A letter from John Marjoram to the Stroud News and Journal:
“The photo on the front cover of the SNJ last week shows a Police officer behind a selection of illegally collected weapons, gathered in a gun amnesty. I thought how great, just to cut down on potential injury. Then my vision stretched to a photo of a dismantled Trident. Not only completely illegal, but a weapon of “mass destruction” costing billions to maintain and further billions to replace.
Of course, I was dreaming and my heart sunk because the Tories, Labour and Libdems all want to retain it – despite it being controlled by the US. At a time when we are told that the cuts in public services will increase by 60%, knocking us back to 1930s levels. At a time when already 2.3 million children are living in poverty, 600,000 people are hit by the bedroom tax and we have 1080 food banks open to people, some of whom are in work. At the same time as mental health services are on a knife edge.
I have no time for Farage, however, one thing he says rings true and that is the old established parties are crumbling. In their wake comes UKIP on the political right, and to the left of Labour, come the SNP, Plaid Cymru and the Greens.
These three parties have a certain affinity between one another. To start with, they all have quite courageous female leaders in a male dominated political arena. All three parties firmly oppose nuclear weapons and the neoliberal policies of Austerity – which only makes poor people poorer. Further, Plaid Cymru and the Greens totally oppose Fracking. While the Labour Party intend to continue with Austerity measures, would not ban Trident and are pro fracking!
In the May General election, the SNP will rout Labour in Scotland. Plaid Cymru will gain a few more seats and I predict, a plural number of Greens entering the House. Such a radical grouping would help invigorate and challenge the right leaning status quo of our current Parliament that still favours investments in weapons rather than public services.
Voters, the decision rests in your hands?”