Leaders' legacies - Letter to The Observer 18.12.08

Dear Sir

Andrew Rawnsley is spot on regarding the need for our Prime Minister to be bold enough to leave a positive and long-lasting legacy, especially in terms of our nation’s infrastructure (If we’re going to spend, then let’s invest in Britain’s future – Observer, Comment, last week).

For too long successive governments have lacked vision in their policy making and, instead of investing in long-term initiatives, merely offer short-sighted, short-term, and wholly inadequate quick-fix solutions to address our need for the high quality public transport, energy and communication systems that Mr Rawnsley suggests.

However in order to be politically bold you have to be politically brave and make decisions, for the common good, that may well require political sacrifices. This would involve having to challenge influential groups such as the road lobby and airline, energy and communications companies, while making some tough choices that may well upset part of the electorate into the bargain. Sadly there is no politician on our political horizon prepared to make the ultimate political sacrifice, which is to relinquish power.

Yours faithfully

Ashley Gunstock
Leading Spokesperson
The Green Party - Redbridge

Celebrity Politics

Letter to the Observer – April 2005

What a sad indictment of British politics it is when a handful of celebrities is compelled to justify the re-election of the tawdry New Labour government - 'Just Labour', Observer letters - 3 April.

It serves to illustrate the level of desperation to which we have politically sunk when we are advised to support an administration whose record - regarding the economy, public services, crime, and social issues & change, after eight years in power - fares marginally better than that under the Tories, or what's on offer from the Lib Dems.

Furthermore just what are these lights of the entertainment world who say that they opposed the illegal war in Iraq thinking? To suggest that the Middle East is more stable after the initial hostilities and then to endorse the man who was, along with George W Bush, jointly responsible for prosecuting them, is folly in the extreme.

And finally, to be duped by the talk of their preferred leader, regarding the most important issue of all, namely Climate Change, while ignoring the fact that their party of 'choice' is actually implementing aviation and road building policies that will exacerbate the problem, shows a collective ignorance of the situation and a complete abrogation of responsibility that beggars belief.

Perhaps it is time for a change, but only of the political climate. It is time that voters stopped looking to the least-worst option on offer at the forthcoming General Election. Instead of choosing between the 'Big 3' parties the electorate should go forth and go Green...

Ashley Gunstock