i have a close friend who has spent his adult life deciding which party/cause to support - green, labour, snp, scottish socialist etc and has a good knowledge of all their various policies. many people care about the question time show (and PMQs) and see the whole game as fascinating and important but - aside from always voting (after weeks of considering where to put his vote) he never gets involved in any party.

i see something i like and work for how to achieve it (currently the labour party manifesto) and i've been in scottish socialists, swp, greens at various times and always in my union. i'd just like to see a left party in power pursuing left policies for a refreshing change. of course i'm well aware that all parties and many individuals within them have flaws but you have to make your choice without being too picky and ineffectual.

i have read a lot of -nearly all- orwell and i'm aware of his flaws but you give him your support because he wanted to make a positive change and was prepared to get his hands dirty in pursuing it. i'm not too keen on his novels - but his essays are great. really he was more of a political journalist than anything. i love his belief that every sentence he wrote should be easily understood by anyone who read it.