Today I have made the first step on what will hopefully turn out to be journey of good-intentions and self-fulfilment. I have joined New Labour; the mainstream political party that currently holds power at the national level of government here in the UK. In doing so I have compromised on two of my principles, but ultimately feel that if you truly wish to beat them, you must join them. I am against the invasion and occupation of sovereign nations that could otherwise have been curtailed through the good offices of the United Nations. I am against the increase in fees that University students must pay from the next academic year onwards; my brother starts University at the end of this calendar year, and due to accident of birth, must now pay £3000 more a year than me.
I have thought long and hard about the fringe movements that litter most university campuses all over the UK; I have witnessed and, on occasion, played an active role in their non-violent demonstrations against certain government decisions over the last ten years of Tony Blair’s rule. However, upon Gordon Brown’s rise to power and his promises of a more transparent governmental process I have truly been inspired.
I shan’t deny it; much of my new found faith in Westminster depends overwhelmingly on the cult of Brown’s personality and his particular methodology. I find his proposals of a ‘bill of rights’ tempting, and his promise to open up the debate on whether or not to declare future war upon foreign nations to the House irresistible. He has also mentioned the fact that students aren’t all that keen on the heavier debt burden, and looks set to ‘modify’ the current decree on top up fees, I doubt very much that my brother shall escape this near intolerable debt; but the future looks bright for the next generation in so far as education goes. Brown has more than once uttered the tripartite sound bite ‘education, education, education!’, and looks set thus far to be more a man of deed rather than word.
Article comments
1 - bliffle
Bravo! Set your resolve. You will soon discover that ugly things, petty and mean beyond anything you imagined before, beset the innards of realpolitik. Just don't make any longterm commitments to the corruptions you must often accede to in order to survive. Later, you can move away from them.
2 - Dave Nalle
Later, you can move away from them.
Don't bet on it. Once he owes them he'll never get out from under.
Dave
3 - Zedd
Grahm,
Ah yes! Your journey is one that many once agitators can related to.
Never stop asking questions. Please never comply simply because of party loyalty. Please be willing to switch sides when things call for it.
Nelson Mandela's name is Rolihlahla (don't even try to pronounce it :o) however, the translation is "agitator". We can use decent to invite reason and calm in a storm.
4 - Graham McKnight
Thanks for the positive feed back so far guys, some of you will be pleased to know that my local party boss did vote against the invasion of Iraq and against increasing university fees. There is, at the local level at least, no hesitation in voting for what you think best at the expense of the official party line.
5 - Zedd
Good on him Grahm!
6 - anonymous
Why the people from the same north American government
They are leaving to run arguing , That the American LAWS ARE NOT ABLE TO, for they, to can do as thief , In the much people from the American military they are with those arguing in other countries, evidently those arguing, they are from the foreigner spy people inside the American government.