Friday, April 08, 2005
"Don't vote Labour" says Labour magazine
The New Statesman has just published an article How to give Blair a bloody nose, which recommends its readers to vote against 35 sitting Labour MPs (including four cabinet ministers) in the forthcoming election. A further 12 Labour candidates who are not presently MPs are also on this hit-list.
This "guide to tactical voting" begins,
You are a disgruntled Labour voter. You opposed the Iraq war, and the Prevention of Terrorism Act. You probably disliked foundation hospitals and top-up fees as well. You would like to weaken Tony Blair and you would probably prefer Gordon Brown as prime minister.What to do? Vote Liberal Democrat (or PC or SNP) in the following seats, apparently.
The "MPs to vote out" are:
John Reid, Airdrie and Shotts
Terry Rooney, Bradford North
Wayne David, Caerphilly
Harriet Harman, Camberwell and Peckham
Rosemary McKenna, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East
Tessa Jowell, Dulwich and West Norwood
Hilary Armstrong, North-West Durham
Eric Joyce, Falkirk
John MacDougall, Glenrothes
Iain Wright, Hartlepool
Barry Sheerman, Huddersfield
David Cairns, Inverclyde
Adam Ingram, East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow
George Howarth, Knowsley North and Sefton East
Bridget Prentice, Lewisham East
Jim Dowd, Lewisham West
Gerald Kaufman, Manchester Gorton
Frank Roy, Motherwell and Wishaw
Calum MacDonald, Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles)
Charles Clarke, Norwich South
John Heppell, Nottingham East
Huw Irranca-Davies, Ogmore
Phil Woolas, Oldham East and Saddleworth
James Sheridan, Paisley and Renfrewshire North
Kim Howells, Pontypridd
Mark Hendrick, Preston
Chris Bryant, Rhondda
Lorna Fitzsimons, Rochdale
David Watts, St Helens North
Shaun Woodward, St Helens South
Hazel Blears, Salford
Meg Munn, Sheffield Heeley
Anne McGuire, Stirling
Neil Turner, Wigan
Hugh Bayley, City of York
... and the following Blairite candidates who are not at present MPs:
Katy Clark, Ayrshire North and Arran
David Anderson, Blaydon
Kerry McCarthy, Bristol East
Jim McGovern, Dundee West
Roberta Blackman-Woods, City of Durham
Diana Ruth Johnson, Hull North
Nia Griffith, Llanelli
Jessica Morden, Newport East
Gordon Banks, Ochil and Perthshire South
Angela Smith, Sheffield Hillsborough
Robert Flello, Stoke-on-Trent South
Barbara Keeley, Worsley
I think this advice deserves wider publicity, don't you? As the late David Penhaligon used to say, "Put it in a leaflet and stick it through a letterbox."
Incidentally, Labour is endlessly repeating the mantra that if you vote Lib Dem, you'll get the Tories, a claim that does not stand up to close scrutiny. To find out why, read Nick Barlow's blog, Nick Barlow again and the Actually Existing blog.
# posted by Simon Titley @ 5:27 pm 
