Radical Politics in Action – Shan Oakes for Haltemprice and Howden MP Update

Many people have called David Davis brave for resigning as MP to force a by-election over the 42 days detention saga.

After all, this is a by-election in a safe-ish Tory seat with the full support of a mega-rich party miles ahead in the polls, where the only two parties with resources to match are not running and the rest of the field is split between independents and small parties. It’s a hard knock life!

Nonetheless, there are people forcing Davis to talk about the issues, and widening the debate. Anyone who has been critical of people and then had to meet them face-to-face knows it can be hard to keep up the courage to confront them without causing a scene or getting over-heated, but it seems like the Green activists are doing this in Haltemprice and Howden.

Shan Oakes, the Green candidate, has met Davis:

David Davis appeared there too and he and I and the team had a little chat where we asked him why he’s a Tory and told him we want to open up the issues. He told us he would invite us to any events he holds and that he sees us as the only serious challenger to him. We said we certainly did intend to challenge him.

Another Green activist, Martin Deane, had this encounter with Davis:

Local secretary, Martin Deane, spotted David Davis (yet again, ‘by coincidence’ in a constituency of about 120 square miles), and tackled him on detention and his vote for war on Iraq. Davis said he was a Privy Councillor. So that’s alright then. (One million dead, 176 British troops, a country destroyed). Davis honestly held that the war was to bring liberation and democracy to Iraq. “It was about oil!” Martin came back, “It was planned. The Americans wanted Iraq from day one.”

Of course, these are issues that we need to confront Davis on in public too. That’s why I am encouraged that Shan has mooted the idea of public events with Davis, who will have to oblige to show that he is serious about making this by-election about the issues.

I would suggest a number of debates of particular issues. The first debate title would have to be ‘Why Is 28 Days Better than 42 Days?’. I hope Shan and the team can hire somewhere to host this event and then invite Davis and a large crowd along. It would get media attention and actually turn this by-election into the issue-orientated campaign that Davis promised.

Because real bravery and courage is in standing on radical principles honestly and openly, not resigning in a blaze of ego. Shan is doing just that and I wish her luck:

It struck me that if you mix red and blue and yellow – it makes brown! So, “the brown parties”, as I’ll call them, now have great difficulty making policies appeal to most people. And it’s because they are committed to a system that no longer works. If it ever did. We just cannot have endless growth. Full stop.

Keep checking back at Shan’s blog. Donations can be sent by transfer to Co-op Bank, Alfred Gelder St, Hull, sort code 089299, acc no 65169216, or by cheque made payable to Hull and East Riding Green Party to Hull & East Riding Green Party, 3 Norwood, Beverley, East Yorkshire, HU17 9ET, UK. Email bill@voice-international.net to inform them about your donation or to offer to help.