by Polly Toynbee

Dear Readers of The Filter^

In the run up the election Anthony Evans has aked me to write something
contrary to his usual line.

If you are thinking of not voting Labour (or Lib dem, BUT ONLY where
that is the most effective anti-Tory vote in your constituency) just
consider that the people who would suffer most from a Tory win would not be
T Blair or anyone responsbile for the war. It would be the bottom 25% of
the population who have seen the biggest jump up in their living standards
ever under one government through direct redistribution. The top 10% have
had a 1% drop to pay for it - worth a lot of cash.

New Deal, Sure Start, tax credits, hospital and school improvement now
coming on  stream would all stop within a short time. The poorest would
become the next collateral damage of this bad war.

So Vote Blair, Get Brown before long. Hold your nose and keep out the
worst: then join Make Votes Count to fight for proportional representation.
This election is too important to waste by spoiling your papers.
If you find it hard to do this, just email me and I'll send you your
personal nosepeg
[email protected]

Polly Toynbee is a columnist for The Guardian newspaper, and was the Political Journalist of the Year in 2003.
You can find her articles here.

Comments

[astralcars]

The top 10% have only had 1% of their wealth deducted? Given the negligible nature of that 1%, why stop there? Just deduct wealth until the living standards of both groups are more or less equal. Redistribution for the sake of redistribution seems to be the goal, after all.

Additionally, I wonder proportion of that bottom 25% are so poor that they can't afford shelter or food. Inequality in itself is no gague of absolute poverty.

In any case, it's good to see a high profile journalist around :)

[Matthew Whitfield]

Thanks for that, Polly. I think that for Filter^ readers that live in marginal (or anything approaching marginal) constituencies you've given them sound advice. A Tory government would be a disaster for this country. I, on the other hand, live in Liverpool Riverside constituency which has a pro-war, pro-Blair excuse for an MP, who also happens to have an unassailable majority. So, I have the luxury of being able to indulge in some principled voting and I shan't be supporting a government and a Prime Minister I'm profoundly disappointed by. I admire those who don't have this luxury, and who have to wear their nose pegs and get on with the difficult job of voting Labour. Having recently left the Labour Party I could hardly be so hypocritical as to vote for them anyway.

I have decided that I value my vote too much to spoil my paper, so I'll be voting for the most appropriate protest party in my constituency.

Anthony - can Polly become a regular contributor?

[AJE]

I don't think that's for me to decide! I'm delighted she was willing to write this piece for us, and I've told her that she's more than welcome to do so again.

[TIS]

Thanks to Polly Toynbee, for this (and for thoughts on reactions to the Pope's death in the weekend's Guardian).

I am in a curious position, as I shall be voting in Bristol West - a 'three-way marginal', which Labour took from the Conservatives in 1997, with the Lib Dems edging into second place in 2001. A vote for anyone might let in somebody else. My heart tells me to vote for the lukewarm old Labourish MP here.

Any thoughts or advice appreicated.

[Matthew Whitfield]

In your position, Tom, I'd certainly vote Labour, especially as your appear to have a sitting MP of quite some integrity. I don't know if you're already familiar with this, but I've found www.sonowwhodowevotefor.net a very useful resource. John Harris, the author of the book from which this website has sprung, is unequivocal in his support for 'tactical' voting - a slightly sordid term, but nonetheless a useful tool in this painfully unfair electoral system we have. Good luck anyway, I'm sure you'll make the right decision for you and for Bristol West.

[TIS]

Thanks, a useful site. My 86 year old landlady (a former Communist) tells me I have to vote for Valerie Davey, the Labour MP.

[Silviu]

What do you guys think of someone like Ms. Thatcher? Would you have supported her in the 80's, seeing how she was a conservative, and not a fan of large government? Is redistribution for its own sake “better” today than in the 80’s? If so, why?

[yang]

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[walter]

Wow, a post on the Filter from someone whose opinion actually matters....