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Some more politics
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- 2ReinreB2 is attempting to revive the Percy Jackson Task-force (located here) and has also suggested that this project's scope be expanded, maybe even to the point of renaming the project. The proposal in brief. Would appreciate the help of any interested users.
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Politics are almost as exciting as war, and quite as dangerous. In war you can only be killed once, but in politics many times.
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An active project which we haven't for some reason interviewed here before: WikiProject Politics of the United Kingdom. Taking us through the polling booth and beyond are JRPG, This is Paul, and Cloptonson.
What motivated you to join WikiProject Politics of the United Kingdom? Are you active on the political scene, even held office, or just interested?
- JRPG: I'm a member of a political party with a place on the executive committee of my local constituency. I studied 'British Constitution' at school which started a lifelong interest. I led a local political campaign about lost pensions under Ros Altmann's leadership and appeared numerous times on TV including The Politics Show. I met about 20 MPs and several ministers over a period of 5 years and also worked as a volunteer in an MP's office. There I learnt how to avoid letters being intercepted by parliamentary assistants & hence ensure the MP sees my letter. I also learnt of the persuasive power of a local newspaper relative to the whips.
- This is Paul: I've always been interested in politics, largely I think because I was growing up during a decade when the country was undergoing some dramatic changes, and I realised the decisions our politicians were making affected so many aspects of our day-to-day lives. I haven't personally been politically active though. At university I took a degree in business studies, although the course encompassed some aspects of politics as well, and was a student in the years preceding the 1997 general election. I remember it as an interesting time to be at university. I suppose I saw joining the project as a way of improving our coverage of the topic, and hope I've made a small contribution to that end, as well as expanding my own political knowledge.
- Cloptonson: English law was my best O-level subject and political history was my major topic of interest when studying at A-level (though I got poor exam results for health reasons) and I grew up in a politically aware paternal family with a propensity to support Labour. None of them achieved political office (my father – born under Ramsay Macdonald and died under Tony Blair) and a paternal great uncle were respectively unsuccessful local council Labour and Liberal candidates). To the best of my knowledge, I am unrelated to any past or present MPs, which gives me a freedom from vested interests when working on biographies. I was working on Wikipedia's biographical and constituency articles before I joined the project. What did get me to join was to advertise my interest in biographical facts about MPs and encourage help about potential records. I have flagged up contenders for shortest lived MPs, first Christian Scientist and first Spiritualist Church MPs, youngest woman MP to die in office, heaviest Prime Minister, to mention a few.
Have you contributed to any of the project's 46 featured articles, 6 featured lists, and 89 good articles? Are you currently working on promoting an article to FA or GA status?
- JRPG: Yes, I read BBC, Guardian, Telegraph, Times & Independent and contribute news items on an ad-hoc basis from those.
- This is Paul: I've taken several articles through the GA process (2010 United Kingdom government formation and Johann Lamont being two), but only have one UK politics featured article at present (A Journey). Shortly I plan to take Scottish Labour Party leadership election, 2014 through FAC and hope to see that promoted later in the year. On a wider note, with Scotland taking an increased responsibility for deciding its own affairs I'd like to improve other Scottish politics related stuff.
- Cloptonson: I have opportunely contributed information on events and firsts/lasts/onlys to the List of Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom and biographical details (not all on political activity) to articles on Benjamin Disraeli, Horatio Bottomley, Neville Chamberlain, Ellen Wilkinson, George Lansbury, and Sir Isaac Newton (the scientist few people may know was twice an MP). I leave it to others to decide if my contribution to a not-yet FA or GA article leads to it being voted as such. (If any contribution of mine does have a factor, please let me know!)
How did the project manage when dealing with the recent general election in the UK? Was there any co-ordination in updating unfolding results and coverage?
- JRPG: Unfortunately there was a major problem with WP:SPAs from UKIP unaware of the rules and writing their own usually uncited opinion of candidates. Also some candidates using what looked like PR men to write their article. In some cases I think I could even recognise the style. The Telegraph and Guardian both published instances of where favourable edits came from within Parliament and I was one of the editors who updated the pages to show this poor behaviour. IPs, however, did help to get the result out.
- This is Paul: A large event such as a general election always presents a challenge, but I think we were successful in staying up to speed with it. My own contribution was a couple of biographies about newly-elected MPs, which I'm now working to expand.
- Cloptonson: I agree with This is Paul. I contributed minimally, with adding voting figures for that general election in some of the constituencies in my home county, Shropshire, the day after polling, and minor biographical details for one (subsequently unsuccessful) candidate incumbent MP and a former MP who declared support for a party other than one he sat for.
Does WikiProject Politics of the United Kingdom collaborate with any other WikiProjects, such as WP Law or the politics of another country? Has the project taken advantage of Wikipedia's sister projects, like Wikisource or the Commons?
- JRPG: I'm not aware of any collaboration. I have a strong interest in Law and believe that lawyers on both sides in the Commons make a disproportionate contribution, particularly on select committees. They are also in contact with ordinary people.
- This is Paul: There are a few country-specific politics projects, like the one for Australia, but I'm also not aware of any collaboration between them. I'm sure there's scope for it to happen though. Sadly the parent Politics project seems to be largely inactive at present.
Is it difficult to find images to illustrate political articles? What topics are most in need of diagrams and photography?
- JRPG: That's made me think! My father was a professional photographer and I always regarded his caption as crucial. A captioned photograph showing inner city deprivation might win a newspaper award but it could be both intrusive and potentially wp:npov. Showing floods, a posh new bridge or hospital facilities etc. would be less so as those are of community importance. I often ring constituency offices to ask for MP photographs but have had a lot of problems getting them to understand the real need to return the email necessary to renounce copyright. Maddening! Irrespective of our opinion of an MPs views, we should provide the best photographs available and that means ones that they're happy with.
- Cloptonson: An authentic portrait or picture of a sculpture is always welcome. Via talk pages and unbiased by political sympathy I have flagged up a few pictures that I had reason to doubt were of the subject of the article, and urge someone to find a replacement for the cycle-helmeted pic chosen for Sir Peter Bottomley's article to do his features better justice!
Which political party do you vote for, and why? Does that party usually win in your home constituency?
- JRPG: I make a point of NOT stating my political party -and have been accused of bias by both main parties when reducing wp:undue expense-related verbiage. Despite being a wp:rs the Telegraph got completely carried away in a number of cases during the United Kingdom parliamentary expenses scandal. I have never lived in a constituency where the candidate has won and even when I moved to a marginal, the boundary commission went and scuppered my plans. However I don't hesitate to write to my MP or visit him if I feel I have a contribution to make. I always assume he will work with me to help his constituents regardless of political differences. Usually if you make that clear they will help.
- This is Paul: I support the Labour Party, but a Labour candidate hasn't been elected in my constituency for some years. Sadly though declaring my political allegiance has led to accusations of bias, particularly from the occasional "cybernat" while editing articles about Scottish politics, but I endeavour to be neutral in my contributions to Wikipedia.
- Cloptonson: I have voted mainly for Labour candidates but I do not let my personal sympathies get in the way of helping to build a good biography of a politician from another party. My home constituency in England is predominately Conservative voting and since 1923 only had a non-Conservative MP in 1997–2005. I have also worked on job creation stints for local government and since 1987 have been continually employed in a central government department (where my Wikipedian activity is known among my colleagues), which gives me an added insight into our political system but I do not misuse Wikipedia to leak restricted information or to feed comments on contentious current issues – nor do I access Wikipedia during my working hours, unlike the Liverpool civil servant who got sacked having made comments on the Hillsborough football ground tragedy.
What are WikiProject Politics of the United Kingdom's most urgent needs? How can a new member help today?
- JRPG: A new member familiar with WP:Suggested sources, wp:Editorial wp:NPOV, WP:ATTRIBUTEPOV and WP:UNDUE could reads and improve many political articles. I am saddened at the number of new IPs who are clearly interested in politics but who vandalise articles with uncited opinion. I'm now trying to be friendly, asking if they can contribute using a suitable source and offering to help.
- This is Paul: We have a lot of short articles that need expanding, particularly those about members of the UK's various legislative bodies. A good starting point might be to find a subject that interests you then work on improving it. The use of quality sources such as the BBC, The Guardian, The Independent and The Telegraph to support new material is of paramount importance though. Adopting the article about your local MP, MSP, AM, etc, might also be a good way to get started.
- Cloptonson: I agree with This is Paul's suggestion about adopting a local legislator, this would spread the burden. I am particularly watchful of articles on Shropshire politicians.
Anything else you'd like to add?
- JRPG: In politics it's important to avoid wp:editorialising and properly quantify achievements. The main parties assess a candidate by comparing his achievement with that of his party as a whole, e.g. how the swing in his constituency compares with the national average. We need to make sure people know how to do this. Also to define what is notable -every MP has campaigned to save their local hospital.
- This is Paul: I think the important thing to remember with a topic like politics is that it's essential to approach it from a neutral point of view. Often you may find yourself working on articles about people whose opinions you do not share and subjects with which you profoundly disagree, so you need to have a balanced perspective.
- Cloptonson: I too avoid editorialising and partisan bias.
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