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swagyna · 6 months

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A "Quick" Guide to Independent US President Candidates of 2024

Regardless of the party you usually vote for, I encourage you to go over this list

Jill Stein, Green Party

Ballotpedia

Wikipedia

A Jewish Doctor, she's been running in different campaigns for 21 years. This will be her third time running for presidency; her announcement was in direct response to President Biden's lack of action in regards to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Her main concerns are to reinvigorate our lacking Green New Deal, for the right of a living wage in a revised Economic Bills of Rights, an end to discrimination of women, BIPOC, and LGBT+ members; the removal of US influence in wars across the globe, as well as an end to our politicians being bought out by lobbyists.

Dr. Stein learned of the impacts of environmental pollution first hand while she was a practicing physician; her patients' were suffering from the nicknamed "Filthy Five" coal plants in her area. This spurred her into activism, which did eventually lead to the removal of these coal plants. While involved in this activism, she heard how many people had been demanding the removal of the plants for years. Local politicians refused to heed the people's words. Stein eventually learned it was due to lobbying, and helped to pass the Clean Elections Law. This law would only last for 5 years before Democrats removed it. A/N: Dr. Stein has only declared her running just this month on Nov. 9th. This may explain her lacking platform.

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Chase Oliver, Libertarian Party

Ballotpedia

Wikipedia You could describe him as sort of an "average Joe". Before entering politics, he worked restaurant jobs for 13 years. He's previously ran for Georgia's 5th district for House in 2020, as well as running for Senator in 2022 of the same state. He got enough support during his run for Senate that it caused a runoff election. His campaign is addressing many different problems, from positive immigration reform to being prochoice. Here's the list and a brief summary of what his plans are:

○ Healthcare system overhaul, swap to Direct Primary Care ○ Addressing Student Loans, making current loans interest free, ending FAFSA entirely, using Department of Defense money to pay for interest fees lost by this move. Also addressing high tuition costs. ○ Education, removal of the Department of Education to allocate money directly back to the states. ○ Allowing free market on Marijuana, signing full pardons for anyone with a non-violent drug-only criminal charge. ○ Changes to the Justice System, from courts to prisons to cops, removal of immunity from those in power, removal of mandatory minimum sentences, removal of prosecution of victimless crimes. ○ Work Changes, adjustments to taxes to make it easier on lower-income families, as well as law adjustments for people looking to open their own businesses. ○ Immigration reform, simplification for immigrants to become citizens to allow them to work and better integrate into our society. ○ Government invasion of Privacy, the potential repeal of the Patriot Act as well as any other invasive laws the government has passed in the guise of "safety". ○ The rights of bodily autonomy and Abortion, which should be codified. The exception here is that tax money cannot be used for it.

○ Ending the Death Penalty ○ Reducing Inflation by reducing government spending [a/n: this is not what causes inflation] ○ Removal of any Gun Restrictions and will strike down any new one that come up in the future What spurred him into activism roughly 2 decades ago, was President Bush's war campaign in Iraq. In 2008, he initially supported President Obama but later left the Democratic Party as he found that their policies were not anti-war and had no intention of becoming anti-war. He's spoken against regulations that prevent that feeding of the homeless and hungry in the City of Columbia [agenda], and has also made a public comment to the Atlanta City Council against Cop city (time stamp is 2:17:00).

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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Independent Party

Ballotpedia

Wikipedia

An avid environmentalist lawyer who has won exceptional lawsuits for Indigenous People. This will be the first time RFK Jr. has officially ran for an election. In prior years, he's considered running for a Senator seat, NY's Attorney General seat, and has previously declined NY's Senate seat.

RFK Jr.'s campaign also has quite an extensive list of problems to address: ○ Housing Crisis and Cost: raising minimum wage to $15 an hour, changing zoning laws, changing taxes, opening ownership to local abandoned housing/buildings ○ Environment: restoring USDA and EPA control, incentivize companies to go green on a global scale, change agricultural practices ○ Ending of Lobbying: prosecution of officials and politicians who have been bought out by corporations, restoration of individual privacy, full government transparency. ○ Ending Party Division: RFK Jr. acknowledges that the Left vs Right is not helpful to the average person and seeks to remedy this divide by listening and compromising. ○ War: the removal of our troops and bases from countries in which we do not belong. The stop of unnecessary and profligate spending in our military machine. ○ Southern Border: Tighten control on checkpoints, restore lighting and motion detectors, but also allocate money into our courts to move asylum cases thru faster. This ties back with his stance on war, however; he wants the removal of our forces and weapons from the hands of the cartel. The US needs to stop funding the displacement of civilians in their own nations. ○ Restoration of Rights: Write into law that tech companies cannot ban, shadowban, or suppress someone if the government asks them to. Removal of government surveillance. ○ Civil Rights: to do this, a complete overhaul of these systems will happen - community repair, prison/police reform, focus on the working class and disenfranchised schooling, find addiction care that is long term, expanded youth programs, and free IDs for US citizens. ○ Native Americans: the restoration of land, the complete adherence to previous treaties that have been written and ignored by the US. ○ Veterans: optimization of the VA, creating a federal Veteran's council, to provide ways veterans can still "serve" in their communities. ○ Student Loans: the repeal of Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act which will allow people to file bankruptcy on student loans, allow people to refinance their student loans, remove interest on student loans, to hold universities accountable and not banks for loan defaults to prevent the rising prices of tuition.

Some things to note; Robert is a member of Children's Health Defense, which is an anti-vax organization that claims vaccines cause autism. Robert doesn't believe that HIV causes AIDS which he writes about in his book The Real Anthony Fauci (pg numbers: 298, 332, 347, 348, 351).

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Cornel West, Independent Party

Ballotpedia

Wikipedia

Another Doctor on the list, Cornel is a philosophy professor at Union Theological Seminary. In his practice, he focuses on how American society treats differences between gender, race, and class. This is his first time running for office, and had previously been with the People's Party which he dropped for the Green Party. In October '23, he left the Green Party to be Independent. Here is a list of what Dr. West is looking to address during his presidency: ○ Environmentalism: Canceling any and all national oil projects, codifying informed consent (FPIC) for Indigenous people and their land, end water privatization by making a clean water committee ○ Racial Justice: Reparations for black residents, following thru on the Civil Liberties Act of '88, public review commissions for all police stations, creating a committee dedicated to finding missing and murdered Indigenous women ○ Prison/Police Reform: End the death penalty, abolish current privatized prison practices, shutting down Cop City, end and ban police training thru military forces ○ Voters' Rights: Election day is to be a national holiday to ensure everyone can vote, term limits for all elected officials, ban on past elected officials from becoming lobbyists, term limits for SCOTUS members ○ Gun Control: Create national gun registry, reduce gun sales at shows, similar requirements for driver licenses to gun ownership ○ Economics: Tax billionaires, remove tax loopholes for the super rich, end Wall Street housing market holdings, ban stock trading for elected gov. officials, national minimum wage of $27/hr, create UBI commission ○ Workers' Rights: Four day work week, review US trade agreements and ban any that exploit domestic and international workers, free pre-K childcare, all for-profit companies must allow the creation of unions ○ Healthcare: Free healthcare, codify abortions, address addiction and help those affected by it, create federal panel to oversee the creation/safety/effectiveness of vaccines, focus on giving more power back to disabled people ○ Education: Redistribute tax money equally across all public schools based on student count (this way rural students still receive the same schooling as urban students), minimum wage of 80k for K-12 teachers, abolish state laws that obfuscate our US history, cancel student debt ○ LGBTQIA+: establish standards for trans healthcare, end assaults on trans people, ban on state anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, codify equal rights for LGBTQIA+ people ○ Global Influence: Removal of military support in all current wars, establish Truth Commission for the global south, disband NATO, cut the military budget, end global patriarchy and help women in Iran and Afghanistan, cancel IMF debts

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A note to end on: Firstly, I will not be discussing who I will be voting for on this post. Secondly, I want to add that just because a candidate has a large list of issues they're addressing doesn't mean they will actually get it done while in office. We regularly see candidates come in with large promises only to "forget" about them once they reach office.

Remember: the presidential election is important, but getting out and voting during midterms is infinitely much more impactful because those are our lawmakers!! A president cannot change anything if there is no house or senate backing her/him!

#yes. green and lib are established parties.#but they fit the bill bc of the massive discrepancy in funding between them and red/blue parties #just in case y'all can't tell - their campaign pages are embedded on their names #and for the love of god PLEASE read this list thoroughly and do your own research #a rb that would be nice :') idc about numbers but i KNOW a bunch of people are going to be asking “who do i vote for” in 2024 #doing research ahead of time is extremely important #i'd make a list for every midterm but there's literally hundreds if not thousands of total candidates for some of those uhm :') i'm sorry #2024 elections #presidential election #2024 presidential election #us politics #for later

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scotianostra · 2 years

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This historic day in 1997 saw the Referendum on Devolution in Scotland which approved the creation of a new Scottish Parliament.

This was such a historic day for Scotland, what I can’t understand though is that some people still voted no, thinking that Scotland should have no real say in governing their own, OUR OWN country.

Think Twice was the title given to the 'no no' campaign run by Brian Monteith who ran the Ran the Student Campaign Against the Devolution Act in 1979. It was launched on 20 June 1997 and campaigned for a vote against both the establishment of a Scottish parliament, and the granting of tax-varying powers to such a body.

The mind boggles about the mentality of such people, and they still exist, there are many who would love to see the Devolved powers returned to Westminster control.

Scotland Forward was a cross party group, which was launched on 15 May 1997. Its aim was to secure a tax-varying parliament in Edinburgh. Its chairman was businessman Nigel Smith who was involved in the Business says Yes campaign in 1979. It was funded by a combination of businesses and unions.

The SNP and Scottish Labour, although both involved in the Scotland Forward Campaign, both printed and ran their own leafleting throughout the run up to September 11th.

As is happening now, a younger voice was starting to be heard shouting for, not just Devolution, but a fully Independent Scotland.

The referendum received an overwhelming “Yes” vote in favour of establishing a Scottish assembly with tax-raising powers, with 74.3 per cent voting for a Scottish parliament and 63.5 per cent in favour of it having tax-raising powers. The election was the first in the UK to contain an element of proportional representation, and Labour were returned as the largest single party, winning 56 of the 129 seats, 9 short of an overall majority.

In 2007 the SNP won 47 seats and approached the Libdems to form a coalition but they rejected the Nats, the greens agreed to provide them with two seats letting them form a minority government, Alex Salmond became First Minister.

The voting system for the Scottish Parliament was designed to stop any party (but principally the SNP) from getting an overall majority.’ Halting any plans for Independence in it’s tracks but that didn’t work out for the Yoons, who will do anything to stop Scotland becoming a Nation entirely in it’s own right again. In the 2011 Holyrood elections the SNP won 69 of the 129 seats blowing their theory apart and laying the ground for the 2014 Independence vote.

Many opinion polls were conducted stated in January 2012 that polling had shown support for independence at between 32% and 38% of the Scottish population, the Yes campaign fought a brilliant campaign but could not overcome the lead the Yoons had with their scaremongering “Better Together” campaign, knocking on doors and telling pensioners they would lose their pensions if we became Independent, a downright lie, the treasury in Westminster had already ringfenced the pensions. They also fought their campaign on a promise that the only way to remain in the EU was to vote no, that Scotland would not gain a place at the European Parliament, we have since, in Scotland voted by 62% to 38% to remain in Europe, but are being taken out by English votes, against the will of the majority of Scots.

What you also have to understand during the “Indyref” campaign is the the SNP, the Greens and the Yes movement were not only fighting against other parties, but the whole weight of the Westminster Parties and the British government, the vote, in the end was 44.7% No, to 55.3% against.

The fallout from the Indyref campaign for the Better Together parties, was felt in the 2015 Westminster elections when the SNP won a record 56 out of 59 seats, Labour, Conservatives and Lib Dems were left with one seat each.

In 2016, David Cameron, then leader of the Tories called a referendum on the UK pulling out of Europe, he himself backed the campaign to stay with the EU, but after a close run vote the results were to leave the EU by 52% to 48%.

Leave won the majority of votes in England and Wales, while every council in Scotland saw Remain majorities. This again ignited the Indyref question, one of the main reasons the Better Together campaign told voters was that the only way for Scotland to remain as part of the European Union was to vote no for Scottish Independence in 2014. Scotland Scotland voted 62.0% to 38.0% in favour of keeping our place in Europe.

The 2016 Holyrood elections was the first in the country to allow 16 and 17 year olds allowed a vote, which is only right, you are taxed as an adult from that age, why should you not get a vote, the same should apply for the whole of the UK in my opinion. In the elections the Labour party continued to suffer for their alliance with their Tory paymasters and slumped to third place in the poll, the worst result in a Scottish election for them in 98 years, the Tories picked up may of their votes, in what many seen as tactical voting to try and keep out the SNP, who, yes saw a downturn in their fortunes, but were still the biggest party by far with 63 seats, Nicola Sturgeon announced she would form a minority SNP government. She was voted in for a second term as First Minister.

The then Prime minister Theresa May called a snap election in 2017 and the SNP lost 11 seats, again some tactical voting here is obvious, but let’s not forget this was still, by far the second most MP’s the Scottish Nationalists had ever sent to Westminster.

Brexit, was still a fucking mess and in the end Theresa May was forced to step down, in came the Bold Boris Johnson with his promise to “Get Brexit Done” He again called a general Election, the English overwhelmingly voted him into power, while Scotland again voted for the SNP, returning 48 out of a possible 59 MP’s to Westminster.

In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, the sixth since the Parliament was restored we saw a historic fourth consecutive win for the SNP, taking 64 of a possible 129 seats, they won the largest share of the popular vote and the largest number of constituency seats in any Scottish Parliament election (62). The Greens won 8 seats, their best result to date at a Scottish Parliament election, while the Conservatives retained second place with 31 seats. Again the Scottish people showed their distaste for the Labour Party, who had its worst-ever result with 22 seats, and the lowest share of the vote in both Constituency & List votes for either Westminster or Holyrood since 1910. Voter turnout in the election reached 63.5%, the highest ever at a Scottish Parliament election

In June this year Nicola Sturgeon announced she plans to hold a second independence referendum on 19th October 2023.

In an attempt to force the issue, Scotland’s first minister said the lord advocate, Dorothy Bain QC, had written to the supreme court in London at her request, asking it to establish whether the Scottish government had the necessary legal powers to stage a consultative referendum on its own.

The case is ongoing............

#Scotland #scottish #devolution #referendums #referenda #scottish constitution #independence #history

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liverpolitics · 3 years

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Liverpool’s Metro Mayor Candidates 2021: All you need to Know.

Tomorrow, on Thursday the 6th of May, the Liverpolitan people will be travelling in droves to their nearest polling station to vote on the future of the Liverpool City Region.

Yes, the 2021 Local Elections are almost upon us and the residents of Liverpool, Sefton, Knowsley, Wirral, St. Helens and Halton boroughs will all be able to vote for the councillors who they want to see represent them in their local ward. This year, Liverpolitans will also be provided with a ballot that will allow them to vote for their preferred candidate for the region’s metro mayor.

The metro mayor was a role first established in 2016 under the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act and is a title that has only ever been held by Labour’s Steve Rotherham since 2017. Now while the Liverpool Metro Mayor does not hold the same powers as a First Minister or the Mayor of London, they do have a number of important roles vital to the cities development. The Metro Mayor is responsible for uniting Liverpool’s six boroughs and encouraging them to work collectively to better Liverpool’s economic and political position. Furthermore, the Metro Mayor has a duty, to the best of their ability, to attract investment and economic prosperity across the region. They also hold certain powers, such as the management of cross-borough services, like public transport. Hence, while they are limited in what they can do in comparison to other devolved positions, the metro mayor is instrumental for our region’s future development, whether that be economical, environmental or political.

This blog is intended to provide information on the Metro Mayor candidates to help voters make a more informed decision on who they want to see as the face and voice of the Liverpool City Region. Note: I do not intend to influence how the reader will vote, but I will be asserting my own opinions on the candidates, their policies, and the parties they represent. Furthermore, the policy information included has been taken from an LCR Mayoral Election 2021 guide in order to help readers gain a better perspective of the candidates.

Jade Marsden (Conservative Party)

Now being a Conservative candidate in Liverpool already puts Marsden at a significant setback. There has and still remains a long held stigma against the Tories dating back to Margaret Thatcher, as captured in the sentiment that “Scousers Hate Tories”. Though while one would seek to disregard Marsden from the get go, I must please ask you to hear what she has to offer to Liverpool before jumping to a conclusion.

Mrs. Marsden is a current resident of South Liverpool and formerly stood as the parliamentary candidates for both Bootle and Sefton Central respectively. According the Sefton Central Conservatives, Marsden’s “wealth” of experience of local politics would be beneficial in her ability to be a strong “Fresh Voice” for the Liverpool City Region.

Marsden strongly believes that it has been under Labour’s leadership that the LCR has been let down. As a result, we have missed out on key investment, transport improvements and well-paid jobs. Thus, the LCR needs a vision that delivers for future generations, offers a solution to air pollution and secures jobs and future investment. Marsden intends to offer this to Liverpool.

Is a Blue Liverpool the way forward?

Marsden, if victorious, intends to cooperate with Westminster to “get things done”. If she was to be elected, she would:

Not charge the Metro Mayoral Precept, part of the council tax that funds city region-wide services that the Metro Mayor is responsible for.

Ensure spending is widespread and not just focused on central Liverpool.

Lobby the government to make the region an urban national park to protect Liverpolitan green spaces and the coastline.

Work to end homelessness as we recover from the pandemic, as well as improve social housing that contains dangerous living conditions.

Improve regional transport connections.

Attract new investment to help out small businesses and the high street, in order to ensure that local people have good quality jobs.

Now while this may sound ideal, I do hold certain critiques of Marsden’s policy agenda.

First of all, the Mayoral Precept, as mentioned, is responsible for funding city region-wide services. Not charging it may allow tax payers to keep more money in their pocket, a possible benefit due to the impact of the pandemic. However, a cut to the Mayoral Precept will come at a cost for local services. Public transport, for instance, would lose out on funding as a result. This somewhat contradicts her pledge to improve regional transport connections.

Secondly, while the “urban national park” label may sound good on the surface, I cannot help but think this would put the LCR at a setback. Liverpool has beautiful natural scenery, the likes of Thurstaston Beach or Sefton Park is proof of this. Liverpool thrives on its green spaces. These spaces should be protected under law. However, I believe an “urban national park” status will put the city at a disadvantage. It is not clear whether Marsden’s urban national park intends to prevent development on disused docks in Liverpool or Birkenhead. Furthermore, there are well needed transport connections that would be vital for moving cargo to or from the Port of Liverpool. Liverpool’s urban development and economic prosperity cannot be jeopardised if Marsden seeks to attract new investment and create new jobs.

Yet there are key issues that I do agree with Marsden on. While the Liverpool name is the regional “brand”, investment has been too focused on central Liverpool. The city centre is thriving while town centres in Bootle, Birkenhead, Widnes, etc. are awaiting significant investment. However, Rotherham has only been in office for 4 years. Given time, he too could secure funding for locations beyond Liverpool City Centre.

Other things to Remember:

Above, I have chosen to insert an image of Southport town centre. Southport in the 2019 General Election was the only Liverpolitan constituency to vote Conservative, represented by MP Damien Moore since 2017.

Recently, Southport was awarded £37.5 Million in government funding to help in regenerating the town. This was one of the largest town deals that the government has agreed to. This money would allow the town to invest in existing attractions and all-weather attractions across the seafront, as well as attract new businesses to the area. It is believed that the masterplan will create 1,000 new jobs and it is predicted that Southport will enjoy a 1 Million increase in visitors per year.

This goes to show that there may be possible perks of having a Conservative representative for the region at a time where the Tory’s dominate Westminster. This may be something worth considering when casting your vote tomorrow. A vote for Marsden, may be a vote for an increase in Liverpool’s funding.

David Newman (Liberal Democrats Party)

Until recently, Southport local David Newman was not supposed to be the Lib Dem candidate for the Metro Mayor role. Newman “stepped forward” after the former candidate, Wirral councillor Andy Corkhill, was forced to withdraw because of his serious battle with cancer.

Newman understands that unlike other city region residents, he and his partner are fortunate to have a young family, work, own his own home and live a happy, healthy life. He identifies that others in our region are being left behind and he seeks to offer Liverpolitans a way to “Step Forward”.

Newman is offering voters to join him in creating real leadership in Liverpool and providing a real direction. Newman also seeks to tackle the climate emergency, fix the region’s broken transport system and provide hope for businesses effected by the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Are you ready to Step Forward?

Like all residents of the city region, Newman is aware of how our region has been tarnished by the actions of the city’s ‘political bosses’. It is the next Metro Mayor’s job to repair the damaged reputation caused by a handful of greedy politicians and ‘cowboy’ developers. Newman seeks to ‘clean up’ local politics and ensure that he is held accountable to the citizens of Liverpool.

Newman seeks to ensure that our region is welcoming, ensuring that all investments are ethical. He also seeks to launch a green recovery plan to tackle the current climate crisis. This would help in fixing the city’s reputation that Labour predecessors exploited for their own ends.

Newman also seeks to ensure no one in Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, Knowsley, St. Helens or Halton are left behind. To do so, Newman intends to launch the UK’s first trial of Universal Basic Income (UBI) to put an end to the poverty that has plagued local communities. Newman also seeks to open up Liverpool to European and Global investment so that the city can once again be placed at the ‘Heart of the Globe’.

So what are Newman’s policies? For the purpose of this, I have divided his policies into four categories: Post Covid-19 Recovery, The Climate Emergency, Transport; A Global Region.

Post Covid-19 Recovery

Newman intends to deliver a new economic deal to create jobs, allow businesses to thrive and help out those in our community who have been left behind. He seeks to do this by:

Trialling UBI in Liverpool. Newman wishes to initiate a scheme that would make it so citizens would no longer have to rely on government welfare or the goodwill of landlords. Having UBI would make it so money is no longer an issue, it would allow people to learn new skills and bring an end to regional poverty.

Reinventing the High Street by introducing a number of services that people want and need, this includes child care and an expansion of hospitality.

Creating new jobs and allow for residents to develop new skills and undergo new training.

Supporting Small Businesses and the Self-Employed by fighting for a rent relief fund for small businesses in debt and relief payments for self-employed without property.

The Climate Emergency

Newman believes that Liverpool has an opportunity to become a beacon for national and international governments on how to tackle the climate emergency. He seeks to do this by:

Creating a Green Recovery Plan which would ensure that all infrastructure plans and investments are in line with what is needed to address the climate emergency. Newman also intends to create a clear carbon budget and carbon reduction pathway.

Ensuring that all parks and green spaces across the region are legally protected to prevent future development on the land.

Investing in Clean, Renewable Energy by advancing tidal power and investing into more wind farms.

Ensuring the Port of Liverpool in Net Zero Carbon by finding a suitable, sustainable way of moving freight (not by road) and advocating for the halting of the importation of industrial-scale North American biomass.

Transport

Newman wishes to make regional public transport more accessible by reducing ticket fairs and increasing services to locations currently underserved. His transport ideas also go hand in hand with his desire for tackling the climate emergency. Newman would improve transport by:

Fixing the broken bus network and delivering on Steve Rotherham’s failed promise to introduce Bus Franchising. As well as Introduce more flexible season passes and tickets so journey’s that involve more than one bus are easier to make.

Improving the Merseyrail network by reopening lines that currently lack passenger services, building new station and making existing ones more accessible to disabled passengers. Newman also intends to push for further electrification of the local rail network and reuse the Wapping Tunnel to give Merseyrail access to the City Line.

Investing into more cycle paths and walking opportunities.

A Global Region

Newman seeks to cooperate with European and International partners to allow Liverpool to be a major player on the world stage. Newman intends to:

Work with Greater Manchester and Stormont to create embassies in European and Global cities to assist with the development of trade, industry, university links, etc.

Encourage London- based High Commissions and Embassies to create Honorary Ambassadors to Liverpool.

Work with our international football clubs and use events like the Grand National and Southport Open to showcase the region and seek new opportunities.

I must say, Newman has a lot of policies. The question is, can he realistically deliver them? Trialling UBI, further electrification of the rail network; building tidal and wind energy farms, etc. are all very costly projects. It is possible that Newman will struggle to accomplish his ideas given the financial restraint placed upon the city region.

Furthermore, his global city policies tend to be very Eurocentric, describing Liverpool as a “proud European region”. The Lib Dems should know by now that alienating Brexiteers tends not to work out very well for them. I believe that there should be a focus not simply on Brussels, but also on countries beyond Europe, such as Canada, the U.S.A., Japan, Australia, New Zealand, etc.

However, despite this, I am quite fond of Newman and what he stands for. I was particularly excited those for his transport policies as I for a long time have advocated for the reopening of the likes of the Wapping tunnel. It felt good to know that a metro mayor candidate shared this interest in disused lines. If you wish to read more of his policies, please visit: https://www.davidnewman.org.uk/

Gary Cargill (Green Party)

Actor Gary Cargill, known for his roles in Hollyoaks (2010-11,2013) and Peterloo (2018), is standing to be a Green Mayor (”For Everyone”) in the LCR. Cargill, Liverpool born and Runcorn raised, seeks to ‘turn the city region green’ and ‘inspire real long lasting change’.

His policies centre on the current climate emergency, thus prioritising environmental policies and protecting the most vulnerable suffering in our communities.

As a Green Mayor, Cargill promises the Liverpolitan people that he will:

Create new skilled jobs in Green Energy and Technology.

Build a clean, affordable transport system.

Invest in developing skills and training for young people.

Protect green spaces for future generations.

Establish a ‘People’s Assembly’ to ensure the Metro Mayor is completely accountable.

While all this sounds pretty generic and similar to previous candidates, Cargill goes a step further. Unlike his adversaries, Cargill discusses what he would do for each borough individually. This admittedly impressed me as he seems not to be focused on Liverpool collectively.

#GARY4HALTON - Cargill promises to push for an improved City Region-wide air monitoring system, particularly around sources of pollution.

#GARY4KNOWSLEY - Cargill wants to put Knowsley borough back on the map by making sure that local towns receive a fair share of regional investment and support.

#GARY4LIVERPOOL - Cargill will work towards having more safer and accessible walking and cycling networks. He also wants to develop cheaper and cleaner public transport.

#GARY4SEFTON - Cargill promises to protect Sefton’s green spaces from development and road building. He also wants to invest into more renewable energy along the Sefton coast, a valuable resource for wind a solar.

#GARY4ST.HELENS - Cargill wants to make sure that the Green Belt in St. Helens is protected. He wishes to stop local councils from building warehouses in Haydock, Bold and Newton which risk “destroying our natural environment”.

GARY4WIRRAL - Cargill insists that due to the climate emergency, the Liverpool region’s economic growth is not as important and cannot remain constant. However, Cargill wants to take advantage of regeneration opportunities, like Wirral Waters, to invest in a circular economy that provides Green Jobs in renewable energy and housing.

It is clear that Cargill, as expected from a Green candidate, is passionate about the Liverpool region’s environment. Of all of his ideas, my favourite is his idea for making use of the Sefton coastline’s valuable resources for solar and wind energy.

However, I personally I see more flaws in Cargill’s policies than I see sensible ideas. Cargill has made clear that the climate emergency is the number one priority for Liverpool, even our regional economy is expendable for the sake of the environment. Environmental issues are undoubtedly important, but how does Cargill hope to fund his policies if he is willing to sacrifice Liverpool’s economic recovery?

This was also reinforced during his debate with Steve Rotherham where he openly condemned Liverpool’s free port status as a “Thatcherite race to the bottom”. Despite the opportunities for job creation and investment the free port could bring to Liverpool, he wishes to scrap it. As Rotherham commented, without this status, industries and opportunities will be exported to the North East. Liverpool cannot afford to pass up on investments like the Free Port.

From what I can gather, based on the policies I have seen and his appearance on the Granada Reports debate, the Greens are too one policy focused. This could be extremely detrimental for our region. Yet I could be biased, is a ‘Green Mayor’ the way forward?

Steve Rotherham (Labour Party)

The final candidate running for the Metro Mayor position is none other than Steve Rotherham who, tomorrow, is up for re-election.

Having held the metro mayor title since 2017, Rotherham promises to ensure that if he was to be elected once again, there will be ‘No One Left Behind’. Rotherham promises that he will ‘stand up for everyone’ across the Liverpool region, but how has his track record been so far?

During his time as metro mayor:

Liverpool (pre-Covid) became the fastest growing economy in the UK. Rotherham also points out his management to attain another £232 Million to fund transport, skills and tackling homelessness.

Public Transport saw Improvement. Northern’s stripped franchise aside, during Rotherham’s time as mayor, Merseyrail opened its first station in 20 years and claimed to have taken steps to take control of the region’s buses and rail infrastructure.

Young People were Helped. £48 Million was invested into upgrading school/college facilities.

He ‘Fought Injustice’ through spending £8 million to develop a Housing First pilot to tackle homelessness. He also supported 1,300 families into work.

He lowered the toll for the Mersey tunnels to the lowest it has ever been.

Was this enough for a first term? I argue no.

In terms of transport, the new Merseyrail Class-777 trains are yet to appear on our lines. Whether or not their launch has been delayed due to Covid-19 or not, the metro mayor should have already launched the service to prove his commitment to a “London Style Transport System”. Furthermore, only opening one Merseyrail station in your first term is not an achievement. Maghull North was opened to the public in 2018, yet it took Rotherham until 2020 (his last year in office) to begin working on Headbolt Lane? I also have heard little about the supposed reopening of St. James Street. I don’t think this is good enough.

Also, as Newman pointed out, Rotherham has completely failed to deliver improved and nationalised bus services. In fact we are now “9 months behind Manchester” according to Rotherham himself. To put it simply, he failed to deliver on his promise that will Liverpool will be the first city outside of London to have a nationalised transport infrastructure. In fact, he has allowed Liverpool’s closest rival, Manchester, to get ahead in the fight for better public transport.

Speaking of Manchester, in 2020 the Republic of Ireland declared it would be opening a consulate in the North in order to “Strengthen our Bonds”. The contenders for this consulate were Liverpool and Manchester. You would think that Liverpool, given its history and much closer association with the Irish people would be chosen for the consulate. Yet, this is not what happened. Rotherham allowed, with seemingly little fight, for the consulate to go to our neighbour. One could argue that Andy Burnham has become the Mayor of Manchester and Liverpool.

How has he allowed for Liverpool to be outcompeted by our closest rival?

Now onto his response to Covid-19...

Rotherham claimed that during 2020, he took on Boris Johnson and Westminster to win more money to funding for testing, vaccinations and furlough. Though, I would have to argue that it was Andy Burnham who stood up for the people of the North. Rotherham was in fact nowhere to be seen. His track record is definitely something to be made aware of when voting for Metro Mayor.

No One Left Behind

However, while he may not be the ideal candidate based on his track record, it is still worth considering his policies before casting a final decision.

Rotherham, if re-elected, has promised to deliver:

A £150 million Covid Recovery Fund, double the number of Green Jobs and would work towards a more locally controlled London-style transport network.

A Guarantee to Young People that a job, apprenticeship or training opportunities will be made available for all school leavers within 6 months of becoming unemployed.

Greater control of the transport system with the new trains coming into service and tap-in tap-out ticketing being introduced. Rotherham also promises a cycle revolution.

A Green New Deal that will ensure that Liverpool leads the Green Industrial Revolution. He will double the number of green jobs, harness the power of the Mersey (invest into renewable energy) and ensure our region is on track to be net zero by 2040.

A Digitally Connected Region, achieved through the deliverance of ultrafast broadband infrastructure across the entire region. This would make Liverpool the most connected region in the country.

Now Rotherham does have some good policies. The question is can he deliver them?

However, it should be noted that Rotherham may not have to worry about re-election. As a twitter user put it, ‘Hitler could be a labour mayor and win’. The Liverpool region, despite years of neglect and being overlooked, is a Labour stronghold. This gives Rotherham a boost in his effort to be re-elected.

Closing Thoughts

I hope this article has allowed you to understand all the candidates in greater depth. The Metro Mayor is an important figure for our region and we must ensure that the right person gets the job. So, make sure you find the time to go out and vote tomorrow!

Best of luck to all the candidates!

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baoanhwin · 4 years

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Finding the right frontrunner. Mixed messages from the Lib Dems

It’s easy to forget, but there’s a leadership election going on. The Liberal Democrats misplaced their last leader during another disappointing election night and now needs a new one. There are two candidates, over 100,000 eligible voters (yes, really), eight weeks to go, and virtually no media coverage. Perfect time for a look at the betting options.

Where we came from

Leadership elections are often a reaction to the perceived failures of the previous leader. Corbyn promised radicalism when Miliband was hesitant. Johnson promised uncompromising optimism against May’s Brexit triangulation. So let’s spend a moment remembering Jo Swinson’s leadership.

Swinson was the Deputy Leader to Vince Cable, a rare example of a leader not seen by the party to have failed and thus not subject to a backlash. Swinson was notable for being very young for a leader (39 at the time), the party’s first female leader (which given the woke-ness of the party was seen as an asset by the members), and was meant to bring energy and a break from the bad association with coalition (Swinson had been a junior minister, and was much less associated than most Lib Dem MPs).

Often forgotten is the fact that Jo Swinson got off to a decent start, winning the Brecon and Radnorshire by-election and picking up a string of defections to the party from former Change UK MPs. She appeared to be bringing the momentum the party had lacked since 2010, and making the Lib Dems a serious force again. However, this was overshadowed by a disastrous general election campaign in which the party was heavily squeezed, her personal ratings faltered, and the party lost seats. There is little nostalgia for her in the party right now.

So what replaces that? It depends what you consider the fundamental error to be.

The Candidates

In keeping with party tradition of failing to end FPTP, this will be the fifth successive leadership election with at most two candidates (thus making the AV system moot). While nominations are still open, all MPs have declared their hand and two are putting their name forward.

Ed Davey is the establishment candidate. The beaten challenger last year to Jo Swinson, Sir Ed Davey has been an MP since 1997 (barring a gap from 2015-17) and was a prominent minister in the coalition. He is currently the acting leader, and is running on a policy-strong platform of having the experience and gravitas for the role.

Layla Moran is the change candidate. An MP since 2017 and consequently with no ministerial experience, her platform is one of turning the page on coalition for good and broadly moving the party to the left. Reading her campaign statement on the party website you’d have to say she is less policy-focused than Davey.

So if the change candidate usually wins, as the conventional wisdom holds, then Moran should be the frontrunner? Perhaps, and that is what the betting suggested until a few days ago. But establishment backing has its benefits.

The change candidate wins – but which change?

Clearly Jo Swinson failed, and a new approach is needed. The big question now is who to target, One Nation Tories or more left-wing voters? Or both, if that’s possible?

Moran would say tack left, and that’s probably where the membership’s comfort zone is. But the party saw huge swings in southern, liberal Tory seats in 2019, and the membership also misses the party being seen as serious and important again. The question in 2020 seems to be whether Moran’s political positioning beats Davey’s projection of competence, and Moran has scored some self-inflicted wounds on this point with recent statements showing some confusion of messaging. Davey also has name recognition, which can carry more weight than we’d like to admit.

Moran offers an obvious change from a failed strategy, but Davey has won support of more MPs and membership nominations to date – including the support of Daisy Cooper MP, a rising star in the party and perceived ally of Moran. Why? My reading is that Moran has simply failed to present herself as sufficiently credible to make the election about politics and it has shifted to personality, ground where Davey has the advantage.

The only poll on this election had Ed Davey ahead 52% to 24% against Layla Moran, but that was in January. The conventional wisdom was that Moran had become the frontrunner and Davey was boxed in as the coalition candidate. I think this is a misreading – the membership is still queasy about coalition but Davey’s role as acting leader hasn’t been dogged by it (perhaps because he simply hasn’t been very visible, but even so). I think they’ll choose the leader they know, and not the one who is raising as many doubts as hopes. Even at 1.8 or so (best odds) at the time of writing Davey is probably value, though the lack of polling makes the uncertainty high.

Pip Moss

Pip Moss has been a member of the Lib Dems since 2010 and his overall position is green on Ed Davey at slightly over evens. He posts on Political Betting as Quincel. You can follow him on Twitter at @PipsFunFacts

from politicalbetting.com https://www7.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2020/07/05/finding-the-right-frontrunner-mixed-messages-from-the-lib-dems/ https://dangky.ric.win/

#nhacai #one88 #danhbaidoithuong #ricwin #choibaidoithuong #gamedanhbaidoithuong #choigamedoit

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qqueenofhades · 7 years

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British Politics: A Brief CV

The Tories: Backroom-dealt and forced their way into a Brexit vote last June with David Cameron thinking he could win it -- Cameron does not, resigns, Theresa May (former home secretary) becomes PM without a vote

May promises not to call a new general election before the 2020 scheduled election, seven times

May calls election anyway to increase her narrow Commons majority (something like 15-17 seats) for a better position in Brexit negotiations

Tory campaign is a spectacular bumblefuck because it turns out when people actually get to see what the party wants to do, they don’t like it very much

Wind Theresa May up and she will say “strong and stable” 500 times in a row

Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn surprises everyone by rising from the political dead and running a fairly good campaign for Labour (opposing left-wing party)

Three terror attacks in the UK in three months amid serious questions for the security services and Tory-backed cuts to police funding

Last night: Tories end up losing 12 seats (including, by the looks of things, Kensington, which is as hardcore Tory as you can go because shockingly, uberrich people don’t want to be anything less than uberrich)

This puts them below the 326 seats needed for a Commons majority (there are 650 seats in Westminster and you need to hold half plus one to ensure that even if all your opponents band together against you, and assuming all your MPs vote the line, you have the majority)

The Lib Dems just... want to win 14 seats and not have a coalition with anyone and just sit there by themselves, apparently, because Principles?

SNP (Scottish National Party) whose big thing is, you guessed it, Scottish independence, takes a bruising, loses close to 20 seats to Tories and Labour alike, including major/senior party figures -- Scottish independence round 2 appears to be dead in the water

The Green Party gets 500 votes per constituency and they’re very proud of this for some reason

“Mr A The Durham Cobbler,” “Lord Buckethead,” and “Mr Fishfingers” were actual candidates who got actual votes

Aaaand none for you Ukip, possibly because the Tories have turned into you and that’s terrifying (Ukip = Nigel Farage and the Trumpistas)

Theresa May is now seeking on to stay on as PM and form a minority Tory/DUP (Democratic Unionist Party, 10 MPs from Northern Ireland, who would put her over the 326-seat threshold) coalition government

Has no actual plans or specifics as to how this would work

Seems to be completely in denial as to not only NOT getting a mandate or the early-predicted Thatcherite landslide, but LOSING seats and going BACKWARDS on BrexitBrexitBrexitBrexit

Actually thinks she is still offering “safety, security, and continuity” for the next five years

Is ignoring calls even among Tory leadership to resign

There is thus a less than zero chance we could end up with Boris “Walking Political Cartoon Punchline” Johnson as Tory leader/prime minister at some point

Right so. Got all that?

The Tories have, in less than two years:

Forced the Brexit vote

Had no clue what to do after that

Tried to call an election to get a better position/more seats

Lost seats, including previously very safe Tory ones

Are forming a...... coalition, presumably, of some sort, with DUP (who believe in some VERY shady things and have their own links to N. Irish terror and are like Ukip/the right wing crazy fringe -- anti-gay marriage, anti-abortion, etc)

They have no idea how this is happening

Have not acknowledged this at all and are trying to carry on as if literally nothing happened (at least May has, the Tory establishment actually noted they got pretty bruised last night)

May is still somehow trying to position the Tories as the “safe, secure, continuity” option despite these HUGE political upheavals, all manufactured by the Tories, in under two years, and aforesaid three terror attacks in three months

And all of this is happening with Brexit negotiations due to start in less than 10 days

The US has the Orange Nazi Cheeto, and he’s bad enough, but boy oh boy is there never a dull day around here either

On the bright side, between the first signs of electoral backlash that basically delegitimised Hard Brexit, and Comey’s pretty damning testimony about the Cheeto yesterday, I feel as if June 8, 2017 was a small bit of hope in the otherwise terribly depressing present political landscape.

So yes.

#hilary for ts #politics for ts #uk elections #uk politics: a primer #get it?#no?#don't worry #nobody else does either #we have literally no clue what is going on #except that i think theresa may lives on her own planet #called strong and stable #oy vey

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mavwrekmarketing · 7 years

Link

Image copyright Green Party

The Green Party of England and Wales has two co-leaders under what they say is a pioneering job-share arrangement.

Caroline Lucas

Caroline Lucas is the Greens’ first, and so far only, MP and after seven years in the Commons she is the face of the party for many voters.

She was its first leader, elected in 2008 when the party abandoned its long-standing practice of having a male and a female principal speaker.

She stepped aside in 2012 – some said to concentrate on shoring up support in her constituency, although she insisted it was to “give other people the opportunity to get well-known, to have some profile in the party, hopefully to use that to get themselves elected as well”.

She was replaced by Natalie Bennett but the new leader failed to be elected to the Commons in 2015, despite boosting her profile by participating in the leaders’ debates at the last election.

Ms Lucas was re-elected to the Brighton Pavilion seat she took from Labour in 2010, with an increased majority of nearly 8,000.

The 56-year-old, who was an academic before entering politics and has also served as a Green MEP, has established herself as a respected voice at Westminster. The Spectator magazine named her “newcomer of the year” in 2010.

She opposed the so-called “bedroom tax”, the benefits cap, the renewal of Trident and the Sun’s Page Three, while she hit the headlines in 2013 for different reasons when she was arrested during an anti-fracking demonstration.

One of three children of middle class Conservative-voting parents, she attended an all-girls boarding school before earning a degree in English Literature at Exeter University.

She threw herself into anti-nuclear weapons campaigns at university, frequently visiting the Greenham Common women’s peace camp, and she remains a leading figure in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and a former vice-president of the Stop the War Coalition.

Media playback is unsupported on your device

Media captionCaroline Lucas’s arrest during an anti-fracking demonstration

Ms Lucas is a leading advocate of the so-called Progressive Alliance – a series of electoral pacts between left-leaning parties aimed at preventing the Conservatives from winning seats.

In her own seat, she will benefit from a deal with the Lib Dems, who will stand aside to give her a better chance of being re-elected.

The Greens will not field a candidate in neighbouring Brighton Kemptown to support the Labour candidate, and some other agreements have been struck around the country.

But she has expressed frustration at the refusal of Labour and Lib Dem leaders to endorse the idea nationally, saying it is the only way to combat what she says is the UK’s “broken” electoral system and fight back against the “hard” Brexit she says Theresa May is plotting.

Like the Lib Dems, the Greens support a second referendum on the terms of any Brexit deal.

Ms Lucas is married with two children. Under her job-sharing arrangement with Mr Bartley, she leads the party’s parliamentary and campaigning efforts in areas such as fracking and the EU, while Mr Bartley focuses more on organisation and policy.

Jonathan Bartley

Jonathan Bartley is a relative newcomer to Green Party politics, compared with Ms Lucas.

Active in the Green Party in south London for about five years, the 45-year-old stood for the party in the London Assembly elections but failed to win a seat. A year before that, he stood as a general election candidate in Streatham, coming fourth.

As a student at the London School of Economics in the early 1990s, Mr Bartley is believed to have had Conservative leanings.

He is reported to have volunteered for John Major in 1995 when the then prime minister faced a challenge to his leadership from John Redwood.

He founded the think tank Ekklesia in 2002 – only standing down as a director earlier this year – and became a commentator on issues of faith, religion and public policy.

First rising to national attention as vice-chairman of the Yes to Fairer Votes Campaign during the 2011 referendum, he helped ensure the Greens were a prominent voice.

He was a spokesman for the organisation in its ill-fated effort to persuade the public to ditch the current first-past-the-post electoral system in favour of the alternative vote.

But he is perhaps best-known for his public confrontation with David Cameron during the 2010 general election campaign, during which he raised his concerns about the treatment of disabled children in the education system.

Mr Bartley told the then prime minister about the two-year struggle he had faced to get his son Samuel into a local school and remonstrated with Mr Cameron about plans to end the bias towards inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream schools.

Mr Bartley, who is married with three children, is a direct descendant of the prison reformer Elizabeth Fry and is a drummer for the Mustangs soul group.

In March, he admitted in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live that he killed a student in a car crash when he was 17 years old.

The accident happened while he was on his way home from a concert in London. The police did not press charges after an investigation.

Mr Bartley, who apologised to the victim’s family after attending an inquest, which recorded a verdict of accidental death, said he “felt so responsible, so guilty” about what had happened and that it had turned his life upside down.

But he added that it was also one of the reasons he wanted to “bring about policy changes” to improve road safety and reduce the 40,000 deaths he said occurred every year from air pollution caused by traffic.