Snowflakes – A Guest Blog by James Vine
Thank you to James Vine for this guest blog.
The Myth of the “Wasted Vote”
Arthur Price lives in Central Devon. He has done for a very long time. It is a rock solid Tory seat, and as Arthur readily accepts, is going to stay that way come May the 7th.
BUT,
That hasn’t stopped him from standing as an independent candidate. This blog, something of a departure from my usual fare, explains why I am going to vote for Arthur, and why we should all take a step back from industrial politics and think.
Here is a link to Arthur’s website Its worth looking at for the video of his first hustings performance (the Tory banned them after this one) and his campaign song. (Lyrics by D. Cameron Esq)
And here’s a link to his Facebook Page. Please do “Like” it.
And on Twitter @arfprice
He’s not the Messiah, he’s not even very naughty. He’s quite witty, though certainly not a comedy candidate.
So here’s why I’m voting for him
A single snowflake, doesn’t make a snowdrift. It needs millions, and a driving wind.
Arthur Price probably doesn’t see himself as a snowflake. He doesn’t even have white hair, in fact he doesn’t have any hair to speak of (sorry Arthur) but in the current political climate he may have more in common with one than you might think.
On the Today programme this morning, the BBC, in a vain attempt to inject some, ANY, interest into this election campaign, broadcast a duet between Shirley Williams and Michael Heseltine. I’ll spare you the details, but one valid point that SW made was the fact that politicians are so closely cosseted by their SPADS.
There have been some good examples in this campaign. Mel Stride banning filming of the Hustings, on the pretext that he didn’t want to be edited or quoted out of context. He seems conveniently to have forgotten the blatant editing by the Tories of the Ed Balls interview on non doms.
Pre prepared questions to the candidates so central office can craft the answers. No chance of your candidate having to demonstrate his or her mettle with anything remotely approaching spontaneity then.
Higher up the political food chain, party leaders refusing to appear in televised debates, or insisting on choosing with whom they will or will not appear.
Perhaps the most graphic example of all was the photo of one of Boris Johnson’s heavies, manhandling his Labour opponent away when she tried to challenge him in the street. (one of the vox pops interviewed for the same Today programme even thought that Boris WAS Prime Minister)
But Arthur won’t be elected, so why vote for him? Well nor will all the other candidates, except one. So why vote at all? The Tory party machine will see to it that Mel Stride will once again be able to settle his ample posterior back down onto the green benches, on the odd occasion when he actually does venture into the chamber. Yet another clone to make up the anonymous lobby fodder that are dragooned by the whips to follow orders.
But suppose we actually DID elect Arthur. Arthur has the time, the inclination, AND the independence, not just to listen to what his constituents have to say, but to stand up in the commons chamber, and say it. He’s not even a “one trick” political pony, as some elected independents have been in the past. He isn’t campaigning on one particular local issue, such as the saving of a hospital, or the corruption of the previous incumbent, he’s there to listen to all, and speak for all.
Arthur is not bound by the party whips. He is only bound by one single manifesto commitment, which is to represent the views of his constituents as best he can. He doesn’t have to balance the budget (only his expenses.) He cant cancel Trident, and unless he digs that old nurse’s uniform out of the wardrobe, there’s not a lot he can do about reform of the NHS either, apart from standing up in the chamber and saying what he, and his constituents think. (I know little and care less about his views on immigration. One thing Arthur is not, is a bigot.)
And that’s why I’m voting for him. He will represent me, and I am very confident that he will do so. He will listen to all who want to tell him what they think.
If you vote for Arthur, Arthur will vote for you, in Parliament, where it matters. And he WILL be voting for you, not the whips. YOU are his Lords and Masters, Not Cameron, not Miliband, nor anyone else. Just you!
No, it’s not going to happen this time round. There wont be a snowdrift of votes for Arthur, BUT, and its not such a big but when you think about it, if no party is capable of forming a viable government, then the Five Year Parliament Act is out of the window. There will have to be another election.
When the popular backlash of those incensed by the stalemate engineered by CamerBand, realizes what a waste of a vote it was supporting THEM, then maybe, just maybe there will be a small army of Arthurs waiting in the wings for the political wind to blow them into a popular snowdrift of opposition. Not a party in itself, just a group of genuine people sufficient to raise a significant voice in Parliament. Enough to make others stop and think, and melt the shrinking snowmen of the arrogant political elite.
That’s why a vote for Arthur now is a stepping stone for the future. Every single vote is a snowflake. The more there are now, the more there will be next time.
James Vine is a Criminal Barrister from Exeter.
Follow him on Twitter https://twitter.com/jamespsvine