New political group aims to make Wirral independent and legalise drugs and prostitution


A NEW political group aims to make Wirral independent from the rest of the UK if it can get elected.

The Wirral First political organisation has even been praised by a senior member of the influential think-tank the Adam Smith Institute.

The group aims to put up around five candidates in the forthcoming local elections in May and has a raft of controversial policies ranging from legalisation of prostitution and drugs to a private healthcare system.

However a spokesman said the group’s members believe low corporation tax to attract businesses to the borough and lower council taxes will be key to them gaining support.

The party hopes to take advantage of the lack of outright control of Wirral Council by any of the major parties with just a handful of candidates in this year’s local elections.

Wirral council is currently led by the Conservative group, with the support of the Liberal Democrats, after a recent vote of no confidence in Labour who had operated a minority administration since last year. Although Labour are the largest group they only have 30 of the 66 council seats.

Wirral First spokesman Ken Ferguson said: “Because the council is so balanced it would not take more than a few seats to have a lever on power.”

The group aims in the short term to contest the seats by saying they would “outsource all functions and make the council as small an entity as possible”.

He added: “In the longer term we hope to make the peninsula of Wirral an autonomous, self governing region within the United Kingdom featuring minimal taxation and maximum enterprise.”

Sam Bowman, head of research at the Adam Smith Institute, wrote on the thinktank’s blog that he was “not sure the Wirral will ever manage to achieve any of this” but added: “Why shouldn't it?”

Describing Wirral First as a “fantastic group – with at least one member” he argues that “new technology is rendering the nation-state obsolete and this will be the century of the city-state”.

Wirral First says should it gain power it aims to make Wirral a low tax haven for companies which could create a Hong Kong-style economy.

Mr Ferguson said what Peel are planning with their £4.5bn plan for Wirral Waters “fits in with our concept”.

He said: “We should be trying to attract more big companies to Wirral and lower corporation tax would be very attractive to them.”

Although small political groups and independent candidates have usually not fared well in many elections in Wirral the group is optimistic of its chances.

Mr Ferguson said: “We think we have got a lot of people interested, particularly in west Wirral, who are like-minded.

THE LIVERPOOL ECHO

If they take the Wirral out of Europe they'd get my vote.

Controversial it is .. but it may just work I like the legalize drugs part` it will put the dealers out of business and keep the rest of them monitored and out of our homes and out of trouble,lets face it drugs are to blame for the majority of theft not to mention the trauma there off spring are witness to growing up,ive seen it .. not nice,
could be a good debate this

Never happen.

It could be but it'd turn into 'won't somebody think of the children' faster than you could say .. oh wait nvm, too late

They seem like a bunch a right-wing UKIP nutters. The proposals on drug and prostitution legalisation mark them out as a little more interesting though than the usual blue-rinse muppets.

Prostitution isn't illegal in the UK so it shows how much you can trust their knowledge.

I'd love to see them to produce a full council budget of their plans, until they do, its just waffle.

It may not be illegal but it is effectively criminalised. Due to this, a lot of very nasty people make quite a bit of money out of other people's misery.

As for the "outsourcing of all council services", well that's just the usual Tory neo-liberal dogma that got us in the crap in the first place.

Maybe they could have their agenda to include Wirral's own currency, as Bristol have done, to help the local traders. Although,I dare say it wouldn't be acceptable in all the supermaret chains. That could be a bonus for them!



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-16852326

Its not criminalised at all. A prostitute is even allowed to advertise her prices in her window a newspaper or online.

I know that, but many of the related activites are illegal. For example owning or managing a brothel. Whatever the legal status of the "industry" at present, major changes have to be made to it. There is far too large a criminal element to it, most of it [all?] is untaxed and many of the ladies [and some men] working in unhealthy and dangerous conditions. Prostitution is never going to go away so we may aswell regualate it far better. The same goes for illegal narcotics.

That's an interesting idea, gran. I hadn't heard of the Bristol scheme before. It'll be interesting to see how much support they receive.

Bet they have their fair share of knockers though...

If they can't regulate things as they are, they ain't going to be able to regulate just by changing the rules unless it becomes totally unregulated.

Ray Mallen would have got round to it, but of course its not in the Police's own interest to end up with 90% of crime being wiped out.

If they get praised by a think tank then they don't need anyone to vote for them let them get the think tank to vote for them because I won't.

Vote UKIP

Is this an April Fool Joke build up?

I doubt it, but the vote would be a good one seeing as how we haven't got "None of the Above" as a choice. Could put the wind up the complacent incumbents if enough people did it, better than putting Lib Dem. I always vote as a matter of duty and would love a protest vote instead of not going out and doing it. A lot of people who object to stuff don't even go to the polling booth, that I do know.

I remember there was an April Fool done quite a few years back now on Granada Reports (I think?). They said Merseyside was going to become independent from the rest of the country, and did a really serious news item on it.

I was just about falling for it until they interviewed Ken Dodd and asked him about becoming Cultural Embassador!

Could have been worse though, he might have been nominated as Chancellor...

Totally off topic ...I apologise, but Geekus I have tried to PM you and I keep getting 'user not found' message - eeeek!

No worries. Will try and send one to you.

Click on the members name just above there avatar on the left of this message.
A drop list will show, and from there select "pm this user"

Hope that helps

None userplus accounts have limited size inbox.

I think it's disgraceful that the cops pick on prostitutes. They are earning a living in a most demeaning way already.

Drugs? Take what you want when you want. I have never used them, but I have no problem in doing what you want

That's because there isn't a none of the above option. The only way to protest is to not vote at all.

You could say 'why not vote for the green party or some other minor party' but why bother? They wouldn't win so the vote is effectively meaningless. Which is why I never vote.

If everyone refused to vote out of protest, what do you think would happen?

If you follow that logic, then they never will. I've voted Green in the past because they had the best candidate and many of her policies were very good. The first past the post system isn't the best but it's the one we're stuck with for the moment.
Fair enough, if none of the candidates have decent policies, then don't vote for them. However, if you agree with their platform, then vote for them regardless of whether you think they'll win or not. Anything else, in my humble opinion, is abdicating your repsonsibilities.

The way I look at it is that there are people in this world who are dying to try and get a vote. I just regard it as an abrogation not to go to the booth and I'm entitled to that opinion. Anyone who doesn't vote doesn't really have a say, even if it is not exactly what they want. Remember years ago at a Union vote for a shop steward, could't spoil the vote by not putting the requisite number of crosses, picked the candidates in order of pref and then got stuck so picked the least offensive. Everyone else seemed to have the same idea and the least offensive ended up in post and was a bit of a disaster. But, that's the system.

Agreed Bandy.

Women died for the rights of 'Votes for Women' in this country. we women should remember their plight. Also, if anyone had their vote taken away for not using it in elections, how would that make them feel?

I imagine that would be another political 'hot potato'

It's a shame we can't vote for our head of state too. Sadly no-one got to vote for Lizzy Windsor.

Shhhhh!

It was an example. I don't know anything abut the green party except they never get lots of votes. Pick any other party that only gets thousands of votes when the total number of voters is in the millions. The only party I would vote for (and I refuse to consider voting a 'duty') would be the Pirate Party because that's the only party that represents interests I care about. And they don't have a representative in our area.

Tony Benn for President! He may be almost 87 but he's got more integrity in his little finger than most of the ... that infests Parliament. Or if not, how about David Attenborough? A highly intelligent and ethical man.

Sorry, a bit off topic there.

Well if you don't know anything about the Green Party, how do you know they don't represent some of your interests.

Collectively, us British are far too apathetic. It seems that as long as we have Sky Sports and a pint of beer, then we don't really care what the scumbags in power do.

He's the left wing guy that wanted to scrap private education but sent his kids to private school and was a product of the private education system himself.

Apart from that he's pretty sound.

Well he's better than the muppets you keep banging on about. UKIP are a big bunch of rogues and looney tunes. They have no concern for the working class in this country. Indeed, they support policies that will further screw ordinary people.
And if you want to talk about hypocrisy, UKIP support privatisation which has led to most of our infrastructure being in foreign hands. "Yeah, lets bash the Germans but secretly flog them our power companies. Too many bloody Indians coming over here but they can have our steel and car companies for a few quid!"

Tony Benn? Champagne Socialist, comes from a privileged background and being a politician is better than working. If I remember rightly he objected to a public footpath passing his place on the coast, plebs might have been able to see him. If it wasn't him it was another high profile Labour/Socialist MP. Integrity? He's a politician for goodness sake.

I believe our current head of state, Lizzie Windsor, comes from an even more priveliged background than Tony Benn.

You may not like Tony Benn, that's your perogative. But if he was standing for President you would have the choice not to vote for him at the ballot box. Nobody had the chance to vote for or against Windsor.

If you want a politician with strong integrity, then Dennis Skinner is a good candidate.

You're wasting your time with me on this one T. 50 years, give or take, working for the Crown. Not even going to argue over it.

I think a lot of Republicans [myself included] are pinning their hopes on Charley Boy ascending the throne and messing it up! I think quite a few Royalists are also concerned about this too, hence the desire to skip a generation and go straight William and Kate.

La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.......

A thought-provoking point.

Ah, but if I told you what I thought you would fall out with me.

Spit it out Bandy, arguing is the entire point of forums and topics like this. It's what keeps the thread going.

Hear, hear! I love a good debate on the Monarchy. As long as it doesn't involve members threatening to kill each other, then no topic should be off limits.

T, never shirked an objective argument but sooner or later someone nips in and it gets nasty and personal so I just keep it general now, the light touch. Suffice to say I don't mind the Royals but opportunistic politicians (which is what politics is really all about) give me the screaming abdabs. Watching the politics every Sunday morning and it can be maddening listening to some of the shoit they come out with, but without watching it I can't form an opinion. I watch everything and read everything and still end up totally befuddled, that might be my advancing years though.

Good god touchstone, I wouldn't want ukip to get in power. I just want them to get a substantial vote so that the message that I don't want to be part of the EEC gets across.

Did you know that Tony's daddy had a title,1st Viscount Stansgate and a seat in the house of Lords? Tony also went to Oxford, he must have had very wealthy, upper class friends. So you see, they all mix in high circles together. Nothing to choose between them. He wasn't just an ordinary guy, but he did serve in the RAF during the war years.

p.s What do you think about Union Officials being members of the Communist Party?

Yes, I know Tony Benn's backstory very well. However, despite his background, Benn has stood for election on many occassions unlike Elizabeth Windsor and her family. There is the fundamental difference.

If a Union Offical is a member of the Communist Party then that is their business. Why do you ask?

i disagree. it would be alot worse. if there was no dealer's to lay them on until their next pay day and the addicts are having to buy it in a shop then burglary's and thefts are gunna rise. i can't see shops sayin yea here ya go. pay us next tuesday when u get your giro. and it would just be another thing for the government to tax stupidly. drugs shouldn't be legalised. and these drug dealers you talk of getting rid of actually help support the whole countries financial state. with there big spending on posh cars and fancy clothes and stuff. i think it would have a big effect o the country if you took away all the dealers. during the reccesion they r the 1's still out there buying big cars and spending money. even rich buisnessmen sit back and cut on spending. yes its wrong and yes it shouldn't be happening but it should never be legalised so the government can just rape more taxes out of people.

Tony ditched the Title to remain an MP, he didn't however ditch the money and all the properties that went with it. Hilary Benn objected to a Public Footpath, on the coast, going past one their properties, as I said earlier. They still count themselves as being a cut above the rest of us plebs. Champagne Socialists, no better, no worse. At least with a Tory you know you are supporting a shoit.

There must be something happening in our area.
We have had TWO visits from Ms Angela Eagle and two more from her cronies. All seem to be determined to get us to vote Labour yet all of their leaflets have given a wide range of what THEY see as Tory actions for the past year and tory policies for the year ahead but not a dicky bird about what they would do for the local area, hardly surprising when their candidate wants to represent Moreton & Leasowe yet lives on Manor Road, Liscard.
Ukip and Lib Dems were little different, they lived miles away and had probably never heard of Leasowe.

Don J Leasowe

I was at Pacific Rd count last night only just got home now Labour is now in control of the council they took 7 seats

Short memories I think:

I wish you'd not use euphemisms when speaking of our Royal Family; Elizabeth Saxe-Coburg-Gotha please.

didn't he drop his full name to appeal to the ' commoners' wasn't he anthony wedgewood benn ?

This should be watched before commenting about cannabis.

[youtube]v=PSKJrgGqx_E&feature=g-vrec[/youtube]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSKJrgGqx_E&feature=g-vrec