Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Why the Tories may have persuaded me to tactically (against them)

Unlike 90% of the Welsh population, I don't hate the Tories - I just dislike them and wouldn't trust them. It's from their candidate in Cardiff West, Angela Jones-Evans, that I've received the most election material (around 6 or 7 different items), and what's pissed me off is the bull shit that's on it.

On a leaflet titled 'Our NHS' (which gives details of what David Cameron will do to the health service, despite it being a devolved matter), Angela claims she lives in Riverside, which I found strange as I know that she lives in Pontcanna. I raised this in the comments section of a post on the Cardiff Guardian blog, and the owner of the blog decided to contact the Angela to clarify where she actually lived. Her response was that Pontcanna is technically in the Riverside ward.
I could understand it if a Labour, Plaid Cymru or Lib Dem candidate had middle class guilt about living in a big house in a posh area, but I thought (and agree) with the Tory principle that if you work hard and therefore deserve getting paid lots, then you should not feel ashamed of living in a nice house in a nice area.

Another leaflet fro Angela arrived yesterday claiming that Plaid Cymru and Lib Dem voters will be voting for the Conservatives just to keep Gordon Brown form getting back in (although he's not standing in Cardiff West b.t.w.). There's even a quote on the back from 'Oliver from Llandaff' who says "I used to vote Lib Dem but want to see change in Cardiff West and Angela has won me over". By sheer coincidence, I have a Tory friend named Oliver who lives in Llandaff and as well as working for the Tories has been a Tory activist since he was in his nappy.

I'm sure this all pretty lame stuff compared to what is put in a lot of election leaflets, and for all I know all the other parties are doing the same, but this just riles me as I know it's all bull shit. Tories go on about change, but they're just carrying on the same tradition (of all parties) of trying to mislead people and treating the voting public like idiots. We want less of this, not more.

Nothing to do with Angela this time, but Quentin Langley, a Tory academic in Cardiff University is urging his party's candidate on Ynys Môn to target the second-home vote.

It is certainly a seat which the Conservatives can win from, technically, fourth place. It contains more English voters than almost any other in Wales as well as a great many native Welsh speakers.

One campaign idea which might have merit would be trying to persuade second home owners to vote in Ynys Mon rather than in their other constituency, though that might alienate other voters and might be difficult to organise in the timescale available. [taken from Plaid Wrecsam]
That is unforgivable. Again technically perfectly legitimate, but morally it is totally wrong and completely undemocratic.

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