Are you politically ambidextrous?

[percy toboggan]

Left and right...those old divisions...polarised poltical opinion. Well they just don't seem to work anymore.
Take me for instance. Some of you write me off as an auld right wing reactionary. In some ways I am. I'd stop all immigration forthwith - and I mean ALL of it,apart from a few exceptional requirements and I'd prefer Britain's population to mirror more 1938 than 2008. I think more prisons should be built and recidivist offenders locked up ad infinitum with an option of assisted suicide....especially those who inflict physical pain on others.

I'd probably be in favour of a return of corporal punishment in schools, and what happens in the home - within certain parameters is no concern of any government.

That said I firmly believe in workers rights and the organisation of labour...I detest the current stigmatisation of council house tennants and have republican leanings - after the demise of solid, dependable, over privileged Elizabeth . I'm an egalitarian and think the planet deserves more attention than it's had these last hundred years.

I want us out of Europe too - the 'Union' that is...whilst still maintaining cordial trading links with most of our neighbours.

So, do your view reflect this non-pigeon hole hotchpotch, or do you you lefties buy into the complete package? Are you right wingers all dismayed by the very mention of a 'minimum wage ? Is my politico-schizoid mentality unique? I doubt it.

I just wondered....like yer doo.

[Bobinovich]

I'm with you Percy in that a one-size-fits-all political party is no longer enough - I want multiple choice options!

Maybe it's time for all political parties to be disbanded and the country run by the people, for the people, with a voting handset in every household, so the populous can be involved as little, or as much, as they want!

OMG - just spotted a pig flying...

[Gleber2]

Good Grief!!!!!! I agree with you!!!!

[scotsboy]

I think that is the problem with Party Politics, it just does not reflect or represent the majority of the population.

[Angela]

I've always been pretty much a floating voter though I always vote.

I vote for the candidate, not the party, but I've never yet found any one candidate that I agree with on all issues!

[NickInTheNorth]

Whilst disagreeing with many of the individual "policies" you support percy I too agree that the current party political quagmire does nothing for anyone other than those in elected office.

I would like to see MP's elected on their personal views on real issues that effect real people. Let's scrap poltical parties, and let's scrap the current "whipping" in parliament. We have no real input to the parliamentary process because MP's are all career politicians who cannot afford to upset their political masters.

Perhaps we need to elect an upper house for 5 or 7 years on non-party grounds and have them as the final decision makers.

Let us then have a lower house composed of non partisan individuals that are elected on a 2 or 3 year basis. They might not be so quick to write off the wishes of "their" constituency if they knew that upsetting them might see them out of office sooner rather than later.

[Valerie Campbell]

Politicians put me off politics.

[Kenn]

If I could tell the left from the right then I might be ambedextrous and as for the centre ground, is n't that where you kick the ball off in sport?

Quite frankly many politicians need kicking into touch and I think they should be reviewed by their constituents every year and given the red card if they transgress.

They need reminding that we the electorate pay their wages and like any employee if they don't come up to the job then out you go.

[percy toboggan]

We should remember that M.P's do not run the country...they merely serve to hold Governments to account, and to represent their constituents interests. Some do a good job. Currently though they are a discredited bunch, due to the antics of some unsavoury money grabbers within their ranks.

I wonder how many of them do tow the party line - mentally, but due to career protection never voice their disquiet at policies they do not agree with. Hypocrisy or prudence? Whichever, we are often ill served by the system....although I'm pushed to think of a better one....brighter minds than mine required.

[oldchemist]

There is a recent report in "New Scientist" magazine, of research which claims that at least some of the basic conservative/liberal mind-set may be genetically determined. They don't mean con/lib strictly in the UK political party sense, but in a set of beliefs and preferences which aligns individuals more closely to one side or the other. Scary or what?

[Riffman]

I think that PC should be picked from the public in same way that Jury Service works. They should then have to be an MP for a year.

It would cut out the cronyism, and inject some reality in politics!

But that will never happen as long as the goverment is still run by the same people year after year....