Keyboard worrier

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Modern party politics trumps democratic representation and personal principle

Craig Murray, on his unsuccessful attempt to become an SNP Parliamentary candidate for Westminster:

"I was asked at assessment whether, as part of a Westminster deal with another party, I would agree to vote for the bedroom tax if instructed by the Party. I replied “No.” End of SNP political career. Problem is, I really believed we were building a different kind of politics in Scotland. I also knew that a simple lie would get me in, but I couldn’t bring myself to utter it...

"I’m afraid to say that the Panel did not feel able to recommend you for approval as a potential parliamentary candidate at this time. While you showed excellent qualities, you could not give a full commitment on group discipline issues...

"...the only question to which I gave an answer that could possibly be interpreted that way, was the one... on the bedroom tax. There was, incidentally, no corresponding question designed to test the loyalty of right wing people."

Party politics is ripe for culling. No wonder we have direct-democracy campaigns such as the Harrogate Agenda.


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1 comment:

A K Haart said...

"Problem is, I really believed we were building a different kind of politics in Scotland."

Really? You are right though, party politics is ripe for culling. Voters could set the ball rolling in 2015 by voting for the candidate rather than the party, but how likely is that?