This is all you need to know about this year's election.

[mattx]

http://yfrog.com/jmtumblrksrcor1dkv1qznpi1j

[nicholab]

If you don't vote your not allowed to complain also make sure you vote at local elections as a lot of daily life is effected by the council.

[localzuk]

If you don't vote your not allowed to complain also make sure you vote at local elections as a lot of daily life is effected by the council.

 

My thoughts exactly. However, we have this odd situation at the moment where you can't choose 'none of the above'.

 

We should be more like Australia - make voting a legal responsibility, and add 'none of the above'.

 

Then, the govt will actually be able to see how annoyed everyone is with them.

[torledo]

If you don't vote your not allowed to complain.

 

nonsense.

[localzuk]

nonsense.

 

Why is it? Why should someone have the right to complain if they didn't even vote?

[nicholab]

My local council has been audited and found to offer value for money and have a driven agender for improvement.

 

Better that the previous head of the council saying affordable housing was for riff raff!!!

[torledo]

Why is it? Why should someone have the right to complain if they didn't even vote?

 

are you serious ? complain about what....the result of the election. What's there to complain about, we'll get pretty much more of the same...the smaller aspects of administration they may get right, but they'll screw up just as bad on the big issues and policies.

 

So what am i voting for....mine, like a lot of areas i suspect is basically going to come down to a two-horse race. So either i vote for tweedledum or tweedledee - much of a muchness.....and if i choose other options as a protest vote, it doesn't change the fact there are basically two contenders.

 

also, i'm not just voting for personalities or local issues at the GE. The party in power in central govt. has to look at the interests of business and the national democracy, not just or maybe not ever the changes i want to see or the personal views of the various MP's. And then funding will be allocated from the centre accordingly. So what chance is there ?

[kmount]

Anyone want to chip in a few quid and we'll just get a little island somewhere outside of anyone's control?

[torledo]

Then, the govt will actually be able to see how annoyed everyone is with them.

 

i think they get a fairly good idea of that anyway.

 

they won't need another box on the ballot paper to tell them they are disliked.

[IanT]

I'll be voting but WONT be voting for any of the major parties...........Im doing what LBC have said............EVERYONE votes but not for any of the major parties!!

 

I'll be forcing my other half to vote also

[synaesthesia]

It is nonsense.

 

Lets say, there are 3 parties. You're not allowed to complain if you don't agree and don't vote.

 

Party 1 says 1+1=3 but it will FEEL right.

Party 2 says 1+1=4 but it will LOOK right.

Party 3 says 1+1=5 but it will SMELL right.

 

None of the parties involved are correct. Why therefore, should someone who decides to believe and act upon what is correct, not be allowed to complain? You know all of the above are wrong, regardless of how they will try and make you believe they are correct.

 

Politics is almost as bad as extreme religion in my eyes but that's my own opinion.

[Guest Guest]

Voting on politics is like choosing between gonorrhea and clamidia, you dont want either but i sure as hell wouldnt stop someone from complaining about it just because they didnt care which one they got!

[localzuk]

Ok, if you all dislike the parties that exist, why not put up or shut up? ie. put yourself forward as a candidate in your local area.

 

Sure, the system is currently geared towards 2 parties, but if everyone stopped whinging and actually did something - like vote for a non-mainstream party, an independent candidate or actually stood in the election themselves, then the system would be forced to change. Every vote that goes to someone not in the labour or conservative parties is a vote for change. A spoiled ballot is nothing - it is ignored.

 

Not voting is simply throwing away any voice you have, and then saying 'well I had no choice'.

 

The only reason our political system is in the mess it is now, is because of voter apathy and because of people not doing something about it!

 

Drives me mad!

[Guest Guest]

Ok, if you all dislike the parties that exist, why not put up or shut up? ie. put yourself forward as a candidate in your local area.

 

Sure, the system is currently geared towards 2 parties, but if everyone stopped whinging and actually did something - like vote for a non-mainstream party, an independent candidate or actually stood in the election themselves, then the system would be forced to change. Every vote that goes to someone not in the labour or conservative parties is a vote for change. A spoiled ballot is nothing - it is ignored.

 

Not voting is simply throwing away any voice you have, and then saying 'well I had no choice'.

 

The only reason our political system is in the mess it is now, is because of voter apathy and because of people not doing something about it!

 

Drives me mad!

 

 

 

So who you voting for then? The BNP, the green party? Get real. How about you set one up then if its so easy

[synaesthesia]

Well it's very true, and also the reason it's not likely to change without *major* reform, on both sides of the deal.

I honestly believe that said change will not occur until something big and/or bad happens - most likely war. Very cynical but can't see how sheeple are likely to change their habits on-masse for any other reason.

[localzuk]

So who you voting for then? The BNP, the green party? Get real. How about you set one up then if its so easy

 

Did I say anything about setting up a party? No, I said stand yourself. Become an independent candidate - there are always a handful of them in every area. It isn't that difficult. AFAIK, you need a £500 deposit, and 10 people to nominate you. Then you just need to advertise yourself/campaign etc... (Info available here http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0007/79540/UKPGE-nominations-factsheet-FINAL.pdf)

 

I'm not saying you have a chance of doing much, but if enough people voted for these different people and parties, we wouldn't have the 2 party mess we have now.

 

You seem to be equating voting with 'voting for someone who is likely to get in' - which is not the point!

 

As for my political stance, I think I made that clear recently on another thread.

Edited April 5, 2010 by localzuk

[RabbieBurns]

everybody just vote SNP

[tech_guy]

I think Mattx should stand. Vote for Mattx!

[torledo]

Did I say anything about setting up a party? No, I said stand yourself. Become an independent candidate - there are always a handful of them in every area. It isn't that difficult. AFAIK, you need a £500 deposit, and 10 people to nominate you. Then you just need to advertise yourself/campaign etc... (Info available here http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0007/79540/UKPGE-nominations-factsheet-FINAL.pdf)

 

I'm not saying you have a chance of doing much, but if enough people voted for these different people and parties, we wouldn't have the 2 party mess we have now.

 

You seem to be equating voting with 'voting for someone who is likely to get in' - which is not the point!

 

As for my political stance, I think I made that clear recently on another thread.

 

yes, but what kind of swing do you need to vote for these 'other' parties to challenge a lot of the one and two horse races ? Ofcourse it would be nice if everyone came to their senses, but the winning of hearts and minds is a complicated thing. It's never as straightforward as some of the alternative parties manifesto's seem to suggest.....mainly because we've got the baggage and instiutions that are the result of decades of neoliberalism. And you have to work within that framework initially even if you ultimately want to dismantle some or all of it.

 

You run the risk of making it a one-horse race, taking votes away form genuine challengers to the incumbents, by voting for the no-hopers. Ofcourse there's an element of tactical voting at play....it very much is a point of voting these days.

 

anyway, i don't think i've got a big enough ego to stand for any type of elecion, so i'll stick to voting or not voting. And if i don't vote, then i will complain about stuff if i want to.

[localzuk]

yes, but what kind of swing do you need to vote for these 'other' parties to challenge a lot of the one and two horse races ? Ofcourse it would be nice if everyone came to their senses, but the winning of hearts and minds is a complicated thing. It's never as straightforward as some of the alternative parties manifesto's seem to suggest.....mainly because we've got the baggage and instiutions that are the result of decades of neoliberalism. And you have to work within that framework initially even if you ultimately want to dismantle some or all of it.

 

You run the risk of making it a one-horse race, taking votes away form genuine challengers to the incumbents, by voting for the no-hopers. Ofcourse there's an element of tactical voting at play....it very much is a point of voting these days.

 

anyway, i don't think i've got a big enough ego to stand for any type of elecion, so i'll stick to voting or not voting. And if i don't vote, then i will complain about stuff if i want to.

 

See, that is exactly the thinking which keeps us in the current mess. If you don't vote, don't expect those of us that do to listen to anything you have to say...

 

I'll give you some numbers. The MP down here won by a majority of about 9k votes. Not a huge number, by any account!

[Guest Guest]

Ill listen to you torledo

[torledo]

 

The only reason our political system is in the mess it is now, is because of voter apathy and because of people not doing something about it!

 

 

the voter apathy comes because of a lack of credibility amongst the parties [not just the mainstream ones]....some of the candidates themselves i'm sure are very nice people, with a degree of intelligence, and a commitment to public service.

 

But it does go back to being able to work within the system of govt. that we currently have, understanding industry, the financial sector, the monetary system......what does an alternate party do ? IT'll rely on experts just like the main political parties surely. And will their experts have any less of a vested interest if they come from the industry they are advising on.

 

So while i think so and so sounds great, if a little vague, once you scratch beneath the surface how workable is it, what they are proposing.

 

Voter apathy isn't to blame, political parties looking and sounding like a convincing govt.has to come first. But you know, to win votes, the parties cannot please everyone all of the time.

[john]

Anyone want to chip in a few quid and we'll just get a little island somewhere outside of anyone's control?

Sounds a nice Idea Kim, so long as we can have Windows on the island as well as Linux then I'm happy and will join you

 

Its weird, a friend of mine is the leader for a local political party and he needs people to stand in the local wards for him and has approached me, I'm tempted to go for it as we only have 3 to go for here and tbh there all very old (nothing against the older generations) but we have a big problem of this area is full of retired / retiring people and 2nd homes thus making it expensive and an area not for the younger generations and I know that's part of what the party is about's, its called The Youth Party

[torledo]

See, that is exactly the thinking which keeps us in the current mess. If you don't vote, don't expect those of us that do to listen to anything you have to say...

 

I'll give you some numbers. The MP down here won by a majority of about 9k votes. Not a huge number, by any account!

 

ok, for arguments sake.... if one of the other candidates, not out of the three major parties in my area won - managed to overturn the majority.....how do i know if they'd be any good or make any difference, if i myself am not convinced by them ?

 

you seem to be saying that any kind of change is good.....when it isn't necessarily going to deliver that much of an improvement. MP's are their represent their constituents - to win enough votes they have to appeal to the majority of their constituents.....will that always result in the most equitable of policies ? I think the example that john gives about an area having a particular socio-economic demographic as the majority may be a case in point....? You have to work within that, and appeal to that no ?

 

I'm sure this is the problem the big parties have faced, and why they've had to backtrack or U turn on proposals.

Edited April 5, 2010 by torledo

[sted]

but by voting for an odd party you may end up with some strange people in power. look at doncaster we elected (and i diddnt vote for him) a mayor whose pledges (or at least some of them) cant be done as a the probably break eu rules and require the backing of the council which as the sole representative of his party (at least as far as im aware) so they wont happen either (and as some of them border on racist imo thats not a bad thing)