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By TheophileEscargot (Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 03:49:53 PM EST) Politics, OGP (all tags)
Things could be getting interesting in UK politics. Could be useful to have a voice in Party elections. Plus political disengagement is a bad thing for democracy.

So, I just joined the Labour Party, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrat Party. Comparative reviews will follow as the materiel comes in.

Poll: Which minor party should I join?


Thoughts so far. All the online signups are fairly straightforward. The Labour Party asks you to confirm you are not a member of any other party, so I joined that one first.

  1. Labour Party signup: pretty straightforward, though there's an odd date format for the credit card field. Asks if you're a member of an ethnic minority, are disabled, or are in a trade union. Sleazy aspect: the default link is to a direct debit, which I assume would automatically renew each year. Costs £36 full or £12 for the "unwaged": I was honest and went for the full rate.
  2. Conservative Party signup was the only one not to work in the Opera browser. "Error Occurred While Processing Request: Element CARDTYPE is undefined in FORM. " I joined with IE eventually: hopefully did not join twice. Otherwise straightforward. Membership is a modest £15 full rate, £3 if you are under 22 (I'm not).
  3. Liberal Democrat Party signup is straightforward. "Recommended" membership rate is a hefty £42, but the minimum is £6: went for the latter since they didn't name any restrictions. Students can join for a mere £3.
I originally thought of joining a bunch of minor parties as well, but I think that's over my whim budget. Might join one though. Options:
  • Respect coalition: far left, slightly dodgy party. £26
  • Scottish National Party: left of centre with a strong focus on achieving Scottish independence which is fine by me: I've no objections to ditching the skirt-wearing freeloaders. £12.
  • Green Party: used to like them but they've gotten too anti-science for me: by opposing GM and nuclear power I think they're probably doing more to harm the environment than help it. £31 for me, £10.50 for the unwaged.
  • Socialist Alliance: more lefties, not actually sure if they're still around after a Byzantine split with Respect.
  • UK Independence Party. Claim to be Libertarian, but I suspect closet racism. Very much dislike their immigration policy. £20.
  • Official Monster Raving Loony Party. Joke but real party. Not too convinced by their institutionally-wacky humour, but they do send you a free T-shirt. £20
I will accept WIPOs. May not accept the poll as binding as I'll probably be in a saner state of mind by the time the votes are in.
< Work complainarizing | BBC White season: 'Rivers of Blood' >

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Poll
Minor party to join
- Respect coalition 8%
- Scottish National Party 29%
- Green Party 16%
- Socialist Alliance 4%
- UK Independence Party 0%
- Write In Poll Option 4%
- - 4%
- This is a good idea 54%
- This is a bad idea 4%
- - 0%
- Official Monster Raving Loony Party 45%

Votes: 24
Results | Other Polls
Related Links
- Labour
- signup
- Conservative
- signup [2]
- Liberal Democrat
- signup [3]
- Respect coalition
- Scottish National Party
- Green Party
- Socialist Alliance
- UK Independence Party
- Official Monster Raving Loony Party
- TheophileEscargot's Diary
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Operation Get Political | 29 comments (29 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback
I applaud you Sir by komet (4.00 / 1) #1 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 04:21:56 PM EST
This could indeed be a rather interesting experiment.

Don't think you should bother with any of the minor parties. They are politically not very important, plus you wouldn't want "former member of UKIP" to show up on any future background checks. If I had to choose among the minor parties I'd go for the Monster Raving Loony Party.

--
<ni> komet: You are functionally illiterate as regards trashy erotica.


Good idea by TheophileEscargot (2.00 / 0) #2 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 04:27:47 PM EST
Added.
--
"Life is too short to be interested in everything, but it is good to be interested in as many things as are necessary to fill our days."-Bertrand Russell
[ Parent ]

Is there any by ad hoc (4.00 / 1) #3 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 04:29:01 PM EST
"Islamic Fundametalist" party? Or maybe a "Brown Skinned Radical" party?
--
Close friendships and a private room can offer most of the things love does.


Well by TheophileEscargot (2.00 / 0) #5 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 04:36:27 PM EST
There are these guys but I think they're more of a pressure group: they don't seem to have a signup page, and Wikipedia says they're not registered.

Or there's the about-to-be-banned Hizb ut-Tahrir, but I'm really not giving HuSi the option to vote to get me arrested...
--
"Life is too short to be interested in everything, but it is good to be interested in as many things as are necessary to fill our days."-Bertrand Russell
[ Parent ]

You left out the Loonies! by lm (4.00 / 1) #4 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 04:29:34 PM EST
OMRLP!
There is no more degenerate kind of state than that in which the richest are supposed to be the best.
Cicero, The Republic


Added now [nt] by TheophileEscargot (2.00 / 0) #6 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 04:37:06 PM EST

--
"Life is too short to be interested in everything, but it is good to be interested in as many things as are necessary to fill our days."-Bertrand Russell
[ Parent ]

Loonies! by Murkey (4.00 / 1) #7 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 04:45:35 PM EST
There's a reason these are minor parties... I used to like the Greens too, but I'm with you on the anti-science part.

BNP? For the male, middle class and white... ;)



BNP by TheophileEscargot (2.00 / 0) #9 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 04:51:21 PM EST
£25. But there are limits to how far I'll go with this...
--
"Life is too short to be interested in everything, but it is good to be interested in as many things as are necessary to fill our days."-Bertrand Russell
[ Parent ]

But you did consider UKIP by squigs (4.00 / 1) #22 Thu Sep 07, 2006 at 04:56:20 AM EST
UKIP and BNP seem to be a lot closer in attitude than they like to admit.  UKIP is perceived as less racist but ultimately it still attracts the "I'm not racist but..." Daily Mail type.


[ Parent ]

Also by TheophileEscargot (2.00 / 0) #26 Thu Sep 07, 2006 at 03:16:21 PM EST
Respect have been accused of anti-semitism in their campaigning.

I don't think UKIP are as bad as the BNP though. From Wikipedia and the BNP constitution:

(b) The British National Party stands for the preservation of the national and ethnic character of the British people and is wholly opposed to any form of racial integration between British and non-European peoples. It is therefore committed to stemming and reversing the tide of non-white immigration and to restoring, by legal changes, negotiation and consent, the overwhelmingly white makeup of the British population that existed in Britain prior to 1948.
I'm also not eligible for membership anyway since I'm not an Indigenous Caucasian:
SECTION 2: MEMBERSHIP
1) The British National Party represents the collective National, Environmental, Political, Racial, Folkish, Social, Cultural, Religious and Economic interests of the indigenous Anglo-Saxon, Celtic and Norse folk communities of Britain and those we regard as closely related and ethnically assimilated or assimilable aboriginal members of the European race also resident in Britain. Membership of the BNP is strictly defined within the terms of, and our members also self define themselves within, the legal ambit of a defined ‘racial group’ this being ‘Indigenous Caucasian’ and defined ‘ethnic groups’ emanating from that Race as specified in law in the House of Lords case of Mandla V Dowell Lee (1983) 1 ALL ER 1062, HL.

--
"Life is too short to be interested in everything, but it is good to be interested in as many things as are necessary to fill our days."-Bertrand Russell
[ Parent ]

Hmm. Looks like I was wrong by squigs (2.00 / 0) #28 Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 06:00:01 AM EST
Maybe it was just Kilroy.  I was under the impression that the BNP was trying to disassociate itself from its more obviously racist attitudes.  Evidently not.

I guess you could rely on equal rights legislation to force them to accept you as a member. 

As an aside, I did hear of one organisation that applied for membership to lots of far right groups on behalf of black people.  Only one of them were perfectly happy to accept him if he agreed to go back to Africa.  May be a UL of course.

[ Parent ]

Can you join CAMRA? by georgeha (4.00 / 5) #8 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 04:50:01 PM EST
The insidious creeping of ice cold pisswater lager into the dirnking society is doing more to sap John Bull's courage and integrity than a bunch of Euro-weenies or brown skinned radicals.




CAMRA by TheophileEscargot (2.00 / 0) #11 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 04:53:10 PM EST
£18 but not actually a political party. I do drink real ale when I can get it though.
--
"Life is too short to be interested in everything, but it is good to be interested in as many things as are necessary to fill our days."-Bertrand Russell
[ Parent ]

Well worthwhile by Vulch (4.00 / 1) #13 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 05:09:44 PM EST

Even if you only consider the time spent not queueing outside the Cambridge Beer Festival each year and not having to pay the 2 quid a session entry.

[ Parent ]

This just shows that they are failing. by herbert (4.00 / 4) #12 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 05:00:35 PM EST
Somebody needs to start a militant wing - The Real Campaign for Real Ale.  The members could go round putting anthrax and ricin into unreal ales.


[ Parent ]

Don't forget the ice cold corn and rice based by georgeha (4.00 / 1) #18 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 06:48:36 PM EST
lager, they're barely real beer at all.


[ Parent ]

Non-WIPO, dammit. by herbert (4.00 / 1) #10 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 04:52:23 PM EST

Unfortunately the Natural Law Party don't seem to be a proper party any more.



Non-compete clauses by Vulch (4.00 / 1) #14 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 05:13:05 PM EST

Have Labour dropped the "Thou shalt not be a member of any other party" rule they used to have?



See the first paragraph beneath the fold by TheophileEscargot (2.00 / 0) #16 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 05:29:45 PM EST
Not sure what I'll do if the winning third party has such a rule.
--
"Life is too short to be interested in everything, but it is good to be interested in as many things as are necessary to fill our days."-Bertrand Russell
[ Parent ]

Ah right by Vulch (4.00 / 1) #21 Thu Sep 07, 2006 at 04:53:25 AM EST

It was getting late.

Damn.

[ Parent ]

WIPO: by ShadowNode (4.00 / 1) #15 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 05:24:42 PM EST
The BNP, for amusement factor.

The Green Party is getting rather looney in Canada, too. The BC wing opposes public transit, and the federal wing just elected someone who called Brian Mulroney (the most reviled Canadian Prime Minister) the greatest leader in Canadian history.



I'd go Loony by MartiniPhilosopher (4.00 / 1) #17 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 06:04:01 PM EST
If, for no other reason, than that they admit to wanting to run as the "None of the above" party in most of their chosen elections.

Personally my jaded view isn't surprised that such a thing isn't officially on the ballot or where it is on the ballot recognized in a legal manner. After all, preserving the ability of the citizen to make a simple decision in their busy, busy lives on election night should be a high priority. Forcing them into an electoral corner I mean, giving them an either/or decision should be more than enough to represent the majority's views on how any government should be run. None of this complicated mess about not having an actual elected government until a given percentage of the whole has voiced might actually show people that they could survive without an overbearing, tax-guzzling, privacy invading, big-brother of a government breathing down their backs all of the time.

Whenever I hear one of those aforementioned douche bags pontificate about how dangerous [...] videogames are I get a little stabby. --Wil Wheaton.


The legit protest vote is a good thing by squigs (4.00 / 1) #20 Thu Sep 07, 2006 at 04:48:29 AM EST
I've always liked the idea of getting candidates with surnames starting with Z to form the "None of the above" party.  The manifesto is to stand down to cause a by-election with new candidates.

[ Parent ]

Monster Raving Loony by clover kicker (4.00 / 2) #19 Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 07:32:14 PM EST
I wish we had a similar vote-wasting party in Canuckistan, but the Rhinocerous party went bust a long time ago.



+1FP, brilliant by nebbish (4.00 / 1) #23 Thu Sep 07, 2006 at 05:20:14 AM EST
For the minor parties, if you're not talking about your beliefs, you should go with the one with the most support.

--------
It's political correctness gone mad!


Oh, and by nebbish (4.00 / 1) #24 Thu Sep 07, 2006 at 05:23:55 AM EST
Trade union membership will also get you a say in any forthcoming Labour leadership contest.

I voted Prescott last time around, believe it or not.

--------
It's political correctness gone mad!


Hmmm by Breaker (4.00 / 1) #25 Thu Sep 07, 2006 at 05:41:22 AM EST
Labour party: £36
Tory party: £15

TAX AND SPEND, YEAH BABY!




WIPO by yicky yacky (4.00 / 1) #27 Thu Sep 07, 2006 at 06:15:21 PM EST

Plaid Cymru.

Excellent idea for a project, btw. Nice one.


----
Done.


Hehe by priestess (4.00 / 1) #29 Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 06:32:16 AM EST
When I accidentally joined the Libs I thought I was just giving a donation, didn't know if you donated more than (at that time) at fiver you became a member automatically.

They were hassling me to go canvassing and stuff within a couple of weeks. I assume the others will be doing the same. You could either end up a busy man, or saying No a lot.

Good luck! Keep us updated.

Pre......
---------
Yes! The Conspiracy Really Exists...


Operation Get Political | 29 comments (29 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

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