Mid-term, local or European parliament elections are often viewed as a straw poll on governmental and opposition party performance, but not ones where issues come to the fore. Well not, it seems, in Chelmsford. The debate does not centre on Labour's next leader, the minutiae of Conservative policy, whether the Iraq war was legal or justified etc, etc. No, the argument is about how frequently kerbside recycling bins are emptied. Vote for the Tories and Chelmsford residents get a weekly collection, in line of course with 'Vote Blue, Go Green', the LibDems have reduced collection to every fortnight. All politics, after all, is local and personal; wouldn't this make a great debate on Newsnight?Monday, April 23, 2007
Keep it Local
Mid-term, local or European parliament elections are often viewed as a straw poll on governmental and opposition party performance, but not ones where issues come to the fore. Well not, it seems, in Chelmsford. The debate does not centre on Labour's next leader, the minutiae of Conservative policy, whether the Iraq war was legal or justified etc, etc. No, the argument is about how frequently kerbside recycling bins are emptied. Vote for the Tories and Chelmsford residents get a weekly collection, in line of course with 'Vote Blue, Go Green', the LibDems have reduced collection to every fortnight. All politics, after all, is local and personal; wouldn't this make a great debate on Newsnight?
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The BBC reckons that Wheelie Bin collections are going to be pivotal in the election, have a look at this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6584497.stm and The Daily Mail has launched the "The Great Dustbin Revolt"; now is this an example of the public sphere working or the media driving the agenda as I want to use this in the exam
If you want to use it I suggest you find out!
I can believe I am answering this question within what is potentially the world's largest public sphere; actually no I cant quite believe I was asked the question via the world's largest public sphere. Habermas would be proud of how debate develops, and at times completely despair.
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