Vote Them Out!

VOTE THEM OUT! Searing new film from Bonnie Prince Bob on the ruling class, the media and the Conservative Party …

 


***

[support Bonnie Prince Bob here: ko-fi.com/bonnieprincebob]

Comments (24)

Leave a Reply to David McGill Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

  1. squigglypen says:

    You read my mind.

  2. Richard Easson says:

    How do you vote them out when our “General Election” is just a bundle of loocal elections trussed up to give a false semblance of democracy, more like demockracy.
    Thanks for it though, I have had the same feelings for over sixty years.

  3. Dougie Blackwood says:

    A lot of truth in there but I’m an old Fuddy Duddy. Tidy up the presenter and avoid some of the over the top generalisations. Are all MPs venal and corrupt, no. Many try hard and do their best but in our system the presenter is right, you need to be in the club to get into a position of power. We in Scotland can vote 100% for SNP as a vehicle for independence and the Westminster old pals cub will reject indyref2 as Ye’ve hud yer chance.

    Nicola will request a section 30 order soon. If and when that is refused, by whichever numpty mounts the iron throne, we shall see what is on the table.

    1. “Tidy up the presenter” LOLs.

      1. Me Bungo Pony says:

        No need. He looks like one o’ them “Warrior Poets” Mel Gibson prophesied about centuries ago.

  4. SleepingDog says:

    Good questioning, fair visualized summary (although it misses out a lot of things, including complicity further down the hierarchy, how (neo)colonialism requires keeping the trappings of Empire to hide the never-abolished control structure of Empire, and a few of the props of state), although it is not clear how the “vote them out” action would work. You don’t get a downvote box in UK general election ballot. I am not a fan of tactical voting, partly because… when does that ever end? I could sort-of see the point if only one party promising to reform the electoral system had a chance of forming a government.

    There is one MP who has consistently campaigned for Parliamentary reform and been a constant critic of the status quo, Caroline Lucas of the Greens, who wrote Honourable Friends?: Parliament and the Fight for Change.

    In my view, if you want to mount a collectivist campaign to reform UK Parliament by general election ballot, treat this unscheduled election as a free vote and vote Green, if you have that option, make this a Climate Election, a vote against nuclear weapons, and a vote for an Independence Party. I am not a member of the Greens (or any other political party) and I am not that impressed by their sometimes individualistic approach which tries to keep too many friends and if anything is not radical enough when it comes to change, but they seem at the moment to be the least corrupt, most grown-up and future-focused option. So if you want to send a few thistles to jab the Westminster rump and perhaps tip the balance towards progress and deconstruction of the British imperial state, vote Green (you can always return to your favoured party in the next scheduled election). Your conscience may just love you for it.

    1. James Ritchie says:

      Is this the same Green Party that entered an electoral pact with the Lib Dems, withdrawing candidates in some areas? Wouldn’t vote for them personally.

      1. Chris Ballance says:

        In Scotland – no, it’s a different party. The Scottish Green Party agreed at its conference not to enter any pacts with anyone. Green Party of England and Wales has entered a “one vote against the Tories” pact with Plaid Cymru and Lib Dems in some seats.

      2. SleepingDog says:

        @James Ritchie, I am not fan of electoral pacts for much the same reasons as I am not a fan of tactical voting. It produces a distortion without necessarily offering something in compensation. But as @Chris Ballance has pointed out, the Scottish Greens conference has voted against entering into electoral pacts here:
        https://greens.scot/news/greens-rule-out-electoral-pacts

        If people like Caroline Lucas and Bonnie Prince Bob are right (I think they are) then many of the crusty-looking UK state elements are really part of a defensive fortification and secrecy screen around the unaccountable establishment that can be dismantled piece by piece, perhaps sooner or later unleashing a torrent of reform (this has happened elsewhere where apparently secure and powerful regimes have been toppled). Not that revolution would be helpful here, I guess, what we need to do is transition to a functional modern state equipped to tackle environmental crises, defend against corporatism, disengage from screwing over other countries and peoples and engaging with the highest norms of international justice, in my view. The impression that other parties appear more concerned with appeasing their own interest groups and backers (and some with stealing votes by peddling fears and perpetrating wholesale deception) than boldly and straightforwardly identifying prioritised problems and (at least some) solutions, leaves the Greens as the default electoral option that provides a manifesto commitment to a real alternative to the status quo (including a path to Independence) with ratchet-effect reforms designed to stop backsliding into imperial mode.

  5. Chris Ballance says:

    The key point made relates to who are the corporate interests who fuel this democracy? The generally no-tax paying big business owners who pour money into the Tories; the unions who have forced Corbyn to campaign on a manifesto to renew Trident, or the pro-Heathrow and other fossil fuel lobbyists who sponsor events at SNP conferences? Sleeping Dog is right to point out that only the Greens have financial independence from the big lobby groups – and are consequently ignored by the media and establishment interests which only follow the money, not the people.

  6. Alistair Taylor says:

    Aye…
    Bonnie Prince Bob’s Dad for King of Scotland?
    I don’t know.
    Anyway, a pleasant 10 minutes of viewing this fine Sunday morning, thank you.

  7. Ellen Renton says:

    I would never support a video presentation that describes the uk union as ‘our country’ – as in ‘our country has 65 million people’. My country has just over 5 million people, and if your phraseology was a mistake then please fix it fast!

    1. Wul says:

      Unless you have a Scottish passport Ellen, the UK is “your country”. Like it or lump it.

      Or change it?

  8. David McGill says:

    So what’s the plan?

    1. John McLeod says:

      The young prince is trying to tell us that we have an opportunity to create a participative democratic system in Scotland that is fit for purpose. This is the key challenge that is on the horizon and getting closer every day. Its not just a matter of gaining our independence. Its what we do with it – starting with a Constiution. And even before that, starting with the process through which that Constiution will be constructed and approved.

    2. grafter says:

      Yellow vests for Xmas. Civil disobedience to follow.

      1. SleepingDog says:

        @grafter, what do yellow vests stand for?

      2. David McGill says:

        Now you’re talking Grafter. I’ll put a yellow vest on my Secret Santa list!

  9. John McLeod says:

    By calling himself Bonnie Prince Bob, this commentator is both subverting an important element of the current cultural system (the aristocracy and honours system), and pointing the way towards an alternative. In the new Scotland it would be a fine thing if anyone who wants to call themself Prince, Princess, Sir, Lady etc could do so. It would then be up to other people in their life to decide whether or not to use that title when referring to them. I have never met BPB, but I am assuming that those near and dear to him describe him as ‘the Prince’ in appropriate circumstances. This seems a wholly admirable arrangement. There are also many historic Scots titles that could be brought back into everyday usage in this way. Some further work will need to be done on gender-neutral options.

    1. Chris Ballance says:

      John, anyone can change their first name, by deed poll to almost whatever you like (I think swearies are disallowed). I know of someone who changed their first name from “John” to “Lord” so he now logs into places as Lord XXXX – and frequently gets priority treatment as a result. Costs a bit, but worth it in the long run I’m told. Maybe taking ownership of the names is one way we can destroy the establishment’s honours system?
      Lord Chris Ballance. (Nah, actually I just don’t like the sound)

  10. babs macgregor says:

    Well said!

  11. Wul says:

    A powerful film and a message which is very important. Thank you for making it Bonny Bob.

    I would suggest a couple of changes:
    The on-screen clips showing facts e.g. dying man declared “fit for work” by DWP, need to be on-screen for a couple of seconds longer. I had difficulty reading them before they faded.

    Secondly, Bob should reign back the insults and swap them for factual information; e.g. “All MP’s are co-opted by big business before even entering Westminster”. That is just not true, some MP’s are passionate about social justice. The insults undermine his credibility as an accurate source , make the piece seem like a subjective rant and are unnecessary. God knows, there are enough facts to skewer our overlords with. No need to insult.

    Having said that; I agree with nearly everything Bob says. Our democracy has been hi-jacked and is laughably, tragically out of date. Why can’t more people see this?

    1. Alistair Taylor says:

      Yes, someone like Mhairi Black has hardly been “co-opted by big business”.
      There are lots of decent MP’s out there.
      The Westminster system on the other hand, and the ruling classes that it serves…
      Well past time for Scotland to leave the Union.

Help keep our journalism independent

We don’t take any advertising, we don’t hide behind a pay wall and we don’t keep harassing you for crowd-funding. We’re entirely dependent on our readers to support us.

Subscribe to regular bella in your inbox

Don’t miss a single article. Enter your email address on our subscribe page by clicking the button below. It is completely free and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.