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The first part of this article have been translated into Occitan:http://sapiencia.eu/la-politica-del-marques-de-sade/Others parts to follow.

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gnome wrote:

ROTA – MAY/JUNEWednesday 17  J.LThursday 18  M.H; C.ASaturday 20  (Stall outside HO from noon)  G.J; O.B; C.AWednesday, 24  D.P; M.H; N.M; G.J (HO admin tuition); J.LSaturday 27  (Stall outside HO from noon and elsewhere in the Battersea constituency – possibly Northcote Road in Clapham Junction or Balham High Road)Monday 29  N.MWednesday 31  J.LSaturday 3  (Stall outside HO from noon and elsewhere in the Battersea constituency – possibly Northcote Road in Clapham Junction or Balham High Road) Monday 5  N.MWednesday 7  J.LThere may be minor variations to this schedule.  The premises will generally be open from midday; occasionally earlier.   However, anyone planning to visit the premises on a particular day is advised to phone first – 0207 622 3811

West London branch, who are organising the campaign in Battersea, agreed at their meeting last night to fill in some of the gaps in the rota (once again from midday, sometimes before)Friday 19Monday 22Tuesday 23Friday 25Tuesday 30Still to fill (but no doubt will be):  Thursday 24 May , Thursday 1 June, Friday 2 June, Tuesday 6 June.This will mean that Head Office will be open everyday from now on (except Sundays) until election day.

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No, not actual size. They are 9cm x 7cm

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Mike Foster wrote:

Sorry, but I'm not sure if the 'don't vote for Brian Johnson' lines work, though.

That's what Swansea Branch thought too and have sent it back to the drawing board so it won't actually be used, as a newspaper ad.

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Thanks. The next time there's an election in Sweden we should definitely produce a leaflet for the comrades there to distribute so that we can get the numbers up. There are definitely more than two people in Sweden who want "världssocialism". When is it due?

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Young Master Smeet wrote:

Quickly, gotta run @SPGBNLB campaign twitter account.

Easier to find directly here:https://twitter.com/SPGBNLB

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Sympo wrote:

In Sweden every ballots writing appears to be registrered. For example, if one looks at official statistics you will find that 2 individuals have voted for "myself" and 2 people have voted for "Mickey Mouse", which aren't names for any serious or frivolous party. 5 people voted for World Socialism.

That's interesting. Are these official statistics somewhere on the internet?

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I think we need to wait to see what their candidate in Bristol puts in their manifesto. They also advocate various transitional measures (see the second page here) at least at local level:http://moneyfreeparty.org.uk/viewpage.php?page_id=19

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Voici the official result:http://elections.interieur.gouv.fr/presidentielle-2017/FE.htmlAs you can see there were about 3 million "blanc" votes and another 1 million "nul" votes in the second round (a huge increase compared with the first round). I imagine it's like in Britain — if you write anything (whatever it is) on the ballot paper it's counted as a spoilt paper. I don't think they count how many people wrote "None of the Above" or "Fuck off the lot of you" or "World Socialism". In fact, I know they don't.But that's not the point. The point is abstention, putting a blank paper in the ballot box, or writing something on the ballot paper are legitimate political alternatives to voting for one or other of the candidates. We favour going to the polling station over simply abstaining as this shows that we attach some importance to the exist of elections. Anarchists, on the other hand, abstain because they don't believe in elections.

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I see that the Money Free Party is fielding a candidate in Bristol West in the election. Interesting to see their manifesto and how they do.There's an interview with their candidate on BBC Radio Bristol here, about 1 hour 12 minutes in for about 5 minutes:http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p050qjyqSome of what he says is not too bad.

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We now know who our opponents are. In Islington North, where Corbyn is standing, there are 9 of them including him:http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/politics/general-election-2017-record-number-of-islington-north-candidates-standing-against-jeremy-corbyn-1-5014369In Battersea we have 6 opponents: the usual suspects (Labour, Tory, Liberal, Green and UKIP) plus an Independent.In Swansea West it's also 6: Labour, Tory, Liberal, Green, UKIP and, of course, Plaid Cymru.

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I think you must have missed this information from another thread:http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/forum/general-discussion/whither-france?page=2#comment-40642You would have been in good company in refusing to choose either of the two second-round candidates: some 4 million others did and that's only counting those who went to the polling stations and put a ballot paper in the urn.Incidentally, in France, they don't vote by putting an X against the name of one of the candidates listed on the ballot paper. You put in the ballot box a piece of paper with the name of the candidate on it. So there's nothing stopping you putting a piece of paper in across which you've written "Je vote pour le socialisme mondial".

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That's the way it should be. Them complaining not us.

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gnome wrote:

the confusion caused by us sometimes referring to ourselves as simply 'The Socialist Party'.

That's not what causes the confusion. It's the other way round. It's the Militant Tendency sometimes calling itself the 'Socialist Party' that causes the confusion.

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Yes, of the 35,467,172 who went to cast a vote, some 4 million put a blank or spolit paper into the ballot box. That's about 11.5%. Who said not voting for any of those on offer is not a valid political tactic?

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