Why support independent candidates

[VictorMeldrew]

The Wirral Residents Alliance is supporting Independent candidates on the grounds that party political candidates are undemocratic for reasons that have been well discussed on this site and others
I show hereunder a letter sent to all independent candidates by Terry waite CBE which is self explanatory

A New Year Letter to Independent Candidates from Terry Waite

I hope you will not think it presumptuous of me to write a New Year
message to you. I do so not because I am an individual of any great
standing or influence. I am an ordinary voting member of the public and
as such am gravely concerned about the political health of our
country. It is in this capacity and with these thoughts in mind that I
write.
First, you will undoubtedly remember the elation expressed by so many
when Labour came to power and Tony Blair assumed office. It seemed as
though a breath of fresh air was about to blow through Westminster.
The Labour Party seemed to have been given a unique chance by the
country to institute sensible reforms and work towards an equitable
and fair society for all.
Alas, hopes were dashed. An unprecedented number of people from all
walks of life took to the streets in protest against the Iraq war.
Intuitively they suspected the motives of those who were leading the
country in that direction. Subsequent events have proved them right.
What was sad about this unhappy time was that those in leadership
positions in our country appeared not to listen to the thousands who
were protesting. They were not even prepared to let Hans Blix complete
his work. Although a number of MPs expressed their disquiet, when it
came to the crunch they had to vote as their parties dictated. Only
the minor parties stood against the war.
The decision to go to war shook the confidence of the population in
our political system and convinced many that individual MPs were
little more than lobby fodder. There was also growing alarm that
increasingly the Civil Service was being undermined and that
“advisers” were being appointed mainly (or so it seemed) because of
their ability to massage the media.
Parliamentary government – of the people by the people – was
increasingly a fond illusion. Again, it seemed to many that we were
being governed by an elite with a facility for smooth talking and
clever manipulation.
To be fair, the Labour Party did institute many constructive changes
but many were lost to public view because of the way in which
Parliament was conducting its affairs.
The bombshell came when the Daily Telegraph exposed the expenses
issue. In speaking about this I want to bend over backwards to be fair
and I shall not point my finger at any one individual MP, even though
some have crossed all acceptable boundaries. The fault in my opinion
lies in the system. Members of Parliament ought to have recognised
this years ago and put in place something more transparent.
Working as I do with some of the very poorest in our society, I do not
believe that our elected representatives are underpaid. When, as some
do, they compare themselves with other so-called “public servants”,
their pay may seem to be inadequate. I take the position that
thousands of our “servants” are overpaid. MPs receive very adequate
allowances and I hold the very old-fashioned position that if one
enters public service one does not do so to grow rich.
Without a doubt the expenses issue caused a major slump in public
confidence in Parliament and in the party system of government.
Let me now come to the main point of this letter. I firmly believe
that reform of Parliament is urgently required. It is not good for the
nation to suffer an ailing political system. The country needs a
strong and healthy Parliament composed of Members who can and will
truly represent their constituents and at the same time have the
vision and foresight to lead in constructive ways. At this juncture I
have little confidence in the domination of the various parties over
Parliament, which leads me to believe that reform is urgently
required.
If there can be a new group of candidates who have had experience of
the world and have had to make their way in the rough and tumble of
everyday life, if such a group of candidates could come together
around key issues of parliamentary reform and remain free to vote
according to their consciences, then it may be that such a group would
be able to speed the reform process so urgently needed. I am not
advocating total abolition of the party system. I am urging reform and
to this end I would hope that if you are considering standing as an
Independent candidate you would take the opportunity to meet with
others and hammer out the necessary reforms for which you would be
willing to work.
In recent years I have been urged to offer myself as a candidate for
Parliament. Each time I have given the suggestion serious
consideration and have declined on the grounds that a parliamentary
career would mean that I have to cease the work that I already do.
However, I will do my best to support you in your candidature. This is
a unique point in the history of our country. We face complex and
demanding issues which require wise and mature leadership – leadership
that is not subservient to party dogma, media approval or desire for
status and position.
The call goes out to the country to find such people who are willing
to serve for no other reason than that they desire to see the United
Kingdom develop a just and fair society where tradition is respected
and Parliament is truly a Parliament of the people.
Let us hope that such individuals will come forward in the coming
months – and, if you are such, more power to your elbow!
Wishing you a very happy New Year,
Terry Waite, CBE

[Hugo]

I give whole hearted support to the letter from Terry Waite, we should abolish Political Party Politics from Local Government, locally elected representatives should Firstly and Mainly respond to local population wishes, not Party Political Whips.
If political parties want to have their members on local council they should support them from Party Political funds, and not the ratepayers.
On a National Basis we all pay tax in one form or another to support a National Government, but not on a lavish beyond the wildest dreams of the vast majority of people. I would suggest come election time, do not vote for any MP who has been in position for any longer than twelve months, regardless of your political belief, pick a new face, that will be a first step to clearing out the parasites that have infested Westminster for a good number of years, and a golden chance to start fresh with a new open ,honest, clean system, bearing in mind so much of our rules and regulations emanate from abroad, anyway.

[DavidS]

I think it's time to give UKIP a chance. They seem to be willing to stand up against a load of nonsense like 'green' taxes, crazy bureaucracy and unlimited immigration.

[Hugo]

Did you know that . . .
Over 300 (nearly 50%) of our MPs are “retiring” in a couple of month’s time mainly because they have been caught fiddling their expenses in order to line their own pockets with our money. This is an absolute disgrace and they deserve to be sacked and prosecuted for fraud, as would happen to anyone in normal employment.
As Martin Bell has so ably said we need a clean sweep of all these “career politicians”, who are only interested in climbing the Party ladder and gaining wealth and privileges for themselves. Their loyalty is only to their Party, not to their constituents and they must be replaced by Independent MPs who genuinely want to serve their constituents and give power back to the people
I completely agree with Martin Bell. This scandal gives us a unique opportunity to elect our own Independent MPs who have lived in or adjacent to their constituencies for many years and know the needs and concerns of their voters and with represent them without the dictates of Party Whips. In this crisis we must think of our country and not of ourselves and therefore all SCP candidates in this election will stand as Independents in cooperation with the Alliance for Democracy, which includes other small parties who have no chance of getting elected until we get a fair voting system.


We already have 114 candidates and more are coming in every day, but our target is 360 so there is still plenty of opportunity for you, or anyone you know, to stand. Independent Candidates can be of any age and of course will attract voters of any age, so please email me your name, telephone number and full address to: info@independents-uk.org if you or anyone else you know is interested Please respond by return as the seats available are filling up fast and do please forward this email to anyone you know, of any age, and print off copies for local organisations or people who have no Internet access. I look forward to hearing from you. Grahame

[Hugo]

Now this is what I call waste

It is in the National News, up to a quarter of a million civil servants are or could be involved in a two day strike, fair play they are protecting their pay and conditions or benefits in what seems to be the only way they can.
I have heard that the pay-role departments for these organisations have reached a decision that to adjust for pay reduction of those involved in the two day stoppage is so complicated that it is not worth bothering.
Further more senior managers of the staff who do actually go on this strike, have great difficulty in arranging any stopgap measures during the stoppage, something to do with computer security, passwords, staff on lieu days, study leave, seminars, etc resulting in there will be no temporary cover or skeleton manning of vital services.
So the outcome is we the tax payers will be paying for staff to be on strike, if the strike is successful, we will be paying the additional benefits to the civil servants, should they be displaced or suffer cutbacks. Is this what the pundits would call a "Win Win Situation"
or just another example of how deeply this country and its administration is in the mire, (not allowed to use a stronger word that rhymes with Hit)