[SWLUG] Alan's open letter

[Steve Anderson]

Telsa Gwynne wrote:

> The results of the 1999 elections for Wales are at 
> http://www.election.demon.co.uk/epwales.html . Someone who
> is good at statistics can figure out the tactical votes
> needed this time round. It looks to me that of the definitely 
> anti-software patents parties, Plaid has the best chance. 
> I think..? 

As a paid-up member of the Liberal Democrats I should drop my oar in. Of 
the big three UK parties, the LibDems are most anti-software patent, and 
policies voted through last year reflect that.

The policy is here:
http://www.libdems.org.uk/documents/policies/Policy_Papers/MakingITWork.pdf

The fly in the ointment is that the leader of the LibDem MEPs (Diana 
Wallis) is a COMPLETE TOOL who decided that she understood software 
patents better than the people who contributed to the party policy and 
voted against party policy. As a result the Liberal Democrat Youth and 
Students conference decided that she's an UTTER TOOL (but in kinder words).

http://www.ldys.org.uk/web/policy/softwarepatents.html

I'll be voting LibDem as usual on Thursday, because they're the only 
party that has genuine social policies now that Labour have sold their 
souls and forgotten where they've come from; and I'm going to join LDYS 
in having strong words with Ms Wallis - she's not in Brussels on her own 
agenda, and needs reminding of that.

The most important thing on Thursday though is to vote. A hundred years 
ago the Suffragettes were ready to die for other women to get the vote, 
and now polling is met with indifference. When more votes are cast for 
who wins £70000 in Big Brother than who's responsible for the day-to-day 
running of the country, you know you've got a problem.

</soapbox>

Steve