4 May 2011 (Wednesday) - Little bit of politics

Up with the lark, and after a quick bout of early morning telly over some brekky it was off to work as usual. Dull, but am early start made for an early finish. And once home I had a go with my home brew. “Bright ‘Un”, a beer brewed especially for my weekend at Brighton kite festival is now in its barrel. And an as yet unnamed IPA (for Teston kite festival) has been started off in my brewing bucket. It might have to spend slightly longer than usual in the bucket until a barrel is ready.

I’ve left the brewing bucket under the living room table for the time being. I seem to have pulled a muscle in my neck, and it hurts too much to lug five gallons of ale about. If ‘er indoors ^TM  thinks it’s in the way, she can move it herself.

I then checked my emails and did an on-line survey. A while back I signed up with a market research company. They email me a few times each week, I do a survey (which takes ten minutes), and they credit me with between 50p and a quid to my account. When the account gets to a tenner they give me an Amazon voucher to squander on e-books for my Kindle. If any of my loyal readers would like to get on board this gravy train, do let me know (and send me a valid email account you’d like to use for it). And please do let me know – I get two quid for everyone I sign up.

And just as I was writing tonight’s blog entry, my letter box has been going mad with pre-election propaganda. It’s the local elections and the referendum tomorrow.

In the elections I have four candidates. Stripped of all the waffle and flannel that they spout, I have to choose one of:

• Wanton greed
• Woolly-minded blathering
• Paternalistic molly-coddling
• Personal nest feathering

I must vote. I have little (if any) time for those who complain about the electoral system and politicians in general; yet haven’t voted. However for whom should I cast my vote? I’m seriously considering spoiling the ballot paper as a political statement.

And then the referendum on electoral reform. I’ve blogged in the past that the AV system we are being offered sucks fish. A “proper” proportional representation system would have been preferable, as would any of the systems I suggested a month ago. But they aren’t on offer. What is being offered is a system which is in use in only a handful of countries around the world. And those that do use it aren’t keen on it. I can’t help but wonder why we weren’t offered the PR system the dribbling democraps wanted in the first place.

However it’s been pointed out to me that moving to the AV system opens the door to future electoral reform, whereas a defeat for AV may well be the death knell for electoral reform.

A month ago I was dead against AV. Now I’m having doubts….