Community activist Jonathan Starling is to run as an independent candidate for Pembroke South West at next month’s general election.Mr Starling, a former Progressive Labour Party member, accuses the two main parties of ignoring the real issues and says the traditional battle between them is harming the Island.He will challenge PLP candidate Marcus Jones and an as yet unnamed One Bermuda Alliance candidate for the Fairylands constituency currently held by retiring OBA MP Louise Jackson.Mr Starling, a 32-year-old political blogger and social justice campaigner, has platform ideas including a minimum wage, decriminalising possession of small amounts of cannabis, and a junk food tax to subsidise healthy food.“As I have watched the PLP and the OBA prepare for this election over the last year and a half, I have been disappointed that a number of key issues seem to have been ignored by both parties, who seek to reduce the election to a limited scope, with limited vision and diversity of opinion,” Mr Starling told The Royal Gazette last night.“Observing this, I decided that I could offer something different, that I could bring fresh ideas to the political discourse, ideas which so far have been ignored or forgotten.“As an independent I am able to bring to the forefront a number of ideas and positions that have otherwise been ignored in the current discourse.“I have a vision for a new politics for the 21st Century, one which is based on a commitment to social, economic and environmental justice, a plurality of political opinion, a respectful politics that seeks to build consensus rather than perpetuate the divisions that have haunted us so far.“This election is much more than the economy, we must also address key social issues.“Indeed, in many ways we cannot afford to ignore these, and by resolving some of these issues we can make progress to building a new economy which works for all and not just the already haves.”He said of the battle between the PLP and OBA: “While political parties have played a historical role in our Island’s development, and will continue to play an important role in our future, I also believe that the traditional party format, with its party lines and whips, has a negative impact on our Island.“Far too often it stifles independent thought, and leads to decisions being made based not on what is right for the Island, or what the individual MP believes to be right, but instead on loyalty to the party line, to short-term decision making based on an eye to electoral calculations and the special interests funding the party, or with an eye to personal career advancement from a backbencher to a ministerial position and so on.”Mr Starling joined the PLP in 1998 and helped run the youth wing until 2008, but has since let his membership end while he pursued further education in ecological economics and urban and regional planning.He has been studying in Scotland for most of this year, and plans to return to Bermuda to canvass at the end of next week.His announcement comes a few days after former Attorney General Phil Perinchief quit the PLP to run as an independent in Pembroke West Central.And while the OBA remains hot favourite for the Pembroke South West seat held for many years by the United Bermuda Party, Mr Starling said: “As I believe this election may be very close indeed, I am convinced that as an independent I could very well play a very important role in shaping policies for the next Government.“While I have great respect and friendships with members in both the PLP and the OBA, and I support some of the great ideas on both sides, I don’t feel that either party anymore represents what I believe in, and I am wary of the tendency in parties to stifle independent thought.“I do believe though that where there are common positions between me and these other candidates, that we will be able to work cooperatively to realise these common aims.“In many ways I think I and other independent candidates are ideally suited to help bridge some of the divide that exists in our politics and society.”Mr Starling has commentated on politics in Bermuda through his blog Catch A Fire, often incurring the wrath of some in the PLP with critical comments about his own party.He has been involved in movements in Bermuda, Scotland and Canada promoting peace, social justice, anti-racist action, women’s rights and the environment.He grew up in Warwick, Flatts and Crawl, and in recent years has been living in Scotland; he will be based in Constituency 20 on his return to Bermuda, and will continue his studies from the Island if elected.“While I would prefer to be on Island sooner and meeting constituents face-to-face, I will seek to make up for this on my return,” he said.“I believe my constituents will be understanding of this situation, and I look forward to engaging them through the media and by e-mail initially.“I will also be helping some of my fellow independents, with whom I share common positions, with the skills and resources I have at my disposal here.”l Useful websites: www.jonnystar.wordpress.com; www.votestarling.com