[SWLUG] Alan's open letter

[Telsa Gwynne]

On Mon, Jun 07, 2004 at 04:07:57PM +0100 or thereabouts, Dafydd Walters wrote:
> There are just three more days until the EU elections, and I'm sure almost
> everybody on this list has probably seen Alan Cox's open letter on software
> patents and the EU election, but just in case there are folks here who
> haven't, here's a link:
> 
> http://www.linux.org.uk/open.l.html

I do wish he would let me spell-check these things :) 

For the record, I emailed four of our five MEPs last September on
the issue of software patents. (One was on maternity leave and thus
not going to vote on the issue at the time).

I had thought I got two replies, but I find only one in my
archives. December is missing, but that's a bit late for a 
reply so I think it must have been just the one.

We have two Labour MEPs. No reply from the one I emailed.
We have one Conservative MEP. No reply from him.
We have two Plaid Cymru MEPs. I got a reply from Eurig Wyn: 
against software patents, as per Plaid party policy. 

Not all of them were there to vote, but Glenys Kinnock (Lab,
as if I had to say) and Jonathan Evans (Tory) both voted in
favour of software patents in the September round of voting.
See http://www.ffii.org.uk/votes/swpat/country/UK.html
(takes some deciphering, but if you're not colour-blind it's
probably okay).

This seems in line with party policy for Labour; I am less
sure about the Conservatives. 

MJR Ray has written to all parties standing in his area
asking for parties' policies on software patents. Results at
http://www.ffii.org.uk/uk_meps.html

Plaid apparently have a good record on turning up and voting, 
and are anti-software patents. (They sit with the Greens in the 
EU Parliament, and the Greens are anti.) But, annoyingly, the 
Plaid MEPs weren't there for that vote. 

Wales is going down to 4 MEPs (why?) and the only one of that lot
to reply to me doesn't seem to be standing. The list of candidates
by party is at http://www.election.demon.co.uk/cand04.html
(scroll all the way down, past "south-west and gibraltar")

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..? 

Telsa