So finally, 2010. The General Election is now
just around the corner and for the next few
months we will be busy promoting ourselves
within our chosen wards.
Initially, The Animal Protection Party was
set up to test a new political ideology, to
fight anti-animal incumbent MPs who had a small
majority. It was hoped that this campaign would
unseat our chosen MPs and in doing so promote
the animal rights message. Since we launched,
several organisations have taken this principle
on board, notably several welfare and lobbying
groups like the League Against Cruel Sports and
other political campaigners such as Animals
Count.
However, we believe this General Election
will be like no other. There are too many issues
for people to contest, the Iraq War ,
Afghanistan, the economy (particularly the
bankers), the issue of Parliamentary expenses
and the possible repeal of the hunting act, to
name but a few. Against this background many
parties, independents and lobbying groups have
already registered their intent to stand or
support candidates in seats with small
majorities. Put this together with the
unpopularity of Labour (shown in most opinion
polls), and it could render our role
superfluous.
So what do we do? Do we take the easy
option, stand next to the, ‘Keep Our Local
Hospital Open’ candidate, get a 0.1% of the
overall vote and pick up a ‘just glad to be
here' award or do we stand in an area where the
animal abuse is so overwhelming that we expect
to get beaten up rather than win anything?
As with most animal rights activists, our
mantra has always been to go ‘where angels fear
to tread.’ And with this in mind we have decided
to attack the major animal abusers no matter
what their majority. We will stand in Oxford, in
Huntingdon, and in Vauxhall against Kate Hoey, a
Labour MP who also acts as chairperson for the
Countryside Alliance. We will also stand in
several other areas of key animal abuse still to
be confirmed.
For some people this may be political
suicide. For us there are only opportunities. In
a recent article in the Times Newspaper the
journalist reported that there were 900 staff
working at Huntingdon Life Sciences yet our
research shows that there over 80,000 who live
in that area and are registered to vote. Surely
even on an educational platform these kind of
odds are worth taking risks on.
We will be employing old school tactics. On
the box campaigning, distribution of leaflets,
knocking on doors and running stalls in high
streets. If you want to join us then please get
in touch, you will be most welcome. Remember a
lot of these places have become no go
campaigning areas since the erosion of civil
liberties but we have certain rights as a
political party and those rights will be put
fully into force as we take on the real demons
of animal abuse. Our time has come.
website:
http://animalprotec tionparty. com/
email:
info@animalprotecti onparty.com/
