Saturday 4 July 2009

More splits in the anti-conservative vote in Norwich North

I turned to Craig Murray's blog to see what his reaction, as a former insider, was to the announcement that United Kingdom foreign aid was to be "rebranded". Instead, I find that he is yet another candidate in the by-election on July 23rd caused by the resignation of Dr Ian Gibson. As a very credible contender, no doubt fighting on a platform of human rights and for honesty in government, he is bound to take votes away from the Liberal Democrat candidate, April Pond. No doubt the Greens, with whom Joanna Lumley has associated herself, and who are strong in Norwich, will also suffer. Many people who saw the Gurkha campaign as a test of both Labour and Conservative policy and were inspired by Lumley, would be attracted by the Greens.

Murray has a perfect right to stand. In an ideal world, there would be a proportional vote in Norwich North, so that the final decision would reflect the true feelings of the electors about the state of Westminster politics - and the state of the economy, for which both Thatcher-Major and Blair-Brown share responsibility. As it is, Tweedledum and Tweedledee have been given a boost.

He is not going to win this month, but I do hope that he will find a constituency at the general election where he will be embraced - or at least given a free run - by the local Liberal Democrat party. He shares so much of our philosophy and he has so much to offer the House of Commons.

1 comment:

Nich Starling said...

If he shared our philosphy he would ahve joined the Lib Dems before now.

He has no name recognition here on the door in Norwich North, I've seen his leaflet (very poor) and the Green campaign is crumbling due to their inability to get leaflets out and the Lib Dems have already delivered 4 leaflets.