Have calmed down now from my ranting about the London election. I like to think I’m entitled to one post-election rant every four years. All done now.
On the positive side, I do think Mr Johnson was gracious to make that speech praising Mr Livingstone on his defeat. And I’m also really glad the raised profile of the election made for a much higher turnout than last time. Incredible to think Ken actually polled more votes than he did in 2004, and still lost.
I’m pleased to have friends and readers and Diary Angels from all political corners (well, except the BNP), and want to keep it that way. It’s the old Quaker saying – wanting ‘a sense of all conditions’. When I stood for council election in 2006, the people I got on with the most were all Tories. They just had the nicest manners. We had to agree to differ over the politics thing, that’s all.
Ultimately, I respect everyone who voted at all. It’s those who didn’t bother that I feel more strongly about. I want to show them that exhibit in the Museum Of London, a looped film of suffragette Emily Davison throwing herself under the King’s horse at Epsom, again and again and again. How anyone can come away from that without resolving to always use their vote till they die is beyond me. People were imprisoned and died while fighting for the right to vote. In some countries, it’s still the case.
Ms S and I went to see ‘Persepolis’ at the East Finchley Phoenix tonight. It’s the animated story of a woman’s childhood in Iran, where she lived through one revolution and one war. Pretty political stuff, making you thankful for enjoying such stability and comparative liberty in the UK, or so I thought.
While walking back to Highgate, Ms S told me she didn’t vote last Thursay. She said she doesn’t really follow the news and so had never bothered to register. I moaned at her – albeit smiling, in semi-jest – and begged her to sort it out for next time. Just as well it wasn’t Friday night.
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Here’s a newly uploaded video of Fosca (self, Rachel Stevenson and Charley Stone) performing an acoustic version of ‘It Only Matters To Those To Whom It Matters’. It was filmed in a Stockholm cafe, in late March:
http://blogg.svt.se/psl/2008/5/2/musik-med-fosca
