The Pirate’s Revenge – Democracy in action

DEMOCRACY!

This is the desperate cry going out on Twitter and blogs with the recent voting in of the Digital Economy Bill, as if democracy is something you buy down at Tescos, and is always instantaneous and as fast as our broadband connections. The moaning cry seems to suggest this is the end; and that we have no hope.

Forgetting strangely we have in less than a month a chance to kick the politicians in the ballots? Remember that these politicians that have ignored 20,000 of your letters and have made it clear that their interests are purely corporate are looking for re-election, some with marginal seats.

You CAN do something: vote them out. YOU can make them aware that you’re not happy, and make sure your local candidates don’t support the DE Act by asking questions. Make sure they know YOUR vote hangs on it.

So let’s mash cross reference some data – marginal seats data is from Electoral Reform and newspaper sources, and attendance for the vote is from Hansard.

Unfortunately the main protagonists who voted yes are all in fairly safe seats, still worth voting against as you never know, a large swing could destroy their majority:

• Jeremy Hunt – SW Surrey – turncoat and lastminute supporter of the bill
• Ed Vaizey – Wantage & Didcot
• Lyn Brown – West Ham – teller for the Ayes

but quite a few are marginal – here’s the Hall of Shame of London MPs that voted for DEBill who are in marginal seats:

• Glenda Jackson – Hampstead & Kilburn – my MP
• Ann Keen – Brentford and Isleworth
• Tony McNulty – Harrow East
• Gareth Thomas – Harrow West
  
• Frank Dobson – Holborn
• Saadiq Khan – Tooting
• Martin Linton – Battersea
• Clive Efford – Eltham
• Alan Keen – Feltham & Heston
• Jim Fitzpatrick – Poplar & Limehouse

Other marginal, 3 ways or possibly close marginal seats whose MPs voted for DEBill include (some might be standing down, sorry I don’t have time to check each one!) – vaguely alphabetical on constituency:

• Mark Tami – Alyn & Deeside
• Geoff Hoon – Ashfield – Liberal Dems longshot, maybe vote for them?
• John Hutton – Barrow in Furness
• John Mann – Bassetlaw
• Simon Sion – Birmingham Erdington
• Joan Humble – Blackpool North
• Dave Anderson – Blaydon – Liberal Dems longshot, maybe vote for them?
• Ruth Kelly – Bolton West – she’s standing down though
• Barry Gardiner – Brent North
• Ian Cawsey – Brigg
• David Lepper – Brighton Pav. – standing down this election
• Kerry McCarthy – Bristol East –  Twitter csar and party drone – teller – LD longshot, could fall? Hope so.
• Doug Naysmith – Bristol North West – standing down
• Kitty Ussher – Burnley
• Janet Dean – Burton – standing down
• Tony Wright – Cannock Chase – standing down
• Martyn Jones – Clywd South – standing down
• Kali Mountford – Colne Valley- standing down
• Jamie Reed – Copeland
• Phil Hope – Corby
• Jim Cunningham – Coventry South
• Laura Moffatt – Crawley – standing down
• Howard Stoate – Dartford – standing down
• Bob Laxton – Derby North – standing down
• Margaret Beckett – Derby South – Liberal Democrat longshot
• Ian Austin – Dudley North
• Ian Pearson – Dudley South
• Stewart Hosie – Dundee East
• Gavin Strang – Edinburgh East
• Andrew Miller – Ellesmere Port
• Liz Blackman – Erewash – standing down
• Ben Bradshaw – Exeter
• Paul Clark – Gillingham
• Ann McKechin – Glasgow North
• Michael Jabez Foster – Hastings and Rye
• Tom Levitt – High Peak – standing down
• Greg Pope – Hyndburn – standing down
• Chris Mole – Ipswich
• Ann Cryer – Keighley – standing down
• Des Browne – Kilmarnock – standing down
• Roger Berry – Kingswood
• Gillian Merron – Lincoln
• Kelvin Hopkins – Luton North
• Doug Henderson – Newcastle North – standing down
• Dan Norris – North East Somerset
• Michael Wills – North Swindon
• Mike O’Brien – North Warwickshire
• Charles Clarke – Norwich South
• Phil Woolas – Oldham East
• Linda Gilroy – Plymouth Sutton
• Sarah McCarthy-Fry – Portsmouth North
• Martin Salter – Reading West – standing down
• Richard Caborn – Sheffield Central – standing down
• Derek Wyatt – Sittingbourne & Sheppey – standing down
• Angela Smith – South Basildon
• Stephen Ladyman -South Thanet
• David Kidney -Stafford
• Barbara Follett -Stafford
• Alan Williams – Swansea West – standing down
• David Wright – Telford
• Andrew MackinlayThurrock – standing down
• Alan Campbell – Tynemouth
• Mary Creagh – Wakefield
• David Winnick – Wallsall North
• Bruce George – Wallsall South – standing down
• Bob Blizzard – Waveney
• Mike Hall – Weaver Vale – standing down
• Rosie Cooper – West Lancashire
• Karen Buck – Westminster North
• Ben Chapman – Wirral South – standing down
• Stephen Hesford – Wirral West
• Michael Foster – Worcester
• Barbara Keeley – Worsley
• Albert Owen – Ynys Mon

And here are the heroes who voted No on DEBill who have marginal seats – maybe you should thank them by supporting or campaigning for them? After all, these were part of the 47 who are our friends (well friends of Internet freedom, anyhoos).

• Paul Burstow – Sutton & Cheam
• Lynne Jones – Birmingham Selly Oak – Liberal Democrat long shot
• Dai Davies – Blaenua Gwent
• Nick Palmer – Broxstowe
• Mark Lazarowicz – Edinburgh North
• Andrew Dismore – Hendon
• Andy Reed – Loughborough
• John Leech – Manchester Withington
• Lembit Opik – Montgomeryshire
• Dr. Evan Harris – Oxford West
• John Grogan -Selby
• Colin Breed – South East Cornwall

Cmon kids, let’s show them how angry we are – remember you never cross a pirate cos s/he never forgets? Let your campaigning PPC or MP know how unhappy you are…and also ask why they didn’t vote, if they didn’t.