Let's Work Together

Right, listen up! This is not about party mergers or coalitions. The aim here is to make June the end of May so we can avert Brexit, or at least hard Brexit.

The name of the game towards that aim is the prisoner's dilemma. It's game theory. More about it here: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NdITTDl5coE

I want to be clear. I'm not suggesting party mergers or coalitions. Just the mathematically sensible application of game theory to defeat May and hard Brexit...

To make June the end of May, we figure out which progressive candidates have a chance & we choose not to oppose them. We support them.

No mergers.

No coalitions.

The target outcome is a minority government, which would need to compromise & play nice to achieve anything at all.

Are you going to tell me minority govts can't/won't work? I'm Canadian; we think they're pretty normal. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minority_governments_in_Canada

If any of the good MPs in bad parties are deselected, we stand aside. We support them as independents or make room for them in our parties.

And, naturally, we do everything we possibly can to make sure Prime Dictator May herself is unseated.

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Please Do NOT Vote for Article 50

Dear [MP's name],

I'll keep this short as I know how full your inbox must be.

You have been elected to serve as a plenipotentiary for your constituents. You have a responsibility to act in our best interests. It is my belief — based on a careful study of the issues — that no Brexit is good for the UK. Leave won the referendum with a slim majority. They did so with lies and by playing to people's fears. 

Half the people in this country don't want any kind of Brexit. Of those who do want it, some want to remain in the Single Market. There is no mandate for hard Brexit.

Theresa May intends to turn this country into a tax haven. Goodbye workers' rights, goodbye environmental protections, goodbye international security, goodbye science and research, goodbye banking industry, goodbye jobs, and goodbye economic stability. Wave a fond farewell to the NHS.

There is a way to prevent this. The power is in your hands. We do not have to do this. Please join the growing number of your fellow Labour MPs (e.g. Owen Smith, David Lammy, Neil Coyle, etc.) in saying you won't vote for Article 50 unless and until certain conditions are met.

Thank you.

[Your name]

[Your address]

[Your postcode]

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/labour-mp-owen-smith-says-12500331

Sent from my iPhone

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Can you spare £18k?

Dear [MP's name],

According to research by Credit Suisse, the UK has reduced household wealth by £1.2 trillion. That's £1,200,000,000,000. 

Put in more comprehensible terms, that's approximately £18,400 per person.

Do you have a spare £18k to lose without batting an eye? Perhaps Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, Rupert Murdoch, and Arron Banks do. I know I don't.

Let's stop this madness. Vote no to triggering Article 50.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/nov/22/brexit-vote-uk-household-wealth-credit-suisse?CMP=share_btn_tw

Regards,

[name]

[address]

[postcode]

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Massive opportunity to destroy the UK

Dear [MP's name],

I'm sure you've seen the news.

http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2016/11/15/john-mcdonnell-backs-brexit-enormous-opportunity-britain

Labour today promised to get behind Britain's exit from the European Union, saying they now believed Brexit is an enormous opportunity for the country.

The only thing Brexit represents is an enormous opportunity to destroy our unity, civil rights, workers rights, social services, and economy.

You are a good MP and an intelligent, responsible person. The Labour Party you know and love is no more. Please reconsider your decision to stay. 

Our government needs you, but the Labour Party doesn't want you. If you don't want to join the LibDems, join the Greens, start a new party, open a London branch of the SNP — something, anything. 

Please, for the survival of the UK, consider this.

Kind regards, 

[your name] 

[your address]

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Sleaford and North Hykeham By-election

Dear Lincoln, Sleaford, and North Hykeham Liberal Democrats,

As you know, Stephen Phillips' resignation as an MP was due to irreconcilable differences with Theresa May's government on "child refugees, keeping the UK in the Single Market and the Government's reaction to the Brexit court case to name but three." 

This is our chance to show both the Tories and Labour how reasonable adults behave.

Lincolnshire had some of the highest Leave results in the UK. They're not going to elect a pro-EU candidate — but they might elect one who opposes the worst kind of Brexit. They might elect one who opposes May's totalitarian regime.

I know that Labour have so far refused to cooperate or work together in Richmond Park. This is our chance to be "the bigger man".

Together we can create a more open, inclusive, educated, engaged society, in which everyone has the tools to improve their own lives. Together we can defeat the cataclysm of Brexit — or at least a hard Brexit.

I implore you, please do not field a candidate in the Sleaford and North Hykeham by-election. The harsh reality of this constituency is that neither a LibDem candidate nor a Green one can win. Only a Labour candidate can defeat the far right.

Reject hate. Embrace openness. We don't need to agree on everything, but we must work together to bring our country back from the brink of self-imposed destruction.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Shannon Clarke 

CC: Tim Farron, LibDem Press Office, More United, Vote for Europe, Open Britain, InFacts, Vote Leave Watch, CommonGround, Represent Us

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Which Is Worse?

I am not American. I have never lived in the US. In the past two decades I've probably spent a combined total of 48 hours there, mainly inside airports.

And yet…

The American presidential election — this American presidential election — is happening on the world stage. It affects us all.

Over the past few days and weeks, I've been growing more and more frightened about this election. I genuinely don't know which outcome is worse. No, I don't mean I can't tell whether a tax-dodging, misogynist, fraud-committing, xenophobic, narcissistic, fascist, homophobic, vain, racist, vengeful, angry, hateful, paedo-rapist cult leader is better or worse than a competent woman who happens to be a bit stern-looking. I'm not a moron.


What I mean is, which is worse:
Donald Trump wins the election and single-handedly sets about destroying the country and the planet?
or
Donald Trump loses the election and his rabid hordes of supporters run riot — raping, pillaging, burning, and murdering everyone and everything in the country?

Genuinely, I do not know.

I know the election will be closer than it ought to be. I know Trump has more supporters than he has any right to. I know the left hates Hillary and many will abstain rather than vote for a candidate who is further right than they would wish. I know many on the right can't bring themselves to vote for a candidate from the "wrong" party and so will abstain. I know many people have bought into the line that she's corrupt and untrustworthy (in spite of all evidence to the contrary) and so will either abstain or vote for the Orange Hitler. I know that many people are frustrated and alienated by the current political establishment and will "protest vote" — much as a similar set of people did here in the UK a few months ago.

I'm terrified for this world and everyone in it.

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Together We Can

Dear Ms Lucas, Mr Corbyn, Ms Sturgeon, Ms Wood, and Mr Farron,

Zac Goldsmith's "resignation" from the Conservative Party and the forthcoming by-election in Richmond Park has created a massive opportunity for all progressive-minded political parties. This is our chance to show the Tories how reasonable adults behave.

Together we can create a more open, inclusive, educated, engaged society, in which everyone has the tools to improve their own lives. Together we can defeat the cataclysm of Brexit — or at least a hard Brexit.

I implore you, Ms Lucas, Mr Corbyn, and Mr Farron, please field one candidate between you. The harsh reality of Richmond Park is that neither a Labour candidate nor a Green one can win. Only a LibDem candidate can defeat Mr Goldsmith.

Ms Sturgeon and Ms Wood, obviously you won't be fielding candidates, but I urge you to lend your support. You have the respect of a great many people in London. An endorsement from either or both of you would have weight.

Reject hate. Embrace openness. We don't need to agree on everything, but we must work together to bring our country back from the brink of self-imposed destruction.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

(Your name here)

CC: More United, Vote for Europe, Open Britain, InFacts, Vote Leave Watch

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