We need to formally constitute as a political party. And I need volunteers to kick this off for me. Here is why:
One of Blair’s numerous Anti-Libertarian laws was a new provision that the only description allowed on the ballot paper is the official, registered party name. Before Blair you could call yourself what you liked to guide the voters.
If you don’t register a party name, you can just be described as “independent” on the ballot. I am proud to be independent. But if there are several people all described as “independent”, the public in the polling booth might get confused which is which.
Parties can spend as much as they like on national advertising, and have National HQs and party offices. All the main parties have offices in Norwich. The costs of these Norwich offices and their national advertising do not count against the very tight by-election spending limit. An independent standing for election will have his office costs and all advertising counted against his expenses – leaving nothing for campaigning.
So we are going to form “Put An Honest Man Into Parliament” as the name of a party. The electoral commission registration form allows up to two alternative descriptions. The alternative description will be “Put An Honest Woman Into Parliament”. The purpose of the party is to get elected honest non-racist people of independent mind to renew our democracy. Future candidates can use either description as appropriate.
I need someone to download the registration forms and get them filled in today and in to the Electoral Commission. If a commenter on this site who I can recognise will volunteer I would be most grateful. You’ll need to knock up a short anarchic constitution. You’ll have to pay the 150 pound fee till I can get back to reimburse you! You can be the leader 🙂 I think legally we need two members.
I hope to get back Friday but this cannot wait for this reason. It takes 20 days for the Electoral Commission to register a new party. Once the election is called – and it could be called any time – we only have ten days or so to get in the nomination, and the party must be registered by then. So it could already be too late, or we might just make it. If not, we go ahead with the simple independent description.
The party can be registered to a home address for now, but we will quickly move our national HQ to a North Norwich office. We will be undertaking some national advertising, and it is our genuine intention to stand candidates elsewhere come the general election.
In response to all the volunteering offers – yes! All help needed – canvassers, leafletters, office workers, drivers, media handlers, IT campaign organisers, graphic artists, printers, fundraisers, volunteer coordinators, diary keeper, candidate cheerer uppers. Will be looking to establish the office and rent a house in Norwich North very quickly.
Hmmm. What are your policies on climate change?
Dunno about the name – it may say what you believe it should say, but to me it looks like a lightning rod. And any publicity which has the word ‘honest’ in it will automatically provoke skepticism and/or cynicism. How about ‘New Progressive’ or ‘Integrity In Parliament’? Just a thought.
Craig- why not stand under the LPUK banner.
Mike
No, they sound to much like a political party in the understood sense. That’s why “Jury Team” failed so abysmally.
How about FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE for the name?
How about somebody reliable just volunteers to do as Craig asks??!
Put An Honest Man/Woman into Parliament is a good, well-judged name.
I would volunteer, but no can do today. Sorry.
I’m Spartacus!
At the risk of being off link, Mark Steel has a very entertaining article in the Independent on New Labour today: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/mark-steel/mark-steel-so-this-is-new-labours-legacy-1701055.html
Andrew – see reply to Mike.
Alasdair – I am a firm believer in the existence of man mad climate change. I think many of the solutions for the UK are well understood but insufficiently pursued. Energy efficiency in buildings and industrial processes is labour intensive and should be the subject of truly major government programmes in time of recession. I strongly favour wind power. I would build the Severn Barrage because I think the net benefit outweighs the local environmental effects.
I want to see much more done on electricity generation from ocean currents (as opposed to tide or wave) and I think this could be especially important in the developing world.
I am against nuclear fission. I am not against research on fusion. I am sceptical on photo-vlotaic and solar concentration.
I don’t drive or own a car.
I would just add that there is a peculiar tendency of voters which I noted in Blackburn, with Independent candidates for voters to expect to agree with everything they say or not vote for them. Across economics, foreign policy, social justice and public services, civil liberties, the environment, etc etc you will probably never find anyone you agree with on everything. I don’t know a single person with whom I agree on all subjects.
I think the “Clean Hands Party” says it all.
Hi Craig.. thanks for that. I don’t expect to agree on everything with anyone! Just that they are willing to discuss it!
I agree with Mike Cobley, and would add that a single word party name would help the meme.
Try things like:
Welcome Party
Open Party
Energy Party
Simple Party
They lack overt pretension, and free you up for a more dynamic manifesto.
Clean Party
:))
I have time today. I don’t know anything about the nuts and bolts of the system.
Craig,
Looking at the form to see if I can help it seems you need a Leader, Nominating Officer and a Treasurer, and all three must sign the form. Assuming you want to be one of the three, that makes it hard to get it done until you are available.
Sadly I am in Norwich and if you want the form taken in to the London office today I can’t really help, though the idea of madly running around for a day registering a political party appeals to me greatly.
One thing I could do is register you a web address though, you’ll need one! http://www.electcraigmurray.com? http://www.murrayfornorwich.com?
Sorry I can’t do more, but count me in for several of those volunteer roles!
PS – Good to hear some views on energy issues. I am pro-fusion and think the steadily reducing funding for ITER – the international experimental fusion reactor being built in southern France is an outrage. On PV i can see many reasons for scepticism, though i think as a small scale, intermediate technology it shows promise it will never replace mass energy generation technologies. Looking forward to discussing this once you make it out here to Norwich!
Citizens In Parliament
“I am a firm believer in the existence of man mad global warming” (I corrected your quote for you, its now called climate change because the warming has been shown by reality to be bullshit)
Why? Because you believe the lying pols youre trying to replace with honest ones? The scientific evidence is against not for. Falling average temperature 1998 to present concurrent with rising CO2. Its just a tax and control scam.
If I lived in Norwich you would lose my vote for this position. Draconian environmental legislation based on false premises literally KILLS people!
Possibly it doesn’t matter – if your campaign lets people know who you are, they should recognise your name immediately.
Anyway, if you want an ‘anarchic constitution’, which I take to mean ‘as undefined as possible’ here’s one suggestion:
PREAMBLE
WHEREAS major political parties have been guilty of the abuse of public money and complicit in crimes against humanity, such as receiving information obtained from torture,
NOW THEREFORE we, the friends of Craig Murray, form the party “Put An Honest Human Into Parliament” and adopt the following constitution.
CONSTITUTION
1. All principles and policies of the party shall be decided by a democratic process and aim at increasing the quality of life for all citizens.
2. Application for membership is open to anyone who supports the principles and policies of the party.
3. The party shall consist of a general membership and a smaller executive, the latter which shall be chosen by democratic election from all members at the annual general meeting.
4. The members of the executive shall democratically decide the offices that they hold and allocate, including that of the president, the general procedures that they follow, and the implementation of the party’s policies.
Craig,
My scientific thinking does not let me grasp the human-caused warming theory, but I think I’m with you on the net result: that our finite resources need to be managed for the benefit of all humanity. This is where foreign policy, especially exploitative violent policy must be considered.
Monbiot, leaving aside his on climate hobby-horse, has just written an article about our secret history of abuse:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/08/british-empire-colonies-banks-reform
Please let us know what you think about this article.
how about
JPOG – Joe Public Oversight Group
JPAG – Joe Public Accountability Group
Hi Ed. I am wondering what aspect of your scientific thinking makes it hard to grasp ACC? (I am not being snippy, but you see this on the blogs all the time and I don’t understand it).
I trained as a biologist and did a lot of chemistry through the years and it seems pretty straightforward, although predictions are a nightmare. The real issue though is people. If there were only 300 million people on earth, CC wouldn;t matter, we would go somewhere else. Sadly, there is nowhere left to go.
Hi Ed. I am wondering what aspect of your scientific thinking makes it hard to grasp ACC? (I am not being snippy, but you see this on the blogs all the time and I don’t understand it).
I trained as a biologist and did a lot of chemistry through the years and it seems pretty straightforward, although predictions are a nightmare. The real issue though is people. If there were only 300 million people on earth, CC wouldn;t matter, we would go somewhere else. Sadly, there is nowhere left to go.
Er, how about “Elect an Honest Person”?
I have printed out the forms and the guidance notes if that helps anyone.
If the ballot paper lists parties alphabetically you might want to have something a little earlier in the alphabet than P. Especially as the main parties are C & L.
Accountability
Clean Hands
Equitable
etc
Alasdair,
I’ll try to keep it brief because it is off-topic. Sorry I mentioned it at all. It seems to be a distraction from the real concerns of humankind, which is that we all need to get along better.
There is not (and can not be) a “controlled” lab experiment. Thus we have to rely on authority. (But the authorities have been politicised.) I have not seen a fair admission that the data is not comprehensive. Contrary evidence is suppressed, including warmer periods in the past (pre-industry).
Natural phenomena, volcanic eruptions and forest fires, emit lots, and the energy from the sun and the earth’s core vastly swamps other sources.
That’s it.
I like “Accountability Party” very much; best so far.
Stevie –
Are you filling out the forms? (not sure if that is what “I’m Spartacus” meant).
I don’t need to sign the forms or to be an office bearer or leader. I guess there are some basic legal requirements for the constitution, specifying audited acoounts etc? Must be a template for a club/society constitution somewhere.
The name is not mean to be a political party name in the conventional sense. It’s just the slogan I am using for my campaign, and needs to be registered as a party name to get it on the ballot. The party can even change its name in future – parties do (eg New Labour).
There is not going to be a party policy programme other than to elect independent non-racist people with their own opinions, who want to work for the good of their constituents. Then any candidate for the party can set out his her own views.
I am not trying to start anything like a political party in the conventional sense. I am trying to register a slogan that can appear on the ballot, and a campagining entity to overcome biases in the expenses rules. That is all.
It does not matter a jot what the constitution says as long as it gets past the Electoral Commission.
It is a simple administrative task. Can someone stop cogitating and get on with it?
This is not a thread for people to air their views on climate change, interesting though they may be.
Craig,
Yes, I was volunteering to do it so I will get on and complete/post off the registration forms/documents today. I did also send you an email.
Bests Regards
Stevie
You have probably already seen it, but just in case you have not, there is a draft financial plan you can crib in Appendix C of
http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0004/13495/registeringpolparty_final_23814-6305__E__N__S__W__.pdf
Thanks Stevie. You have just been elected party leader 🙂 I think the guidance says you need two signatures – doesn’t matter if I don’t appear on the forms as I am not there to sign.