Running

In September 2007 I found myself in the living room of my first post-university house in Bristol.  As days went by I eventually managed to meet all of my housemates and introduce myself.  One night a few of us were in the living , I think we were watching CSI in the background.  Not knowing a huge amount about each other we asked each other what we would like to be in 10 years time.  A teacher came the first.  A businessman was the second one.  Then there was Prime Minister as the final answer.  That was myself.

I was almost as surprised as my housemates, who gave me a kind of disconcerting as though I was a megalomaniac.  I only knew there was a glimmer of truth in it myself.  Did I want to be an MP?  Certainly, but Prime Minister is a different ball game.  I am not even anyway near being an MP and the 10 year timetable I seem to have set myself since 2007 now stands at 4 years.  It is conceivable to be elected as an MP in those years, but without the assistance of a future coup d'etat, PM is almost certainly a near impossibility. 

Looking back on my impulsive declaration to my housemates, much has changed since then apart from the scrapping of my hairbrained semi-serious political timetable.  I do not as it stands fully identify with any of Britain's political parties, the big 3 included.  Historically I stood with the Liberal Democrats and indeed there are many Lib Dem MPs and councillors I proudly speak up for.  While they have put some useful reforms through while in coalition government, which they will never get credit for, I get the feeling that something has changed in the party.  Some of the MPs have become too pro-establishment and too hard skinned towards the public to whom they used to be more approachable.  Power changes people, and if I am elected into political office I am sure power will change me too.  But I will endeavour to remember not to bite the hand that feeds me.

So as it stands I have one of my goals to run for Parliament at some point in my life.  I must stress this wont be any time soon.  Financial restrictions aside, as it stands I feel I am simply too young to stand now.  I need more life experience, which informs my own developing political views, which are never concerete.  As John Maynard Keynes said "when the facts change, I will change my mind.  My political views generally hail from the left although the possibility of progress through practical centrist politics fascinates me.  I started out as my Tory friend once called me as a "wacko commie".  After coming to my capitalist senses, due to growing up and talking to my friends on the right my views have moderated.  But some of my views associated with the hard left remain.  I remain a secularist and a republican.  I am also ethically against the use and maintaining of nuclear weapons.  I think a few Tory friends of mine are hoping these ideals will chip away in time.  With all respect to them I know different.  Some views are just a part of who you are.

So why do I want to be an MP?  The short answer is, I would like to help people and as many as I can.  I would like to help people with their bread and butter issues.  I also want to renew peoples enthusiasm with politics.  I hate political apathy, but I can see why some people feel it is easier just to sit on the sidelines.  I dont because instinctively I am a fighter and an unashamed political nerd.  But many people dont get involved because they dont feel knowledgable enough about our system.  I think this is very sad.  I want to be an MP, but I dont know everything about our system.  Even many MPs are lacking in expert knowledge, not in the least about the issues they are voting on.  I think the healthier attitude is to get involved and freely admit that you are learning as you go, and more importantly want to learn more, even from your ideological opponents.

As it stands I am playing around with some democratic reformist ideas.  Needless to say this includes a vision of Britain with an elected Head of State.  But more short term are some ideas that have been around since the foundation of democracy.  Ancient Athenes had a system called Ostracism in which voters could decide to exile a select number of elected officials for 10 years.  The idea behind this was to ward off possible tyrants and deter career politicians who dont pull their weight.  I am experimenting with the idea that we bring this back in the form of a 10 year ban on politcians being able to hold political office.  In addition I am considering promoting the idea of ballot initiatives, the public voting on laws that they choose to do so.  All of these ideas lie within my Radical Party manifesto, a continous work in progress.

So this is all to come one day.  Along with my plans to finally finish my novel (pending my plans to edit it to avoid possible lawsuits).  I am in no hurry with to accomplish either of these plans.  I am not going anywhere and I plan to live a while.  In the meantime I hope to embark on a career within the International Development sector, likely as a researcher and sit back and enjoy life.  I will marry the woman I love, read and watch my country's journey through the years. Then I will prepare for one of the biggest challenges of my life.  I am looking forward to it.