That be the earl of Doncaster
Jun. 12th, 2009 02:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pallas_athenaAmidst all the talk about the uncertain future of journalism, it's refreshing to have a reminder of what journalists do best. [Stolen from MetaFilter like a thief in the night.]
Peter Davies of the English Democrat Party ["Putting England First!"] was elected Mayor of Doncaster in the 8 June elections. His manifesto included various money-saving promises: to cut Council salaries including his own; to eliminate "PC jobs" from the council; to abolish translation services for non-English speakers; and to stop Council funding of Doncaster's annual gay pride day.
On his first day in office, he gave an interview with the local BBC station. He was asked some questions about how he intended to put various parts of this manifesto into action: Transcript here; MP3 recording here. It's a riot. It is possibly the best thing since Paxman v Howard in '97. Highlights include the characterisation of "PC jobs" as "all these people who are, sort of, controlling thought processes and this sort of thing".
The abstention* and defection of Labour voters in the most recent UK elections has left, not a vacuum, but a sort of political black hole, sucking any kind of crap towards the centre of gravity: witness the two BNP members elected to the European Parliament. Attention, British electorate: if you didn't vote, this is your fault. On the other hand, it is kind of a brilliant move to have sent two BNP guys where they'll be surrounded by contemptuous foreigners and powerless to do anything about it. Hmm. Maybe next election you could send them all there?
*I nearly typed "abstinence." Mm-hm.
Peter Davies of the English Democrat Party ["Putting England First!"] was elected Mayor of Doncaster in the 8 June elections. His manifesto included various money-saving promises: to cut Council salaries including his own; to eliminate "PC jobs" from the council; to abolish translation services for non-English speakers; and to stop Council funding of Doncaster's annual gay pride day.
On his first day in office, he gave an interview with the local BBC station. He was asked some questions about how he intended to put various parts of this manifesto into action: Transcript here; MP3 recording here. It's a riot. It is possibly the best thing since Paxman v Howard in '97. Highlights include the characterisation of "PC jobs" as "all these people who are, sort of, controlling thought processes and this sort of thing".
The abstention* and defection of Labour voters in the most recent UK elections has left, not a vacuum, but a sort of political black hole, sucking any kind of crap towards the centre of gravity: witness the two BNP members elected to the European Parliament. Attention, British electorate: if you didn't vote, this is your fault. On the other hand, it is kind of a brilliant move to have sent two BNP guys where they'll be surrounded by contemptuous foreigners and powerless to do anything about it. Hmm. Maybe next election you could send them all there?
*I nearly typed "abstinence." Mm-hm.