Election Day

[davywavy]

It's a truism of contemporary politics that 'All the candidates are the same'. This isn't quite true - I doubt you'd have much difficulty in telling the difference between Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone in the dark - but there's a lot to be said for the argument that you can't tell the difference between candidates based on their policies.
As political engagement wanes in the wake of the great ideological fights of the twentieth century being won or lost, a lot comes down to the 'feel' of a candidate. Do they seem decent, trustworthy and like one of us?

It's an interesting view, especially as there's an election for the Mayor of London today. The campaigning has got down and dirty and really it's a two-horse race, and most of it has been personal rather than on policies. I, naturally, have read the manifesto statements of all the candidates for the position of mayor of London, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to test whether you can tell the difference between candidates based solely on their policies, sight unseen.

With that in mind, a poll. No peeking at the results. Can you tell which candidates of which political persuasion support which policies, according to their manifesto promises?

[Poll #1837842]



More affordable homes for Londoners.
All the candidates pledge this.

More police on the beat
All the candidates pledge this.

Improve the healthcare system
Only the BNP pledge this.

Create more jobs
All candidates except the LibDems and Labour support this.

Improve the public transport network
All candidates except UKIP pledge this.

Create more green spaces
This is policy for the Conservative and Green parties only.

Reduce Tax
This is policy for UKIP, the BNP, Conservative and Labour.



How did you do?

Comments

[sherbetsaucers.livejournal.com]

Meant to click on Con for the last one. Oh well. Not to bad, seeing as I'm also nto going to be voteing.

[(Anonymous)]

I picked up a copy of "Shortlist" on the bus to work this morning, after voting. Ken and Boris were both answering questions from the public. It was largely a question of personalities, so quite entertaining on the Boris side, but from time to time a reader tried to pin them down on an actual fact, eg.

Reader: What are your policies regarding use of the Thames?

Boris: I think we've extended the Oyster card to use on the Clipper service... (Vaguely) I believe you get some sort of discount there now.

Ken: It isn't practical to use the Thames. It has the second strongest tidal pull in the world, so when you're going against the tide, you're using more energy than flying an aeroplane.

This claim seemed jolly unlikely to me. Vic Waddington made his fortune roping Dutch barges together to bring cargo up the Humber against the tides they get there, and people actually surf the Severn Bore, and that's in England alone. So when I got into work, I googled "rivers with strong tides", and the top ten are ones like the Amazon, the Congo, the Orinoco, even the Mississippi gets an mention - but the Thames isn't in there at all. What could Ken possibly have meant? Is it possible that he could be lying?! Ken?!!?

H

[davywavy.livejournal.com]

Send it to Gilligan.

[belak-krin.livejournal.com]

I was originaly going to click all of them, for all of them since most parties claim they are going to achieve the same good things but argue massively over how this will be achieved (jobs will be created by relaxing taxation on business, jobs will be created by reducing tax on individuals to put more disposable income into the economy, jobs will be created by getting rid of all those dodgy foreign types).

But then I thought that was stupid and got the answers mostly wrong.

I would very much like to see campaigns based on promoting the policies, intentions and track record of the candidates instead of pointing out the flaws of others/making wide sweeping statements about tactical voting. For example, I recieved 'official' campaign material for three local councillors:

Lib dem: list of things achieved in recent years, things planned for next term, 'its a two horse race!', 'Labour screwed everything up, don't vote for them!'
Labour: Nick Clegg is a douchebag, vote for us because he smells and has no mates, that'll learn him.
United people's front of Cambridge (or something): Cast of the yoke of the major parties! Vote for us and we will enact BNP policies, but for everyone! Somehow...

[(Anonymous)]

I see the Moonwalk pavilion is going up in Hyde Park again *nudge nudge*

H