UKIP IF YOU WANT TO, BUT DON'T BE CAUGHT NAPPING

UKIP IF YOU WANT TO, BUT DON'T BE CAUGHT NAPPING.

Did I mention that there are to be a number of Elections on May 2nd. next ? Even those who do not get excited about such things may have noticed that the Party Leaders have appeared on Television to treat us to Party Political Broadcasts, each advising how splendid things will be if only we elect their respective candidate to Local Governance next month, and Parliament in 2015. Unfortunately few are impressed by promises of there being 'a lovely day tomorrow,' so one may wonder whom Politicians think will be taken in, by all their nonsense, because tomorrow wont be a lovely day

'just you wait and see'.*

If there is indeed to be business as usual, possibly it doesn’t matter which lot form the majority at County Hall, since all its doings are controlled by Central Government. Even so it is regrettable that Local Government was ever Politicised, especially where applicable, at District Council Level.

Such is not the case in Wiltshire for the Conservative County Council abolished our Salisbury District Council, and converted to Unitarianism. At District level local Political Party Branch Committees oft became so desperate to find candidates willing to stand for them, that any candidate was deemed better than no candidate at all. What better maybe though than a Councillor willing to Nod his or her head on demand. Thus it was with the imprimatur of Branch Committees many became Councillors who just sought to find something to do in their retirement. Such jiggery pokery displaced many valued Councillors with parvenus. One hears that the Liberal Democrats are fielding fewer Candidates for the forthcoming Election than is UKIP. At our last Unitary Authority Election UKIP seemingly had to import would be Councillors from far and wide, possible this time around its candidates are locally rooted. Even so some will wonder which the role of UKIP in local governance ? So far as I can see it has no role to play other than ensure that the Party it protests against wins the seat. Surely that is what happened in Wilton and Lower Wylye Valley in 2009. UKIP's Candidate enabled a competent Conservative to take the Wilton Seat from the serving incumbent. This Conservative will now be contesting the Mere seat. It will be interesting to see whether the Conservative will dislodge the sitting Independent Councillor Jeans there, a man who in 2009 retained the seat in a contest with a fellow well Established Conservative District Councillor.

It is unfortunate that the' Sins' of ones Party Political Fathers, have to be born by those seeking but to represent the interests of local Electorates, but such is the price that has to be paid for Patronage.

How does it benefit any would be Councillor to have his or her Political Master spouting tired platitudes ,that we the Electorate realise to be at best but unrealisable aspirations, and at worst excuses for both Coalition's and Opposition's inadequacy in Governance. One knows of Blair and Brown, but have the last couple of years been any better? A while back there was a children's toy motor car which would race along until its path was blocked, thereon it would set off on a different tack until the same thing happened, and the toy would repeat what it had done before. Possibly the Lady wasn’t for turning but this our Government has done little else, today for example it had to redefine the pickle it got into over planning. How has this country benefited from Coalition Government ? All this Quantitative Easing is but a devaluation of our currency. Again there is 'Wilsonian' suggestion that it doesn’t mean the pound in your pocket etc. Well it does the pound in your pocket is worth a lot less than it used to be. Only yesterday a second 'Rating Agency' downgraded our credit worthiness to AA+ , which is marginally better than France's Aa1 and the BBBs and lower ratings of many of our neighbours.

I really feel sorry for all Candidates standing for election to our Unitary Authority whether they are successfully elected or not. MAYBE WE SHOULD DO THEM A FAVOUR BY VOTING FOR THE MAN OR WOMAN RATHER THAN FOR A PARTY.

http://www.whosdatedwho.com/tpx_91935/vera-lynn/tpx_8099523

The Force's Sweet Heart.

but is this not Salisbury's Phil Knapping ?

POPE'S  ESSAY  ON  MAN,  or  SQUARING THE CIRCLE .

Way back in the early 1950's the Parting Shot from my Headmaster as he sent me to flounder in the world was that, 'I was inclined to be too kind.' He was the same Headmaster who having dismissed an allegedly dishonest Storekeeper gave him the reference 'That he was inclined to take things too easily.' Though one understood the good intent of the latter reference, I was never sure what to make of his comment concerning me, indeed presumed it was not so much an accolade as a criticism. As if teenagers' didn’t have enough to worry about without being damned with feint praise, let alone in my case having to deal with my father's Trustee Solicitors who for another seven years liked to refer to me as' The Infant'. Only weeks ago a local Guru told me that he kept telling others that I was 'A Pussy Cat'. To whom had he been speaking, and what was it that they had been telling him of me, and why had any bothered to mention an asocial hermit such as I at all? Could it be that after all some people read my blogs or my interminable comments to the 'On line Press'. Indeed confirmation of the latter came only this week from one of my Blogsters who wrote by way of response to my conciliatory comment on 'The Thatcher Affair '

' I think you sound like a nice person but I must take issue with '..... surely all would respect her Leadership, and strength of character'. No all don't. I respect nothing about her. I have profound disrespect for her, everything about her brings on tears of anger. But apart from that, your comment reminds that a gentler and kinder Britain still exists. But no more Thatchers.'

'Oh dear in spite of everything seemingly ' I'm still too kind.' What a discerning person that Blogster must be. I suffer a quadrennial disturbance at Local Governance level, for I'd oft thought to try and become a Councillor myself, not because it was my ambition to be one, but because I was for ever bemoaning the efforts of others. Way back in the 1950's and 1960's I saw no reason to presume that I had anything better to offer than those who stood for election. It wasn’t until the 1970's that I presumed to voice my dissent. That was on the basis that though a long term Conservative Voter and member of not only the Young Conservatives since the 1950's, but later the Conservative Party, I really didn’t care for the path it was then on. But preferring it to anything else on offer, voted for it and have ever done so at every General Election. However I never disguised my feeling of dis-satisfaction concerning much of its policy. Despite being a one time member of a Branch Committee I found that one had no input . Year upon year the majority imported the next batch of superannuated personnel to fuel the committee I served. After having twice stood to be an Independent District Councillor, I threw the towel in on the day Mrs Thatcher was elected to Office. Being then still in my forties I had better things to do with my life, one of which has been maintaining a watching brief on Politics, both Local and National.

What of those superannuated personnel mentioned? Mostly they were Ex Military or Ex Colonials . Every man jack of them ' seemingly under ranked' my contemporaries, all be it not me. Are such persons responsible for the perceived inadequacies of some of those whom they cause to be elected to Office? Predominately our Committee Members had no interest in either Radical Conservatism, or saw any need to provide for the morrow, preferring as they did to maintain the status quo.

I recognise that in the forthcoming Hampshire County Council Elections The Conservative Party will undoubtedly be returning two New Forest Area Councillors, who have served as not only District but too County Councillors for circa forty years. Obviously men of great experience, but both are older than I, so their re-adoption must be bad news for the wannabes.

I have not the slightest doubt that the two referred to above are talented persons, as too are the Majority of Councillors elected, but do too many owe their initial emplacement to one of the Party Political Machines rather than their own efforts ? If so does the same thing apply to some members of Parliament, and does nepotism or its like still have a part to play in selection processes ?

Rather than becoming a Political Apostate, should I too have stood as a Conservative and mentioned that ancestors had spawned two Prime Ministers, and one of the Fathers of the Confederation of Canada; or that my father by his first marriage had been an Uncle in Law to Mrs T's famed 'Stalking Horse', well maybe not that. Possibly had one mentioned that my family had owned and run father to son the same business for two hundred years, or that one of my grandfathers had been a French Mining Engineer, at the time Germinal was written by Émile Zola or that one of my half brothers had actually worked down coal mines making films for the National Coal Board. What of my Kinship to Edith Cavell and more directly the splendid lady depicted in the Illustrated Five Dollar coin issued by the Canadian Mint last year.Georgina Pope. Probably not, for all such facts are as irrelevant to my capabilities as would be the running a Grocery Store or Wall Paper Factory, However as ones DNA will out , I'll have to carry on Blogging , for those who can do, those who cant Blog.

In the midst of Death is there Life ?

An occupational hazard of the ageing is attendance at other persons' funerals all be it as a bit part player. One hears mention from fellow mourners that they have another to attend next week. Come to think of it so have I, so there comes a time one wonders in which capacity one will be attending the funeral after that. On the way to 'our' funeral we happened on a' road kill' hen pheasant whose remains were attended by her obviously distressed partner. The day before there was a piece on the Television that showed a swan which some cretin had killed with the bolt from a cross bow. A funerary arrangement following that incident, was ensuring that the bird's partner should view the body, so that he or she might move on, for seemingly Swans are monogamous for life.

Guilty of Manslaughter verdicts were recorded yesterday in the case of those six children killed in an house fire, and all will grieve for the children's circumstance, as too for the pointless slaughter of others none of us know, at every internecine conflict. Things always were so since the days of 'Cain and Abel' so who can doubt they ever more shall be so, for what can the like of us do to make things better? Fraternise and participate more, donate what one can to the Poppy Appeal or innumerable good causes, attend places of Religious Congregation, Help out at the Trussell Trust, OXFAM, Save the Children , Tend the sick and visit the Imprisoned, or write opinionated Blogs etc. etc. ? Yes of course, but all such things are but as the application of analgesia and sticking plaster to running sores. Much though such relief is welcomed by the recipient and eases the Social Awareness of those so generous with their time and effort, the root causes of such suffering are ever fuelling the despair of the innocent. Regrettably we are all implicated in such oppression by what some term 'Sins of Omission' rather than 'Of Commission.'

If such is so, what might one encourage ? Possibly for Starters all these different Shades of Christianity should get their Acts together for severally, they have already become Sectarian irrelevances in the Western World. Praying for unity is but procrastination, for the need is for

'Jam today not Jam tomorrow.' There are signs that the New Archbishop and the New Pope have laced their Spirituality with Practicality. Pomp and Circumstance is a wondrous sight to behold ,but be it in Church or State its akin to a Theatrical Presentation. One that hopefully will enhance the credibility of those holding high office, in the eyes the Majority from 'Central Casting' whether we realise ourselves to be of that ilk or not . The days of deference are no more and gold braid and its like, mind one if not of decorations on a Christmas Tree, then the content of the children’s dressing up box.

One is promised that wondrous things are to be performed ' After the next Election' that might be so, but we were promised the same things would come about after the last Election. Little changed for promises were reneged upon. I don’t suppose those we elect to Parliament stand for Election with anything other than good intent, however it is regrettable that we live in the age of the Career Politician, be he or she Parliamentarian, or Councillor, too few seem willing to rock the boat, for being in Government becomes more important than one's Personal Mission Statement. Politics is the art of the possible, since such is the case why do so many politicians campaign on Manifestos of Smoke and Mirrors ?

I suppose as usual Parish Councillors will remain unelected because too few stood for Office, but that our Unitary Council Nominations List, and too those of County and District Councils elsewhere, will be over stocked with No-Hopers standing in protest about this that or the other. Unfortunately despite their good intent, all such Swansongs will do, is slew election results to favour the Political Party each is protesting against.

PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR VOTE, IT ONLY DISCREDITS YOUR CAUSE.

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