Animal corner
Friday, June 5, 2009 So, did you bother to vote yesterday? I got to the polling station - my local village hall - with minutes to spare. It was dark and the building was deserted apart from two polling officers who were ready to pack up. Glancing at the register as my name was crossed off, I got the impression that very few people had made the effort.
A creature of habit, I stuck with the only party I have ever voted for, but not with any great enthusiasm. The alternatives seemed worse or irrelevant or a bit mad.
One party on the list was called Animals Count. We live a short distance from Huntingdon Life Sciences, the animal research centre, so perhaps they thought this would be fertile territory. I think they'll be disappointed but here's a snippet from their website:
With power comes responsibility, and as members of the most powerful species it is our duty to minimise the suffering of animals in our care or affected by our actions.
Yet animals are not adequately protected by most political parties. Instead, they focus on other social issues, and animal issues are rarely taken seriously.
However, many voters share their lives with companion animals, and most do care about animals. Broad concern for animals is a mainstream priority, which is poorly reflected in the policies of most political parties.
Do you want real improvements for animals? Are you disappointed in the current political system? It's time to change!
Update: I spoke to our rabbits and guinea pigs earlier today and they told me that, on the whole, they are happy with their lives and the way they are treated by their human carers. In particular they appreciate the regular meals and the security of living in a large hutch and run. They're not keen on the annual innoculations but they appreciate that they are for their own good. They said that if they had a vote they would probably vote for the cabbage, broccoli and cucumber party (aka the Greens). Good luck, I said, you'll need it.
Reader Comments (11)
Simon, are you sure it was the rabbits you were talking to and not the electorate.
Because the majority of humans now think the same way as the rabbits!
I was robbed of my vote!
My wife and I usually have a postal vote, as I am pretty lazy about walking all the way to wherever the polling station is, but this time, we were going off to Spain on the 20th May, and as our postal vote still hadn't arrived a couple of days before, I phoned our council to ask if we could have a proxy vote, allocated to a neighbour.
The girl I spoke to, told me there was no problem with this, and said the forms would be sent to our neighbour within plenty of time.
We returned yesterday night (too late to vote) and found the usual huge mountain of post in our hall, including a letter from the council, telling us our request for a proxy vote had been turned down, as we already have a postal vote!
Our council, is needless to say, Labour, what absolute prats! Is it any wonder the whole country hates them so much, is there anything they can do which is fair to the voters? Don't bother to answer that, I think the incoming results say it all!
With regard to your "Animals Count" party Simon, I tried voting for the "Fighting Bulls Count" party in Spain, but unfortunately my contestant lost his seat after just 20 minutes to Arroyo Delgado from the opposing "Matadors Count" party. Shame really, but he did put up a pretty good fight.
Simon, I'm surprised your rabbits didn't complain about SHS. Did you quit smoking?
Our turnout in Kent was low but I'm happy to tell you that we six UKIP first-timers, came second or third in all six districts. Needless to say, both Labour & BNP were almost out of sight.
The count was a shambles and we were the last county to return the results.
The EU elections were sabotaged against UKIP from the start. The ballot sheet was long and there was a sharp tear-off crease near the bottom so that the UKIP name was folded behind out of sight. Many people throughout the UK thought UKIP was not on the sheet and so voted for someone else.
Evenso, the results on Sunday should be very interesting.
Yes, I could see no practical reason or need for that tear-off crease. But I think those who, perhaps for the first time - and I am one of them - had taken the considered decision to vote UKIP, would have found the name on the form.
Glad to hear that Margot. A similar thing happened in my area with many of the first timers for UKIP getting 2nd place.
UKIP certainly caused a stir in our counting hall, particularly as they were standing in these county council wards for the first time.
Thanks for the follow up Norman and Helen. Yes, Norman, I too could see no reason for that sharp tear-off crease at the bottom of the ballot paper. Interesting too, Helen, that sharp eyed UKIP candidates are now within the counting halls and certainly causing consternation.
I absolutely do not trust this present EU ballot any more than I trust our EU controlled parliament. The fact that the ballot sheets have been stored out of sight for a long time before the count commences is also cause for unease.
The EU fear UKIP and have good reason to do so. We can expect continuation of many dirty tricks as the coming General Election approaches.The EU controlled media will continue to distort facts and also give much TV air time to the vote splitting Greens; as they did this time.
As was expected, the UK Tories are in a powerful position now. However, they are bowing slightly to public opinion by planning to sit their MEPs elsewhere in the EU Parliament. They are looking for bedfellows, but if they really are serious in the vague hints that they are "looking" to leave the EU, they would surely sit with their fellow countrymen of UKIP.
They have an ideal opportunity now to influence repeal and reorganisation of the UK parliament and while doing so, they should tackle the corrupt set-up in the House of Lords. All EU engendered laws are automatically passed through the House of Lords. It is written into the Lisbon Treaty that if EU citizens, [as we are now considered to be], do not obey EU dictates, they can lose their pensions. There are an uncomfortable number of retired politicians drawing fat EU pensions in the Lords now. We really do have no democratic system left and the EU controlled Whips continue to direct both Houses.
Time for the Tories to prove that their leaders are not also in the pay of, and fully commited to, the corrupt self-serving EU mafia.
Interestingly, on average, our six UKIP council candidates took 20% of the vote and this loss was shared fairly equally among all three main parties.
Ann -
You say:
"Because the majority of humans now think the same way as the rabbits!"
You mean 'Green' ?
God, I DO hope not: the 20th century has been one long struggle against the forces of Fascism, Communism, and all the other ghastly 'isms' so beloved of the Controlling Tendency.
I HAS hoped that even 'the majority' had begun to learn something from History - at last.
Was I wrong ?
That should read 'HAD hoped', of course..........!!
No Martin I dindt mean the Greens on this occasion, any outfit that helps against the suffering of animals gets my vote.
I was being sarcastic in relation to the comment about 'appreciating the regular meals and the security of living in a large hutch or run'.
I equated it in relation to the smoking ban zombies who accept big brother diktak without question.
Now that I see it, guess I confused everybody!
Ann -
Ah..............
I'm with you all the way about the Suffering Of Animals - except for New Labour Swine.
Nonetheless, I think Simon SHOULD have a quiet word with his bunnies: I'd hate to think that they'd been got at...............there's a LOT of unscrupulous people about these days who enjoy instilling Daft Ideas in Unformed Minds (and they don't ALL work in schools).
Outside of Nature, GREEN generally signifies three things:
a)Envy
b)Stupidity
c)Sea-sickness
Who needs it, frankly..................?