A very valid question was raised today by a local man whose views I respect (I thank him) . The point raised was one I have been struggling with too and as he has brought it to the forefront of my mind I thought I would address it promptly and honestly, as best as I can. Be damned with the prospective backlash!
A few of years ago I stood for the County Council under the Libdem banner, I did so to ensure that the county council seat was not handed to its previous incumbent without being contested. I didn’t expect to win, but I wanted the existing incumbent to have to meet his voters and justify his re-election. I felt very strongly that, should the existing incumbent remain , that he remained because he was voted into the seat. The importance of this being two-fold. The community should have the opportunity to vote him out should they wish to and He should be able to defend His actions in the knowledge that He was/is the voted in representative.
I chose to stand as Libdem rather than Loony for several reasons, the primary one being the huge respect I have for the local Libdem team. At the time that would have been Roger Williams as our local MP and Kirsty Williams who I am relieved to say, is our AM. I also did so as I knew I would have the support of local politicians who represent our small rural community with the energy and respect it deserves.
Why then, would I choose to stand in the Welsh Assembly Elections 2016 for the Monster Raving Loony Party and against the Libdems (or more accurately against Kirsty). It’s a good question. It doesn’t seem fair.
However , here are my reasons
I was beyond words when Roger Williams was voted out and replaced by the Conservative MP, Chris Davies. Roger (and Kirsty) are seemingly the only politicians who regularly and publicly show support on a daily basis for the concerns of the constituents of Brecknockshire and in particular, Llanwrtyd Wells. As I suspected would happen, I feel that Chris Davies has not been seen since (although I am sure some may feel differently). I suspect we will not have the opportunity to get up close and personal to our Conservative representative again until he is campaigning for his seat.
I have been a Loony Party member for some years, reconciling my involvement with the fact the Llanwrtyd was the spiritual home of its founder and leader, Screaming Lord Sutch, and feeling that my interests in tourism, and the eccentricities of LW that generate much of its tourism trade sit very nicely alongside a large and loud Loony population.
I am also completely and absolutely dissolutioned and despairing of the political system of the UK and feel very strongly that its structure, position and voice fails to truly represent the majority of its population. I particularly feel that in Wales; in rural Wales; in Llanwrtyd Wells; we are of no significance to Westminster or the Welsh Assembly. Mostly I feel the political system is insane and in an insane system voting left, right or liberal will have no baring or benefit to us as individuals.
The system doesn’t make sense. And when it doesn’t make sense and it doesn’t represent us the only thing to do is protest and the best way I can protest is with ridicule. And that is why I am standing as a Loony.
Today I was called an anarchist for trying to fight for the bank… not because of the fight but because I was fighting to cause Barclays as much inconvenience as I can prior to what many believe is an inevitable conclusion. Maybe I am an anarchist. I prefer to think of myself as a socialist, an activist, a compassionist. I do it to give (in my own small way) a voice to the little people. I’m brash, I’m loud. I’m tenacious. Many of you may say I’m annoying . But there are people in our communities who do not get heard. There are people who are not ‘up to speed’ with modern technology. There are those who do not want to and shouldn’t have to be ‘up to speed’ with it. There are elderly people living isolated lives; young people who can’t afford a car or maybe don’t have access to a computer; people who don’t feel they can speak out; people whose voice is too quiet to be heard. There are people who do not have the energy to challenge the system or feel there is little point in doing so. I feel that I am fighting for their rights , if they want my fight to be about them. I’m not doing it for notoriety. I do it because I care less than them about how I will be perceived. I do it because I think it’s the right thing to do. And I do it because I can.
I guess I am very political. I can’t bear injustice of the individual or those within our small community. I don’t think that a political party, a corporation, a financial institution should put profit above all else. I believe that these groups, who benefit from the individuals in a population, should have some sort of moral obligations that may not necessarily help maximise their profits but might make the lives of small communities and specific groups a little better. I don’t think that any of our political parties have the individual at the heart of their policies.
I believe there are individual politicians that may… Kirsty Williams and Roger Williams being two such individuals.
And if I thought that standing in this failing system for the Libdems would make a difference I would possibly do it. But I don’t. I think that the system deserves ridicule and for that reason I shall be standing as Lady Lily of the Monster Raving Loony Party in the Welsh Assembly elections in May 2016
Kirsty knows I am a Loony Liberal. I apologise if my standing might affect her vote count. I do, however, very much doubt it. I also apologise if by association I might be an embarrassment! If you are in Brecknockshire I would say (as I dare to do so), for local issues, vote for Kirsty, but if you don’t plan to vote for Kirsty, then maybe consider voting for me…..
