Ben's view on the Tories this election

I have been reading "The Greater Londoner", which has appeared just in time for the London elections following a poll which shows that the Tories (I don't call them Conservatives because they have been radically attacking our society) might win.  However it's interesting what the Tories haven't mentioned

• The word Tory or Conservative, though they point cheap jibes at "backwards" Labour several times they somehow pitch themselves as above politics.  The only time the word Conservative appears is in the small-print.  The printing is done by a "Plc" and almost certainly the production was funded by tax-dodgers.  The Green Party pay their tax and don't hold investments in bad businesses.  Zac and Boris are notorious slackers and Zac is so "independent" he never drew a salary in his life.
• Climate change:  No doubt they are of the opinion that this issue is not their strong point.  Any serious climate change action would mean tackling vested interests and seriously reforming or replacing capitalism (an other word they don't dare print).  They talk about trees, greener, future, cleaner, electric cars (ffs) and protecting green spaces that "we love" - yet all these principles go out the window if you look at their flagship project in West Hendon estate: None of the promised parking for electric cars, no consent from the local community, not even consultation when York Park was built-on, including our lovely trees felled one by one.  They would not get away with these violations of the peace in a well-to-do area.
• Air pollution: an other thing the Tory mayor and assembly are in total denial on! VW was just the tip of the iceberg of their deception.  Even if Matthew Offord gave a pig about air pollution they would not listen to him because the environment is their third priority after transport which means it does not come before transport.
• London's car crisis: Roads, freight, traffic congestion! Congestion charge anyone?? The new river crossing you would think from what they write, will be a garden bridge with new homes on it as well.  They talk about cycle safety in quite a victim-blaming way.
• The Green Belt
• The word "affordable" in relation to housing.
• The fact that this is also a London Assembly election.  Whilst the Mayor is important to the main two parties, and has most of the power in the GLA, the Assembly "holds the mayor to account" and is elected by a more proportional system.  You can vote green as your first preference on the orange ballot paper and elect greens.  It will make a really big difference because only about half of people event turn out 
• so your registering to vote can make a the difference between 2 and 3 Green Party politicians elected to represent all of London.  Even if Greens don't have any seats on your local council, a Green vote makes a big difference!   This doesn't stop the Tories sneering at the Green Party in private though, claiming we're on benefits and so on.

The leaflet does mention arts and culture.  Simon Jenkins wrote a piece recently saying that London doesn't need Simon Rattles concert Hall, or a £20bn HS2 Crossrail line going north-to-south.  The fact is that under a Tory Mayor and a Tory Council, the Church Farmhouse museum in Hendon Church End is still a blight when before it was a museum which I enjoyed!  This won't be one of the 81 museums that now have wi-fi.  It's a disgrace and the only way to hold Boris and his mates to account for the loss of this place of cultural heritage, is to vote Green on the orange ballot for the common good and use your other votes to get the Tories out.  The Tories are responsible for the loss of Libraries and it's Tory councils who've been degrading our primary, secondary and further education, with the London Tories' political support.
I talk a lot of anti-capitalist rhetoric about how aweful Plc's are, such as armaments companies, and eco-stream, and fossil fuels, but my belief is that the people have the power.  It's our choice in our workplace, in our lifestyles, and at the ballot box, when we fall for neo-liberal politicians, to hand that power over to corporations.  That is why they make such good campaigning targets the rest of the year round.  Ultimately the reason I've always been a Green Activist is because petitioning companies, leaders and politicians to green demands can only get us so far.