My answers

I was one of the people who responded to the YouGov poll. These were my answers on the policy questions:


Here are some things that different people are urging Gordon Brown to do when he becomes Prime Minister. In each case, please say whether you would support or oppose it:

Publicly distance Britain from President George W Bush’s policies in the Middle East
68% of members support. Akehurst opposes.

Increase the top rate of taxation to 50% for people earning more than £100,000 a year
66 % of members support. Akehurst in favour in principle but not prepared to do it if it will lose us the next election, which he thinks it probably would.

Give local councils more powers to vary their policy on rubbish collections, including penalising households who throw out the most rubbish, and rewarding households that do more recycling
63 % of party members in favour. Me too.

Slow down, and fundamentally rethink, the strategy for ‘Blairite’ reforms of health, education and other public services
58 % of members in favour. Ditto, I'm not convinced about the "choice" agenda.

Bring Britain’s railways back into public ownership, even if this means increasing taxes to pay for it
58% of members in favour. I really don't care who owns the trains as long as they are safe and run on time. If someone can convince me the state can do a better job that it did last time under BR, I'm not instinctively hostile.

Increase taxes on motoring and flying, and use the money to reduce fares on buses, trains and the underground.
57 % of members in favour, including this one.

Extend the period that terrorist suspects can be held without being charged from 28 days to 90 days.
55% of members in favour, including this one.

Withdraw Britain’s troops from Iraq as soon as possible, regardless of what Iraq’s government wants
48% of members in favour, Akehurst opposed and wonders what sort of socialist ignores a democratic foreign government's request to help stop suicide bombers and civil war.

Approve the building of more nuclear power stations in Britain
47% of members in favour, including this one, as I would like to have electricity in my retirement.

Change the current system for allocating social housing, so that British-born people are given higher priority than today, and immigrant families a lower priority
47% of members in favour. Not this one, who is shocked by this level of support for such an unpleasant, discriminatory policy.

Scrap the Government’s plans to introduce Identity Cards
47% of members in favour but not this one.

Give the trade unions more influence over the Government’s policies
Only 40% of members in favour but assuming that this means more influence over specifically union issues industrial strategy and employment rights then I'm one of 40%.

Keep the Government’s commitment to replace Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons system in due course with a new nuclear weapons system
37% of members in favour, including this one but I think most people know that already.

Introduce a bill to abolish England’s remaining grammar schools, regardless of what the local education authority wants
34% of members in favour, including this one, assuming "abolish" means make them into comprehensive entry schools, as I find selection at 11 morally abhorrent.

OK, on the basis of those views, who should I really be voting for?