Seeing the title of this post by Alix Mortimer reminded me of the reason I am trying to avoid reading the comments on websites such as Political Betting and UK Polling Report at the moment. They are getting so repetitive, and usually run along the following lines:
Original post: Don’t you think the new Liberal Democrat idea to make eating carrots compulsory is great? This will really make the party stand out in the future.
1. geoff – this is the wrong question. Do people not realise that under a land based taxation system…… [etc etc etc zzzzzzz....]
2. vege sandal wearer – this is the first time I have posted here. Does anyone know if they mean organic carrots or just any carrots?
3. anonymous – who cares, it’s the lib dems?
4. friendofmarx – this is just further proof that the lib dems have now become another conservative party.
5. a nonny mouse – the real problem for the Lib Dems is that they are too left wing. What they need is someone like David Laws as leader, then they will be a credible party again.
6. iwanttokissdavecameronsarse – well there won’t be any Lib Dem MPs after the next election anyway as the current opinion polls, combined with tactical voting by Labour and UKIP, plus with the extra 10% in the polls that the Conservatives will get when people realise what an excellent PM David Cameron will make, means that the Lib Dems are now doomed forever. In my own constituency of Southwark & Bermondsey the Conservative message is going down really well with people now and I really think our candidate, once we have selected one, is going to get at least an 8,000 majority with Simon Hughes falling to fourth.
7. bloggersforchris – iwanttokissdavecameronsarse is talking rubbish. When Chris Huhne becomes leader of the Liberal Democrats the party will pick up at least another 300 seats next time. Chris already has the other parties worried due to his radical left-wing credentials and his dynamic and outgoing personality. The Lib Dems have a bright future.
8. bloggersfornick – what are bloggersforchris and iwanttokissdavecameronsarse talking about? When Nick Clegg becomes leader of the Liberal Democrats the party will pick up at least another 400 seats next time. Nick already has the other parties worried due to his radical liberal credentials and his way of reaching out to people who are liberals but don’t yet vote for us and due to his infectious cheery manner. The Lib Dems have a bright future.
9. iceman – not the Lib Dems again, why not concentrate on serious parties.
10. dolce vita – so would Nick Clegg provide these carrots with vouchers? It’s time people were given an answer.
11. mamma mia – I think 2 raises a really interesting point there. If you look at the history of carrot growing, and the late boom in vegetable growing in the 1960s, then you will see how it gave Eric Lubbock a big boost to his campaign in Orpington. With a standard allotment co-efficient then the Liberal Democrats could be on to a winner with this. Assuming standard electioneering techniques and tactical voting by Green voters.
12. you cannot be serious – has anyone seen this story about Ian Blair: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dodgycoppers. Looks like he’s doomed to me.
13. anonymous – lol
14. anonymous2 – well done Lib Dems for bringing up this important issue.
15. roger the lodger from next door – Oh come on? This idea is ludicrous. What we are calling for is to make carrot eating compulsory. But there is a lot of evidence that broccoli is better for you. If we go ahead with the current proposal then the other parties will raise the problems we had two years ago with the Eurocarrot. Perhaps what we need is a referendum, or maybe a all-party royal commission to debate the issue. I am glad that someone has raised this though as it is very important to debate the choice of vegetables that we are consuming. I trust that Vince Cable, who is doing an excellent job I might add, would be doing everyone a service by looking at a policy paper on this.
And so it goes on and on and on…..
14 responses so far ↓
Jeremy Hargreaves // 12 November 2007 at 9:37 pm |
This is really great – I enjoyed this a lot and laughed so loudly people looked in at me from the street. Well done!
Gavin Whenman // 12 November 2007 at 9:43 pm |
Yes… just, yes.
Eat your greens // 12 November 2007 at 10:26 pm |
10 – dolce vita, don’t you know, that vouchers would enable only rich and middle-income people to buy carrots, in such an inequal society the less privileged people would be condemned to a life sentence to eat radish.
Now Chris Huhne would empower local communities through their elected representatives to grow and distribute carrots in council-owned farms, which would ensure, that even the most deprived people would get their carrots.
Geoffrey Payne // 12 November 2007 at 10:46 pm |
My name is Geoff, and “Land based Taxation” is something I am particularly ignorant about. Just for the record.
Anders Hanson // 12 November 2007 at 11:25 pm |
Any resemblance to people living or dead is purely coincidental.
Actually I didn’t have real people in mind when I wrote this, but I am sure people can find some similarities.
Joe Otten // 13 November 2007 at 9:10 am |
Why is Eat Your Greens still trying to perpetuate the smear that Clegg is a supporter of US style carrots, after all his research into better funded and more equitable European carrots, still free at the point of peeling.
Alix // 13 November 2007 at 10:54 am |
I’m going to reserve judgement on the carrot policy until I’ve seen how it will work at grassroots level. Will local parties be able to set quotas? Is there an opt-out for individual wards where there is a strong ethnic culture of kale-consumption?
The trouble with enforcing carrot eating is that you make it incumbent on people to devote a certain amount of their capital – in the broadest sense, energy consumed in chewing, culinary creativity etc – to carrots. Now, my experience from doorstepping in London that up to 70% of Lib Dem supporters prefer cauliflower, and amongst activists the proportion is even higher. I know, I know, you’re going to tell me London’s atypical and you’re right. But if the net result of an already prescriptive policy is that our own membership has less freedom to express their preference for cauliflowers, well, that’s a bit of an own goal for liberalism IMO.
Top of the Blogs: The Golden Dozen #39 | Liberal Democrat Voice // 19 November 2007 at 7:06 pm |
[...] Those blog comments we all love to read on Anders Hanson’s blog. One of the (too few) amusing postings to have come out of the leadership [...]
Chris Gee // 19 November 2007 at 8:05 pm |
Jolly good show Anders. I say has anyone thought of updating that old hat bird of liberty logo to something more crisp. I think that Hanson fellow may have hit upon something. Carrots are a similar shade to our party colour and have the added bonus of a dash of green at the top.
Joe Otten // 20 November 2007 at 12:30 am |
Chris are you suggesting something like this:
http://davenicebutknave.blogspot.com/2006/09/how-to-identify-trees-from-large.html
Whatever-ishere // 21 November 2007 at 5:15 pm |
thanks for the GREAT post! Very useful…
gainimidsses // 6 December 2007 at 1:47 am |
hm.. nice post dude..
Idetrorce // 15 December 2007 at 2:02 pm |
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce
Cibwride // 17 February 2008 at 12:42 am |
Morning mum, he said, You off soon?