My imminent defection

Greener pastures?

There have been many suggestions that I have Tory sympathies, my support for Coalition policies mean that I, like our leader, may be a subversive Blue in a Gold cloak.

It is indeed true that I have more sympathies with the right and in my misguided youth my ideals were somewhat Hobbesian on a good day and on a bad day... Well I may have inferred once or twice that it was not up to us the citizens to question the rulings of our betters.

That has all changed over time and the naive teenager is, thankfully lost in time. However some of my beliefs, especially when it comes to Justice, can be a bit more right wing.
With Cameron's new Diet Conservative party it would be fair to say that my more centralist and left wing views would now be welcomed under the broader church of Conservativism.

Also it is believed that I am an ambitious politico with designs on Council and Parliament and lets face it the Liberal Democrats aren't going anywhere and if I want to progress then clearly being a Conservative is the way to go. Medway Council is dominated by the Conservatives and there are a number of safe seats that I could stand in.

Of course though none of this is true.

I am Libdem through and through.

I do sit firmly in the centre ground of Politics with urrings to the right and left of the spectra depending on the issue. I also fully grasp the position of the fluidity of Democracy that Ms Dorries missed the other day. I believe in talking to residents and doing what they (or a majority) want or what is in their best interests rather than being nailed to a rigid ideology. What is good for one ward is bad for another.

Although the Conservatives, and now Labour, have moved more into the centre there are still elements of the party I could never reconcile with. This element or the Peter Bone wing and I would never see eye to eye. I also do not believe that private companies running services are a good idea. Privatising the Roads and charging tolls for example is a completely opposite stand point to me. Although I do agree in competition to encourage services to improve within the NHS and Royal Mail.

I'm also not ambitious in that way. I never have been and never will be. I will run again and if I get in I will work hard for my ward but I have not got the arrogance to presume I'd get into Council let alone through selection  let alone Parliament!!! Anyone who swaps party for that reason and that reason alone is not the sort of person you want to elect as clearly they are self serving.
Also, on a local note, I don't think I could ever see eye to eye with Councillor Jarrett and I do disagree with policies run through by Medway's Conservative dominated Council and have done so vocally here and indeed the now (in)famous Clegg City status letter!

I'm afraid I have to disappoint my critics - I am a Liberal Democrat and I believe in Liberal Democracy, I Agree with Nick and I have no intentions of jumping ship at all and being proCoalition doesn't mean that I compeletly agree with everything that comes out of Westminster except on the broader sense. Afterall no Government makes 100% correct decissions.