Vote Match

Don't forget to vote today – at Deptford Lounge until 10pm. You don't need your polling card.

If you're still undecided, here's a useful online tool: www.votematch.org.uk
The results may surprise you, but will more than likely confirm your original decision, if you were wavering...

Still undecided?

I was hoping to find a website where I could tick individual policies I liked and then find out which party might fulfill most of them, if not all of them. For instance I like some but not all Green Party policies, I like a lot but not all Lib Dem policies, I hate a lot of New Labour policies but like some of them...

I found a site that comes close to what I was asking for: www.votematch.org.uk.

It's a lot simpler and much quicker than the Vote For Policies website which Marmoset has linked to in the previous post. VoteMatch gives you individual policies to choose from – rather than the headache-inducing group of policies in the Vote For Policies poll – from unidentified parties, and you find out at the end who you are closest to.

The Vote For Policies site isn't working very well at the moment, possibly a victim of its own success on the very night it may be needed most. The link to it was sent to Crosswhatfields by the Green Party, and we found it strange that almost everyone who's done it comes up 'mostly Green'.

However, I also came up 'mostly Green' on the VoteMatch site, and that is sponsored by the weird combination of the Daily Telegraph, Goldsmiths College, and the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust.

Of course, that doesn't mean that's what I'll vote...

If the Greens get in, my MP will be the first Green in parliament and be swanning off round the country being a mascot for most of the time. If Joan gets in again along with her party, she'll be in Europe doing Junior Cabinet minister business on climate change most of the time. If her party doesn't get in, one wonders what she'll do...(possibly Shadow Cabinet Minister for Climate Change?) If the LibDems get in, we'll have a young novice, but also female, who will maybe stick around, and this may be the right tactical vote to keep the Tories out...or not...

However, who gets in as MP is of little importance to local matters compared to who is running Lewisham Council. Here I am tempted to vote ALL of the PeopleBeforeProfit folk in as councillors – or shall I do a smattering of Green, LibDem and PeopleBeforeProfit? Or do a three-hander of Lib Dems? Then again, Cllr Padmore (Labour and one of the few black candidates) has worked hard in our little area this year, even against his own party. (PeopleBeforeProfit also have a black candidate in our ward, Barbara Raymond; the LibDems have Duwayne Brooks in Downham; David Michael is an Independent in Catford).

As for Mayor, I love the idea that John Hamilton will do it for £24K instead of the normal mayor's salary of £80K (plus probably enormous expenses since that's less than half what the top execs at the council get) and then abolish the role. But I've met him and he has a permatan and he's quite posh, so I'm not so sure, he might possibly be a bastard son of the Redgrave family (if you know what I mean) and the policies are radical (as are those of the Greens - heroin on prescription, anyone?)...

But then, if ever a change was needed it's got to be at Lewisham Council where Labour have ruled the roost for 40 years, and worse, have been a New Labour flagship borough for the past 13. You might as well vote Conservative if you want more of the same.

BTW, LIb Dem Chris Maines also pledges to get rid of himself if elected Mayor...

The Deptford Dame has done some analysis of the litterature (I now have more election leaflets than flyers for local takeaways, with menus almost as long) and has posted about the Mayoral candidates here.

And take a peek at Brockley Central's election posts if you have the time...

This is as near to politics as I'm going...

''Undecided'' posted a comment this afternoon on the Perhaps none of the above post from last weekend and it's bumped me out of my political anomie.  He or she (I've not decided) mentioned an election overview site on the BBC's webpages and it reminded me that we were going to post the page to the blog in case there were any other voters who class themselves as still-deciding.  So, thanks to Undecided for shaming me into action!

Here you can compare the main policies 3 parties at a time, and there are links to the parties' manifestos lower in the page.  

(As a general policy, Crosswhatfields has not taken a political line and, though we were asked by one party for support, we didn't go public with it.  But for your own diversion, they also forwarded a link to policy comparison site, a sort of ''which policies do you like'' site that then tells you which parties' manifesto you have supported the most.  It claims to be impartial, or at least independent.  And salt in itself doesn't clog up your arteries...until you swallow it.  So, if you've got a wee while, have a look here)

Perhaps None of the above...

The council's Life magazine very kindly attempted to help us with the voting procedure on May 6th, with examples of what we might expect in the voting booth. Perhaps because of printing deadlines, the magazine presented us with examples rather than the real thing, and these show us the choice of voting for Pigeon, Blackbird, Sparrow and other wildfowl for our MP.

We are pretty sure there is no foulplay here, but if you're living in Reginald Road where some twat is feeding the pigeons and all your laundry is covered in pigeon shit, you're probably going to be totally averse to voting for the Pigeon Party, top of the list....The real list has Darren Johnson, Green Party, in that slot.

Likewise with the council elections list. Those people who we're most likely to meet and ask to act on our behalf are portrayed as insects in Life magazine. Ladybird, beetle, spider, earwig, caterpillar, millipede. Shall we like the ladybird at least? That's a LibDem (Atkins) on the real list. But the most feared insect, the spider, (of course it's not an insect but many people think it is, including the council's communications team) is also a Lib Dem (in third position, alphabetically, Chris Gee). Next feared insect, the earwig, occupies 4th position (Ian Page is 4th in the real list).

For the Mayor, we have plants, and this is where the Communications Unit has had the most fun: the top plant is Pimpernel = Bullock, the second Chickweed = Culnane (BNP), then Periwinkle = Dare (English Democrats), Bluebell = Hamilton (People Before Profit), Pansy = Maines (Lib Dem), Buttercup = Nundy (Con).....

A Crossfields resident opted for a postal vote and we therefore present the forms as you may see them on May 6th if and when you wander over to Tidemill School to do your thing.

General election: your MP vote (white ballot paper) – One vote:

Council election: your councillors (yellow ballot paper) – THREE votes:

Mayoral election: (peach coloured ballot paper) – Vote for 1st and 2nd choice (two columns):

Thanks to DD for the real thing.

Brockley Central interviews local candidates

This week, local blog Brockley Central will be putting a set of questions to our local parliamentary and mayoral candidates.

Some questions are very Brockleycentric, and local favourites John Hamilton (PeopleBe4Profit mayoral candidate) and Ian Page (Socialist Alternative MP candidate) have been left off the interview list* – as well as Malcolm Martin (Christian Peoples' Alliance) and Graham Dare (English Democrats mayoral candidate). But you may find the interviews helpful if you are still making up your mind.

The list is being added to as the week goes on. `

Candidates for MP Deptford Lewisham Lewisham Deptford:

Tam Langley (Lib-Dem)
Darren Johnson (Green Party)
Joan Ruddock (Lab)
Gemma Townsend (Conservative)

Candidates for Mayor:

Dean Walton (Green Party)
Sir Steve Bullock (Lab)
Simon Nundy (Conservative)
Chris Maines (Lib-Dem)

*apparently, they have not responded to the questionnaire.

Local democracy in action?

The political hustings hosted by Utrophia yesterday evening was organised by two pressure groups: No2ID and Power 2010 (see links at the foot of this post). All five parliamentary candidates for Lewisham Deptford took part: Joan Ruddock (Lab), Ian Page (Trade Union & Socialist), Tam Langley (Lib Dem), Darren Johnson (Green) and Gemma Townsend (Conservative). Bill Ellson (Deptford Community Forum) chaired and took questions from a full house.

Topics discussed included: homelessness and lack of social housing, the present state of local youth offending facilities, MP's expenses and trustworthiness, immigration, and the peak oil crisis. The peak oil debate sparked a bit of unruly heckling from a crusty conspiracy theorist, followed by an interruption from a young black man (one of the very few there) who wanted answers about poor and overcrowded social housing and lack of jobs (unfortunately it was felt that his contribution was irrelevant to the subject in hand). The event was brought to a close with words from No2ID and Power 2010. Many people stayed behind to talk to the candidates, and Power 2010 managed to get most of the candidates to sign up for electoral reform.

I cannot report without bias: I thought it was all a bit dull with little or no emphasis on local matters (apart for the first question about housing, homelessness and the youth offending service). I didn't get to ask any questions (eg what to do about the proliferation of bookmakers, air pollution around the Deptford incinerator, why Deptford station is still a shithole, or more broadly, what about reinstating the 10p in the £1 taxband for low earners etc)...I was pleased to find Darren Johnson looks much better in the flesh than he does on his election leaflets (scary!) and he came across well. Tam Langley was quietly concise. There was a bit of argy bargy between Ian Page and Joan. Gemma seemed awfully young to be speaking on such weighty matters. It was interesting to note that there were three women to two men, that Joan is against Trident, that Darren would scrap the Right To Buy, and that Ian thinks climate change can only be tackled by abolishing capitalism.

Deptford Visions has written up an entertaining account with some nice photography here.

Power 2010 - Join the movement to change politics

No2ID - Stop the database state

Postscript:
I took notes at the beginning of this event, but I stopped when the answers seem to grow predictable, and too lengthy for a post here, but you can read a more detailed report from another blogger Notes Of An Idealist here.

Greenwich-in-Deptford (2)

I just had a party campaign leaflet delivered through my door.  Only it's for Spencer Drury, currently a Greenwich Councillor for the Conservative Party who is standing for the Greenwich and Woolwich seat.

''As a Greenwich Councillor, he knows and fights for the issues which bother local people''

As a local person, one of the issues that bothers me is politicians who don't know which constituency Crossfields is in.  Campaigning on someone else's turf is already probably a bit of a no-no, assuming Deptford is in Greenwich is downright arrogant incompetence.

So, if you see this man, be a good Deptford citizen and tell him he's lost.  And then politely direct him back to his own constituency.

Local Election Hustings at Utrophia

There will be a hustings at Utrophia Arts Project THIS SATURDAY 17 APRIL at 5pm. Apparently, ALL the major parliamentary candidates for Lewisham & Deptford have accepted the invite and the event is open to all. So get your questions ready. Let us know if you want us to ask anything on your behalf if you can't be there.

UTROPHIA is up at 136 Tanner's Hill (at the top end after the bridge, on the right, SE8 4QD, here on the Tagworts Map)....For more info go to Utrophia's website here.
Personally I'd be more interested in grilling local councillors, maybe they'll be there too, and my main question might be "Which of youse is going to get rid of the directly elected Mayor?"

If you want to see which councillors are standing in Deptford/New Cross Ward you can download the list from here (Crosswhatfields) or here from the Lewisham council website. It's interesting to note that on the Lewisham site there is not actually a listing for Deptford. We are listed under New Cross. There you go.

The Mayor nominations are here.