David Jardine c/o Scottish
Green Party, 3 Lyne St, Edinburgh, EH7 5DN
i.
what do you think is the most important issue in this election?
The war on Iraq is the most
important immediate issue in this election because the people who
did it are still in power and we have had no assurance that they
will not do it (or similar) again. Climate change is ongoing and
more important still.
ii.
why did you make the decision to stand in this constituency and for
this
party (as an independent)?
I live here (Black Isle,
in Ross, Skye and Lochaber) and I am a long-term member of the Green
Party. The decision to stand, in itself, was because of the need for
anti-war candidates to make their voices heard and to remind the
electorate of Labour's huge failing in siding with the United States
in the illegal, anti-democratic and unnecessary war on Iraq.
iii.
what kind of vote are you expecting on May 5th?
A good one.
iv.
aside from the vote what are you hoping to get out of this campaign?
Weight loss - at least
7lbs, perhaps a stone.
v.
in your view what is the greatest threat to our civil liberties at
the
moment?
Nouveau Fascism
and Identity Cards.
vi.
Blair has taken us to war three times since coming to power (not
including
the occasional ad hoc bombing raid) in the Balkans, Afghanistan and
Iraq.
Can war ever be justified?
Yes, but only as a last
resort and the means must be proportional to the ends. A massive
conventional military attack on a civilian target or a nuclear
attack on any target would rarely, if ever, by morally
justified. Protagonists are, anyway, required by the laws of war to
minimise casualties, especially civilian casualties. And killing
people to liberate them is just plain stupid.
vii.
There is very little left to privatise in this country, if you had
your way
what would be brought into public hands.
The railways - to make
them work again.
viii.
Some environmental campaigners have started talking about nuclear
power as a
way to bring down CO2 emissions - what do you think of this?
Are they environmental
campaigners? They obviously haven't done their sums. For a so-called
non-fossil fuel power source, nuclear creates quite a lot of carbon
dioxide (in construction - cement production is one of the worst
carbon polluters - and suchlike). Remember Chernobyl, and Three Mile
Island ... and Windscale.
ix.
Asylum and immigration will be central issues in this election.
What action on this issue would you like to see the next government
push
through?
Tackle asylum at source. Why do we
have friendly, co-operative relations with countries from which
people have to flee for their lives? Some international arm twisting
could be useful. The next government could also
promote inaction, i.e. a relaxed attitude to immigration.
