If you’re fed up with Farage, miffed at Miliband and critical of Clegg and Cameron then maybe it’s time to find out about the array of minor parties vying for your vote across Greater Manchester Thursday.
Here at MM, we have put the spotlight on the many unique choices available to the voting public in this Thursdays General Election and highlighted each individual manifesto in all their glory.
Could Johnny Disco and the Monster Raving Loony Party possibly sway your vote? Well let’s find out.
PARTY: The Pirate Party
SLOGAN: ‘Think different? Vote different’
WHERE CAN YOU VOTE? Manchester Central (Loz Kaye) , Gorton (Cris Chesha), Salford and Eccles (Sam Clark)
UNIQUE MANIFESTO POINTS: Legalise euthanasia. Free internet access for everyone. Ban wild animals in circuses. Treat drug addiction as a medical problem. Reduce copyright to 10 years. Pay interns minimum wage. Protect whistle-blowers. Reduce ISAs to £5k.
OTHER MANIFESTO POINTS: Stop privatisation (NHS). Renationalise Royal Mail and rail industry. Remove benefit cap. Scrap bedroom tax. Keep public money out of tax havens. Fair tax brackets for low paid workers. Abolish tuition fees. Build affordable council housing. Tax incentives for companies to lower carbon emissions. Voting at 16. No government surveillance.
You can view the full Pirate Party manifesto by clicking here.
HOWLING LORD HOPE: Monster Raving Loony Party leader (©BBC2, via YouTube, with thanks)
PARTY: The Monster Raving Loony Party
SLOGAN: ‘Vote for insanity’
WHERE CAN YOU VOTE? Wythenshawe (Johnny Disco)
UNIQUE MANIFESTO POINTS: Cancel stamp duty. Heritage refund (Sell castles to reduce national debt). Tax-payers receive nectar points. Free public transport for musicians. New fraud office set up to monitor existing fraud office.
OTHER MANIFESTO POINTS: Abolish tuition fees. Equal gender pay. Nationwide wind-farms.
You can view the full Monster Raving Loony Party manifesto by clicking here.
PARTY: Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (TUSC)
SLOGAN: ‘For the millions, not the millionaires’
WHERE CAN YOU VOTE? Manchester Central (Alex Davidson), Bolton West (John Vickers), Leigh (Stephen Hall), Salford and Eccles (Noreen Bailey), Gorton (Simon Hickman)
UNIQUE MANIFESTO POINTS: Tax the rich and end tax avoidance. Cut working week to 35 hours. Bring prisons back into public sector. Lift the siege of Gaza (justice for Palestinians).
OTHER MANIFESTO POINTS: Bring banks and financial institutions into public ownership. Minimum £10 per hour wage. Stop privatisation (NHS). Renationalise Royal Mail and transport industry. Scrap zero hour contracts. Build affordable council housing. Massive investment in renewable energy. Ban fracking. Abolish bedroom tax. Scrap benefit sanctions. Pro-immigration. Voting at 16. No more spending on nuclear weapons.
You can view the full TUSC manifesto by clicking here.
PARTY: Left Unity
SLOGAN: ‘UKIP of the left’
WHERE CAN YOU VOTE? Stockport (John Pearson)
UNIQUE MANIFESTO POINTS: Stop child abuse (full inquiry). Stop police violence.
OTHER MANIFESTO POINTS: Anti-austerity. Stop privatisation (NHS, education). Pro-immigration. Pro-EU. Pro-immigration. End zero-hour contracts. Minimum £10 per hour wage. No benefit sanctions. No bedroom tax. Scrap TRIDENT.
You can view the full Left Unity manifesto by clicking here.
REALITY CHECK: WATRP are anti fracking and offshore tax havens
PARTY: We Are The Reality Party (WATRP)
SLOGAN: ‘It’s real – it’s your reality’
WHERE CAN YOU VOTE? Salford (Mark Berry), Worsley and Eccles South (Mags McNally)
UNIQUE MANIFESTO POINTS: 25% tax-rate for people hiding money offshore or lose citizenship. Serious penalties for corrupt politicians. Ban pay-day loan companies. Promote food-growing (permaculture and horticulture).
OTHER MANIFESTO POINTS: Ban fracking. Invest in renewable energy. Ban offshore tax havens for rich businesses. Anti-austerity. Pro-EU. Stop privatisation (NHS, Police). Renationalise services (water, energy, transport). Formation of National Bank. Abolish tuition fees. More eco-friendly council housing. Rent controls.
You can view the full Reality Party manifesto by clicking here.
PARTY: The Whig Party
SLOGAN: ‘The Whigs are Back’
WHERE CAN YOU VOTE? Stretford and Urmston (Paul Bradley-Law)
UNIQUE MANIFESTO POINTS: Decriminalisation of drugs. Move House of Commons from London. Devolution of powers to English regions. Criminalisation of unpaid internships. Means-tested pension benefits. Implementation of national landlord register. Universal childcare from ages two to four.
OTHER MANIFESTO POINTS: Pro-EU. Pro-immigration. Stop privitatisation (NHS). Abolish tuition fees. Defend women’s rights and human rights. Freedom of expression. Maintain foreign aid. Introduce online voting.
You can view the full Whig Party manifesto by clicking here.
Main image courtesy of Pirate Party UK, via YouTube, with thanks.
