely to win, because the very purpose of a political
party is to offer an alternative, and the only way to absolutely prove
that a party has the support of voters is to give voters the chance to
vote for them.

The General Election is the biggest media event in UK politics, and
the biggest chance we have of both raising our profile in the UK, and
of positioning the party as a serious organisation with views that are
worthy of attention rather than an a bunch of extremists who are
divided by internal bickering.

The free mailing to all dwellings in a constituencies that we contest
is the best value publict that we could hope for, and the need to
raise funds to get candidates on the ballot paper is the strongest
reason we have to get people to join and donate to the party in the
UK, and the requirements in law for broadcasters to give fair airtime
to all political parties will give us a lot of the precious media
exposure that we so desperately need in this country.

I could write much more on this subject, but I feel my time would be
much better used keeping up with the current debate in the House of
Lords on amendments to the Digital Economy Bill.

I think the PPI list members would appreciate any further attacks you
wish to launch on me or other PPUK members being made off-list. I
remind you that we are currently having leadership elections in the UK
party, so if you want a change in management style you are more than
welcome to organise one democratically.

- Andrew