Neo-Labour's Rubbish Bristol Election Push

Another day and another big of junk mail drops through my door – this time it is the election push for the Ashley Ward of Bristol by Labour – in the form of 'environmental campaigner' Paul Smith.

Paul, who describes himself as an 'environmental campaigner' leads the green charge by telling us about the results of a survey that reports 86% say it is cheaper for a family to travel by taxi than bus and 69% say that public transport is unreliable. No shit. But Paul is on the case, “I am writing to First Bus and the city council to show the results of the survey and demand action is taken...We need to put pressure on First Bus to deliver a better service including the introduction of through ticketing to allow people to get where they want to for a reasonable price.”

Hang on a minute – haven't Labour been in power in the council until a couple of weeks ago? Aren't Labour in power nationally and have been for over a decade now? Reports about the poor service and high cost of First Bus have been around for years and only now the Labour rep is banging on about it. If Labour were any good when in power, why is it not sorted?

So what else is Paul selling himself on? He claims to be the first mainstream politician to get involved in the cycle campaign. Hang on – all the politicians seem to be claiming this issue as their own.

Then climate change – an important issue – Paul says, “Now the challenge is to turn targets into action, I work in the environmental sector and want to be part of the debate in the heart of government.” Would this be the same Labour government who for the last eight years allied itself to the most significant anti-Climate Change activists in the world, the Bu$h regime. The same government who approved the third runway at Heathrow and who – via its proxy in SWRDA has, until recently, been using public funds to subsidise airport development in the region.

It is always a hard sell when Labour has been in power for over a decade now and you have to have memory wipes over things like Iraq. Not that I am writing this backing the Lib Dems or Tories – no – not at all, but the tone of Paul's electioneering is an insult to anyone who's memory extends further back than the last week.

Also the idea of the terms 'environmental campaigner' and 'Labour Party' are not ones that sit easily – especially seeing the recent repressive policing of real environmental campaigners while on Labour's watch.