Alison Butler (Lab) 1683 Roger Taylor (Con) 617 Shasha Khan (Green) 240 Christina Tyree (Lib Dem) 126 James Feisenberger (UKIP) 40 John Cartwright (OMRLP) 15 (0.54%) Mark Samuel (People's Choice) 9electorate 10475 : turnout 2730 (26%)
Liberal Democrats 22nd January 2007: The Liberal Democrat candidate Christina Tyree was in the public gallery this evening at today's meeting of Croydon Council. She asked me if I was Shasha Khan (the Green Party candidate). It is nice to know that the Lib Dems are so in touch with local politics that they can't even recognise famous politicians. Mr Khan and I have both contested Bensham Manor before, but who is Ms Tyree? Not the next councillor after 8th February, methinks.
Lab and Con 25th January 2007: The Labour and Conservative candidates both claim that they will represent the best interests of the people of Bensham Manor, but how can they? Either of them would be subject to the whips and top-down controls of the party hierarchies, and would tend to look over their shoulder at the national image of their party leader before commiting themselves to any outspoken position. And why has the Labour candidate addressed her leaflet to the voters with the words "Dear Neighbour"? Is Brighton Road (Waddon) next door to Brigstock Road? I think not.
Result 8th February 2007: The 15 votes I received this time is by far the lowest I've ever got in a local council by-election where I have done mass leafleting, and is the third time I have got 15 votes. My disappointment in getting so few votes is outweighed by getting more votes than People's Choice.
Leaflet 1 (4000 copies)
Leaflet 2 (1600 copies)
The council elections last May gave the voters a meaningless choice between two self-perpetuating degenerated hierarchical parties, instead of giving real power to ordinary people.
The Conservative and Labour parties take it in turns to “govern” (i.e. oppress) the people, and to throw insults at each other across the council chamber, but in reality they both perpetuate the oppressive and reactionary rule of the imperialist bourgeoisie which has ruled for centuries.
They impose local taxes which people cannot afford, and they allow essential public services to decay or be sold for profit. Instead of representing the real concerns of local people, or investing in progressive social programmes in Croydon, the so-called “main” parties are just the local delegations of nationwide political machines which divide between themselves, and distribute to their rich establishment friends, the spoils of the worldwide imperialist network of exploitation and oppression.
A vote for the Labour Party or Conservative Party will also serve to prolong and perpetuate the existing system which has led to the invasion of Iraq, and the imperialist occupation by the western powers in Afghanistan, and is currently threatening an alarming escalation of military threats by the USA against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
A vote for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party – at any level – will tell the other parties:
“Smash the Hierarchical Lib-Lab-Con-Trick Parties!” and “Hands Off North Korea!”
A Vote for the OMRLP will send an invigorating wind of revolutionary fervour which will clang resoundingly in the council chamber, help to build a progressive Loony society, and shatter the arrogance and complacency of both of the old parties.
I will not support any increase in the amount of Council Tax increase if I am elected as a councillor to represent this ward for the next three years. I will vote against any increases which are proposed by the other parties, because the Council Tax has already gone up by far too much in recent years.
“A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing
embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained
and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows
another.”
Mao Tse-Tung, 1927
John Prescott has changed the amount of funding which is provided to local authorities by central
government, so that northern areas get more than they did before, and London boroughs get less money
in spite of the poverty and social deprivation in many inner-city areas. I will demand a re-distribution
so that London can get its fair share again. This will enable the council to maintain services without
having to increase the council tax.
John Prescott has also tied councillors’ hands behind their back
by stopping them from making decisions about local planning matters: too many decisions are taken at a
higher level, and local councillors are often not even allowed to vote on issues that they were elected
on.
A vote for the Loony Party will send a clear message to John Prescott that he is an agent of the
imperialist bourgeoisie, as well as a fat ugly idiot.
“We must establish the habit of working and living in a prepared and militant way in every sphere,
full of revolutionary vigour and ardour, and opposed to senility, stagnation, idleness and laxity.
Party officials and members must also have revolutionary optimism and a strong desire for work, and
give full play to their creativity and zeal, so as to push ahead with all work energetically. At the
same time, they ought to acquire high cultural attainments and live optimistic, cultural lives.”
Kim Il-Sung, 1986
The Official Monster Raving Loony Party wants to build a diverse, pluralist, and tolerant democratic society in which there is mutual respect for awide variety of different cultures, viewpoints and lifestyles. Anybody who dares to suggest otherwise should be ruthlessly exterminated.