Letters - 1 May 2015
From voting to online criticism
Which way to vote?
Are you still undecided which way to vote at the general election? Or, if you think you know which party to support, how sure are you that its policies really are the nearest to what you believe?
Then visit voteforpolicies.org.uk and encourage others to do the same. So far, 565,000 people have tested themselves on this site (in 2015). It is funded by well-wishers and the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust and is entirely independent. It is a valiant attempt to reinvigorate our electoral system.
This site allows you to do a ‘blind’ comparison of the policies of the main parties – you do not know which policies belong to which party as you decide which policies you agree with most.
All effects of conscious or unconscious bias are thus removed. You can select one or more policy areas that are of most interest to you. ‘The policies come from the political parties themselves – in their own words… It is important that we do not alter any of the wording so that the style and tone of each political party is retained.’ (FAQ section)
Importantly, the site also says: ‘We will be creating a follow-up service to track the performance of whichever party (or coalition of parties) is elected, and report on their progress against their manifesto promises… we believe… that focusing on policies can help bring our democracy back into the hands of the people.’
I have also written a brief paper with ideas for and against tactical voting, which might interest some people. I am happy to send this to enquirers.
Daniel Wimberley
jerseycycletours@hotmail.com
Is your Meeting’s library available to all?
Reading matter in audio format gives access to those who cannot hold and/or see printed matter, even in large print. It may also be the choice of those who prefer to use their hands and eyes for driving, ironing and so on.
Some may wish to listen while walking or running. So, audio reading is useful for many of us but is the only option for some. For extended reading, the human voice is much easier on the ear than the sort of electronic voice produced by modern technology.
Please think about expanding your Meeting’s reading matter to include audio versions wherever these are available. When buying literature, if we always ask suppliers and publishers for audio versions as well, the extent of interest will become apparent with the hope that supply will respond to demand.
Where commercially-produced audio material is not available, Talking Friends (http://talkingfriends.org.uk) have been recording Quaker journals since the late 1980s. They offer subscribers access to a library service. They are currently in the process of transferring recordings from audio cassettes into digital formats.
Their range of recordings depends on their resources of volunteers and funding.
Alan Johnson and Chris Love’s article gives more detail about this service.
Please think how your Meeting’s literature can be made more accessible to all who might want to read it.
Jackie Fowler
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