Comments on: Why the Greens dominate Bristol’s online politics

By: Charlie Bolton

Charlie Bolton — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:46:44 +0000

harryT says:

Friday January 29, 2010 at 9:32 am

All very true, but do they stand a chance in the national elections ? (No) And can they really win anywhere locally other than Southville ? (Unlikely). I say this as someone who now votes green.

Actually, there are a number of seats locally where the Greens get a significant vote, and we have finished second in a number of wards in Bristol West. Ashley is probably still the best bet after Southville. And of course if/when the LibDems stuff up, it sets us up nicely.

By: G Hartley

G Hartley — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:34:47 +0000

Has HarryT considered that the only reason the Greens may not do well in national elections is that eveyone who wants to vote for them thinks they may not do well in national elections?

Just to the north in Stroud District the Greens outpolled Labour & Lib Dems in both County & Euro elections with the Tories way ahead. Yet everyone expects a 2 horse Lab/Tory fight at the general. Tactical (i.e. negative) voting maintains the status quo which everyone is fed up with. Break the mould – Vote for what you want or you will never get it.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:35:23 +0000

Unlike all but one of the other people who left a comment I don't write a blog that was mentioned in your article.

Do you suppose that perhaps you are over estimating the power of these many blogs?

You do have a bit of a vested interest in saying blogging is great.

By: Kerry McCarthy

Kerry McCarthy — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:00:16 +0000

The Blogger has a rather parochial view of what constitutes a local issue. The reason I write on my blog about issues such as the Tory take on marriage, or their persistent use of the term Broken Britain, is precisely because I worry about the impact of such policies on the people I represent in east Bristol. I am a national politician after all, not a local councillor, and as a General Election approaches, I think it’s important to highlight just what a Conservative Government would mean for my constituency, rather than trying to think of something to say about First Bus that I haven’t already said a million times! As for Twitter, how about conversations around #gritforbristol?

Final point – I also have a website, as well as a blog – plenty of local stuff on that!

By: The Editor

The Editor — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:02:48 +0000

Hello Paul,
Apologies for the missing link – wasn’t a deliberate mistake and happy to include it for you.
Chris

By: Paul Smith

Paul Smith — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:55:42 +0000

Am sad that I am the only one not to get a link I wouldn’t accept the description of my blog either although that would be no surprise

http://bristolwestpaul.wordpress.com

By: harryT

harryT — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:32:55 +0000

All very true, but do they stand a chance in the national elections ? (No) And can they really win anywhere locally other than Southville ? (Unlikely). I say this as someone who now votes green.

Its a great shame as there is no doubt that the three mainstream options are almost identically awful, standing for nothing but election and with no apparent desire to challenge the status quo of rule by corporate influenced over paid bureaucrats.

By: Chris Hutt

Chris Hutt — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:14:25 +0000

Thatcherite! Moi!

I know I advocate market solutions, as opposed to state imposed non-solutions, but Thatcherite? I’d be turning in my grave if I was in it. On the other hand the Bristol Blogger has a shrewd eye for these things so maybe I’d better get used to the idea. The trouble is that Thatcherism still arouses such passions (mostly loathing I suspect) that being so labled more or less rules out being able to have any sort of rational debate about issues.

My personal discomfort aside, that’s an excellent piece of journalism by the Bristol Blogger. He’s spotted something very significant that had almost passed unoticed. Environmentalism has emerged as the real ‘challenge’ to the established order. Even mainstream Party bloggers like Paul Smith and Neil Harrison are strongly motivated by environmental issues, perhaps more so than the more traditional ‘isms’ associated with their Parties.

By: Bristol Traffic

Bristol Traffic — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:44:14 +0000

The Bristol Traffic team wish to deny that we are in any way a cycling blog. We exist to document the hardships that drivers in this city experience as a result of an uncaring anti-car council. To imply otherwise would mean that we are some kind of spoof, and by inference so is the Evening Post, as its text is little different from ours.