John Hemming MP as LibDem leader?

[Billhook]

John -

I hope you'll stand for the leadership and I wish you the best of luck on it.

I share Clv's view that there are large areas of valuable political territory which the LD party could occupy, given a leader with insight as to our real predicament, and the courage to ignore some of the taboos of UK politics -

For instance -

It is absurd to sympathise with Charles K's 'illness' while gaoling those addicted to illegal addictive drugs - So shift the penalties to act against those pushing addictive drugs (who are not themselves addicts) as a suppression of the contemporary form of Slave-Trade - and tax the Brewers' shareholder-profits for the full cost of drink-related healthcare.

It is perverse to suggest allowing the problem of excess atmospheric carbon to get worse for the next two generations - i.e a 60% cut by 2050 - as it wholly ignores both the genocidal and catastrophic economic impacts this target entails. So commit to a (sigmoid) Contraction rate and a Convergence date and invite other nations to do likewise, as the basis of a "Partnership of the Willing" to start formal negotiatiation of the requisite Treaty of the Atmospheric Commons.

It is bizarre to consider pumping huge new funds into the primary fossil energy - Nuclear Power - when its host of problems remain unresolved and other options' research and development have yet to receive even 1% of the support Nuclear has consumed. So establish a crash program of energy development with options selected under the criteria of Sustainablity, Global Relevance, and Local Legitimacy. [Both traditional Coppice Woodland for Energy (reforesting the uplands) and Offshore Wave Energy would do well under such a selection criteria, and, as potentially major new sustainable industries, could attract unprecedented popular support].

These ideas are offered only as examples of the sort of policy developments that seem to me to be both needed and increasingly recognized by the electorate, but which neither Tory nor Labour can begin to accomodate. It would be a real change to see even a leadership candidate calling for them, and a Godsend to see them raise the party's profile as its formal policy.

All the best,

Billhook

[GD]

Sent a reminder and request to support John Hemming today. I've posted the text here: Campaigns thread

GD, if you don't mind me asking, where are you moving to?

I bet Mr Sanders is fed up of all your letters... I can picture you at 4am every day writing another letter to him... he's probably got a special bin marked "GD"... Heh heh just kidding

I'm not going far - only to Ivybridge (10 miles out of Plymouth). So will keep up to date with goings on in Totnes. Plus I'll have a Tory MP to pester now. Should be fun.