(C) OpenDemocracy This story was originally published by OpenDemocracy and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation: Readers’ thoughts on MPs’ donations and manifestos [1] [] Date: 2024-06 Welcome to openDemocracy’s weekly reader comments round-up. We receive so many carefully considered messages about our work, it seemed a shame to keep them to ourselves! You can send your thoughts to be included in next week’s round-up by replying directly to any of our emails or commenting on our articles. These comments have been edited for clarity, accuracy and length, and aren’t necessarily a reflection of openDemocracy's editorial position. I had already contacted my MP, Craig Whittaker, about receiving gifts from the gambling industry and his subsequent statements about the dangers of too much regulation. He was quite shirty in his reply. I had no idea he was such a fan of pop concerts! Get our free Daily Email Get one whole story, direct to your inbox every weekday. Sign up now Thank you for introducing me to this website. One of the few powers we have as voters is transparency. –Eileen Maria Caulfield, Lewes: £3258 from the Betting and Gaming Council – a subject of considerable current interest! –David Read the original story here And the Tories stop PIP (personal independence payments) when someone is in hospital for longer than four weeks. I had a spinal injury in November 2023 and lost £5,000 from the Department of Work and Pensions. The NHS is ‘free at the point of use’ – unless you’re Disabled and hospitalised! –Adam Standing up for disabilities is common decency that Labour, the Tories and Reform have zero respect for. Their manifestos are old rehashed ideas of failure, misery and taking away money from the public into their pockets. Why haven’t you mentioned how good the Green Manifesto is about supporting disabled people? –primrose_sugartoes Read the original story here Re Weekly Poll: Is it irresponsible to vote independent in a two-horse race? In response to your recent weekly poll question, Is it irresponsible to vote independent in a two-horse race? A reader called Margaret replied: “To vote independent relies on knowing as much as possible about the candidate – but finding that out when they are ignored by the press must be very difficult.” Here is my personal experience of being a candidate for the Rejoin EU Party in Stretford and Urmston in the current general election. My approaches to the media have been ignored, as has my invitation to the other candidates to debate with me. An invitation to participate in a hustings was withdrawn after other candidates failed to indicate a willingness to participate. What to make of this? With independents starved of publicity, the overall level of accountability in the political system is significantly diminished as a result. The reason is this: voters are deprived of a genuine opportunity to consider alternatives to the two front runners (and who therefore out of inertia act ‘rationally’, voting for whichever of the two they dislike least to prevent the election of the other), effectively free the hands of these parties’ leaders to take positions their supporters, or most of them, actually disagree with. –James I am new to this conversation and have just read the poll on voting for an Independent candidate. I also listened to the Today programme from Leeds and it seems to me that the population is well ahead of parliamentary candidates, apart from the Greens, in their priorities – climate change emergency, public transport and other green-related issues. Roll on proportional representation for a group to run us with clearer views on what must come first: the planet and our living on it. –Dot Your words have touched me deeply and healed me in ways you may not fully realise. The amount of hate, gaslighting and vitriol I have encountered online, in YouTube videos, in the comment sections of Turkish/Azeri websites and on Reddit forums has been overwhelming. I have seen very little to suggest there are Turks or Azeris who care for Armenians and our suffering. However, your post has given me hope that some do care about us. Some recognise our suffering and acknowledge the destruction of our ancient artefacts, the stealing of our ancestral/Indigenous lands and the persecution of those living there. They even acknowledge the 1915 genocide caused by their government and ancestors, and our contributions to their own respective cultures, as we are one of the peoples Indigenous to the land, and the culture built upon it. I don’t hold any living Turk or Azeri responsible for the actions of their ancestors or the current government's policies. But I am deeply hurt by the way many Turks and Azeris respond to these historical facts and often support the oppression we currently face. That is something they do have control over. As an Armenian, I really don’t want to harbour ill feelings towards Turks or Azeris. I am tired of feeling negatively about them. I know many Turks and Azeris even have Armenian blood running through their veins. I desire a future where we can be good to one another and even become friends. But this can only happen when we are validated, recognized and respected; we deserve that much. –minasianeliz Read the original story here [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/readers-thoughts-mps-donations-consolidate-second-jobs-general-election/ Published and (C) by OpenDemocracy Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/opendemocracy/