Respect Coalition Manifesto Launch

George Galloway's Respect Coalition have launched their 2005 Election Manifesto (pdf), the main points of which are as follows:

• End the occupation of Iraq
• End privatisation – bring public services back into public ownership
• End the attacks on civil liberties; no identity cards
• Comprehensive education; an equal chance to every child and young person
• A publicly owned, democratically controlled and fully funded NHS
• Link pensions to average earnings
• Scrap student tuition fees
• Raise the minimum wage to the European Decency Threshold of £7.40
• Oppose all forms of discrimination, defend refugees and asylum seekers
• Repeal the anti-union laws
• Tough action to control climate change
• Tax big business and the wealthy to fund public expenditure

All of which sounds rather good in principle and makes The Antagonist think it's a shame that democracy in the UK is little more than a two horse race.

The late and legendary Bill Hicks said it best when he said:

'I think the puppet on the right shares my beliefs.'
'I think the puppet on the left is more to my liking.'
'Hey, wait a minute, there's one guy holding out both puppets!'