Politics: April 2005 Archives

Whilst on a cycling trip last month to the charming medieval hall at Purton Green in Suffolk (pictured on the left) I decided upon how I was going to use my vote at the forthcoming general election back in Cambridge.

Having watched our current Labour government back an unpopular war and also not make any headway for being on target to meet our Kyoto CO2 emission targets I felt an urge to vote for an otherwise under-represented party.

I shall be voting Green this election.

Some people have said that this is a waste of a vote, but what is the point of democracy if you only vote tactically? (We could discuss the issue of proportional representation vs the current "first past the post" system, but I shall not cloud the issue)

Here in Cambridge 25% of all trips are by bicycle, the highest in the country. I think we are in the best position to demonstrate how the Green Party could practically champion environmental issues here, without being detrimental to our quality of life. I am surprised that the people of Cambridge are not more concerned about global warming, we live in a relatively arid county, and we are not that far above sea level, so we are more vulnerable than most.

Traditionally Cambridge city has been a very safe Labour seat, but I hope that voters will break with tradition and shift the balance here at least.

As reported in the Daily Telegraph today, and unfortunately not a hoax

News just in from Norfolk where the education chiefs at the council have drawn up some new guidelines for religious education teachers.

These guidelines are up for approval in the council in the near future, and in them teachers are being given all kinds of useful advice for their teaching methods.

One succint piece of advice is to refer to the "Western Wall" rather than the "Wailing Wall" in case children mistakenly think that Jews are moaners.

It is advised that muslims are not shown in photographs "holding swords, kalashnikovs, etc", to avoid any connection between Islam and terrorism (as if anyone needed any advice on that front)

Sikh's and Hindu's also come in the crossfire of political correctness. Photos of Hindu holy men caked in mud are also out, lest they give the impression that it is a religion for "weirdos or masochists".

Any reference to Sikh kachs needs to be done carefully, as without preparation, "they seem to some like merely voluminous underpants and can give rise to a poor response".

Christians also get their fair share of madness, with guidelines suggesting that teachers should scrap the use of the term "Old Testament" as pupils may believe its contents are no longer relevant.

Finally, it advises not to mention that communion bread and wine represents the body and blood of Jesus Christ, in case pupils think that Christians are cannibals.

Quite, and there was I thinking that education standards had gone down the toilet.