Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Birmingham voting

Can I just say that I have real issues with the criticism of the recent report on rigged voting in the Birmingham elections last year. Not because they did not rig the votes - I have no dispute with the notion that rigging occurred. Not because at a local level this wasn't systematically tolerated and at a national level was blind-eyed - it was. But to elide from what happened on a local level to make the statement that "The LABOUR PARTY" was behind this, as if it was somehow intentionally set up as a means to defraud the intentions of the electorate... that takes it too far. Sorry.

EVERYONE benefitted from the poor system introduced, not just those who won and were challenged. There were and are internecine battles between racial and religious groups being fought in the area that were exploited by both those who won and those who challenged the results. The results were terrible and a shame to all with belief in democracy, but to phrase the blame against the Labour Party in the way it has been doesn't do the argument any favours.

No comments: