• Where do you stand on the Digital Economy Bill? Would you support a repeal?

This Bill and the way it was rushed through is disgusting.  the parties collaborating on it proves that they are all just puppets of a greater power. The internet is clearly a last stand for freedom of speech and expressing views and now this is being curtailed.  Big Brother is watching us and does not want us talking amongst ourselves - I think we can all see that now. 

• Where do you stand on the Hunting Bill? Would you support a repeal?

Lets put one thing straight here.  Being against hunting is not a class thing.  Is anyone against croquet? No.  It is because people with any sense of compassion for the creatures that we share this planet with do not think it is right to persecute and animal purely for entertainment.  And this is not about protecting chickens either.  Hunts BREED foxes to ensure they have something to chase. This is disgusting primitive behaviour and I am against a repeal. 

• What is your position on Post Office closures?

It is shocking.  Post offices have been a key ingredient in our society for a long long time and EVERYTHING necessary to ensure their continuation should be done.

• Where do you stand on climate change? Do you intend to deliver the current target of 15% of renewable energy by 2020, and if so, how?

I do not think the target of 15% is anywhere near high enough.  I see our position like a freeze frame of an oblivious pedestrian with a dropped grand piano ten feet above their head. 

If we do not do the right thing today you need not worrry about your children - you need worry about yourself.

So start with relaxing planning rules on solar panels and approved silent wind tubines for private residences. Turn off 4 out of 5 street lights after midnight. Introduce cheap hop on hop off minibus services - no bus stops and no timetable necessary.  Start building deep sea turbines - the whole Atlantic ocean moves back and forth four times a day - that is a lot of out of sight out of mind energy!

• Do you support the building of more affordable housing in your area and if so, would

 you support the relaxation of green belt rules to accomodate it?

I believe that houses are a necessity and that the time has come to put an end to people speculating on them.  Houses should ONLY be HOMES.  I would make a ruling phasing a change that to own a property the owner must live in it.  There are plenty of houses in Dorset - just that many of them are owned by people in London - this has to stop.

• Would you support a rise in VAT?

No. If we need to generate more tax then it is time for the rich to tighten their belts.  Introduce a maximaum wage of, say, half a million a year and tax everything above that at 100% If you can't get by on half a mill then something is wrong with your priorities.

• Where do you stand on the issue of acadamies

People don't want them. People are worried about them.  Poeple like things the way they are. Stop all this meddling and start listening to the people!

I hope you can print these answers in their entirity.  If not please let me know what you plan before hand as I do not wnat a shortened version that misses the points I am making here.

thank you

Andy Kirkwood

Movement for Active Democracy

YOUR COUNTRY - YOUR FREEDOM - YOUR POWER - YOUR CHOICE

Barred from participating in a pre-election debate for not being main stream

Firstly - thank you - thank you - thank you - you wonderful people for commenting on the blog - I cannot tell you how much it means to me to get your comments and they are soooooo GREAT!!!! I am not alone!!!!!!!!  What a relief!  I apologise for not updating as often as I should - it is not becasue I do not have anything else to say!  Election time is upon us in the UK and I am underfunded and overstretched!! (unlike my girlfriend!)

Following are responses that I wrote after having been excluded from a pre-elction 'husting' debate that was open ONLY to the three big parties - even though I am standing on equal and level ground - or should have been if I were living in a democracy.

Message to the press:- 

I don't know if you are the right person to be talking to but my name is Andy Kirkwood and I am standing in the South Dorset contituency for the Movement for Active Democracy (M.A.D.) on the platform of updating and reforming our 800 year old democracy so that the people can be involved in frequent referendums using modern communications (sms, internet, touchtone) that were unavailable in 1215 when Magna Carta was written.

I recently went to a Q+A meeting for the National Pesioners Convention and to my surprise and disgust was refused the opportunity to answer questions from the floor with only the 'big three' being allowed to talk.

This was particularly crushing as the meeting was held as Swanage Middle School and I am the only Swanage based candidate! Also my platform is for democratic reform for a fairer system whereby the people can have their say on anything - thereby putting them in charge of the government and in control of how their taxes are spent - and I wasn't allowed to talkjQuery15204518726665753245_1315567243109 That smacks of bias and control don't you think? Where are we living? Romania?? (apologies to Romainians here!)

I enclose the card that shall be sent to all households in the constituency and I have a 'democracymobile' that shall be going round. 'Cut out your MP middleman and vote for yourself!' 'Become a voting shareholder of Great Britain plc!'

Please do not be misled by the image I have provided - this meant to be an attention grabber but the message is deadly serious.

I believe we cannot instigate change through changing a party - it is a change, or at leat an update, in an ancient system to include, not disenfranchise, the people that shall make all the difference!!

Please let me know if you are interested in running a story or if not who you think may be better placed to.

the ballot paper shall read 'Go MAD and vote for yourself'

Thanking you for your time

Andy Kirkwood

Movement for Active Democracy

So - Aragorn or arrogant? - you decide!!  It is so hard to get media attention here in the UK if you don't iron David Camerons underwear or clean Gordon Browns toilet you really can't get any lineage at all - oh dear - is this what mankind has aspired to?

following is my note to one of the orgaisers who was clearly feeling bad about it all - and quite right too!!

Dear T, I am glad you understand it was nothing personal on saturday - I am still smarting from that very poor decision - at least it seems I am far from alone in the sense of indignation!!

Yes - I hear what you are saying about the picture - it is a pretty good attention grabber though isn't it?! And if people are talking about it then regardless that is a good thing! You know what they say - there is only one thing worse than being talked about. . . . .

Ironically - my whole message is about NONE of us having any more power than anyone else - including me - and further, and I know you are going to struggle with this fact here - doing this is just about the LAST thing I want to do! If you want to know I made a 'deal' with God and the pitch and putt is not about golf - it is about giving me the freedom of a working financial platform so I could dedicate myself to this cause. That is also why I do not have young children as I couldn't afford the distraction. You can of course choose to believe this as a message from the heart or some party propaganda - up to you.

I only do this as a matter of conscience as I truly believe that unless the system of democracy is updated to allow the people to participate properly NOTHING is going to change - and frankly we are running out of time to put things right - mother nature is already firing her warning shots across the bows - I think just about everyone can see that now, and we only need look back to Copenhagen earlier this year to see how reluctant the men in suits are to stop putting money before all of us.

Unless a dramatic move is made in the direction of true free and fair democracy it wont matter who you or anyone else votes for - it is an illusion of choice and the government will get in - the colour of the rosette is academic and our hopes and aspirations shall remain just that.

It amazes me - here I am trying to wedge the barn door open and encourage the battery hens to run out into the sunlight and I receive such doubt and apathy!

Perhaps you shall choose to be free range after all??!

I appreciate the mail

Regards

Andy Kirkwood

Movement for Active Democracy

YOUR COUNTRY - YOUR FREEDOM - YOUR POWER - YOUR CHOICE

By the way the UKIP man is right (maybe not to stand on that single platform as it is rather limiting) Metaphorically - with regards to Britains inclusion into Europe - what we were sold was a holiday (which we all celebrated - I was there!) and what we received was a jail sentence (which is filling many of us with dread and sadly I am still here). Both would give us the chance to be away from home but they are clearly two very different things.

Mark - I am a fan and I love what you do.  This message is important as it has the power to elevate your vote for a change campaign to another level - please take a few minutes to consider this proposal.

My name is Andy Kirkwood - I am the leader of a registered party called the Movement for Active Democracy (M.A.D.) at www.voteforyourself.co.uk where we advocate only one thing, allowing the people to force and propose referendums on everything from home using sms and internet.

Under this simple banner we promise to give every one of us our democratic birth right to choose, to be treated as an adult and to filter and change the hidden itineraries of our MP middlemen and to propose policy for ourselves.  One person, one vote, no exceptions.

Currently the people of Britain are like an army camped outside the citadel of government, dashing against the walls by protesting, writing, speaking, singing and persuading, but inside the men in suits, smug in their impregnable fortress, have no wish to listen and even less will to act.

These actions are all worthy, but if the government have their own agenda, and they do, they have limited impact and can never truly win the day.

What is needed now is 646 brave foot soldiers who are willing to attempt to get into the government citadel to open the gates and let the people flood in.  A Trojan Horse.

Just one person willing to stand in each constituency, promising the people complete democratic freedom for the first time in history and it could become like Beatle mania!  You could change the forthcoming election result now, and for all time.

There is not a moment to spare.  This is the idea, and you have the power to enlist the candidates, the invading foot soldiers.

I would be delighted to stand as your candidate for South Dorset - so now we only need 644 more!

Please consider this proposal carefully.  Don’t dash yourself against the walls, lets get inside and lets do it for ourselves!

Regards
Andy Kirkwood
Movement for Active Democracy (M.A.D.)
kirkwood_andy@yahoo.com