Is there a reason ?

[Dave2002]

Peter Oborne's recent acknowledgements of right-wing bias in the mainstream media, broadcasters as well as newspapers, have become hot property for those of us on the left who have long been proclaiming such:

http://www.opendemocracy.net/en/open...-news-machine/

Depressing sequence of comments at the end of that article. Not at all polite. Interesting article otherwise.

[Dave2002]

It's not only the UK that has problems. See https://www.scmp.com/news/world/euro...tens-thousands

Note also this text from the article

Salvini’s League, which remains Italy’s largest party despite its leader’s failed bid for the premiership, called for the mass demonstration to protest against the government forged by two former arch-enemies, the centre-left Democrats and the 5-Star Movement, to avoid a snap election following the crisis triggered by Salvini.

I know little about this, but found it by accident.

[teamsaint]

Looks like it is nose holding season.

Good to see the Lib Dems sticking to their principles im their usual way.......thats one thing you can rely on them to do.....

[Pulcinella]

It seems only just to have struck some people that, if we have a December election and keep the fixed parliament act, the next GE will also be in a December.
And we let these people run the country?

[teamsaint]

It seems only just to have struck some people that, if we have a December election and keep the fixed parliament act, the next GE will also be in a December.
And we let these people run the country?

Well we keep voting for them.

Who knows,th e Lib Dems may hold the balance of power and enable more such wonderful legislation.

Meanwhile here in South Wilts, its time to stick a blue rosette on a random pig , as obviously we do need a representative in parliament.
Southampton Itchen, more interestingly, is an ultra marginal, unbelievably a Tory seat at the moment, but with a majority of 31,swingometers will be visible in abundance thereabouts.

[oddoneout]

It seems only just to have struck some people that, if we have a December election and keep the fixed parliament act, the next GE will also be in a December.
And we let these people run the country?

But surely both this move and that of the previous PM show that the fixed term part of the FTPA means what they want it to mean doesn't it? If certain conditions are met then the 5 years thing gets dumped as far as I can see since the next one is actually due 2022 - in theory.

Well we keep voting for them.

And no teamsaint we don't all keep voting for them, but the FPTP system conveniently ensures that hundreds of thousands of us have no chance of changing things. Voting-wise I live in the middle of a deep blue sea.Going to the polls was unpleasant enough last time round for those of us who didn't want to be swimming in that cesspit, so I wonder how many will bother this time round knowing what a futile gesture their wasted vote is? I can see the attraction of a spoiled ballot paper...

[Serial_Apologist]

And no teamsaint we don't all keep voting for them, but the FPTP system conveniently ensures that hundreds of thousands of us have no chance of changing things. Voting-wise I live in the middle of a deep blue sea.Going to the polls was unpleasant enough last time round for those of us who didn't want to be swimming in that cesspit, so I wonder how many will bother this time round knowing what a futile gesture their wasted vote is? I can see the attraction of a spoiled ballot paper...

On the other hand, PR would mean you being reduced to a tiny speck on the wish list of your nearest MP being a hundred miles away, and part of a government cobbled together post-election in what used to be called smoke-filled rooms.

Don't worry though: Jo Swimsuit is confident of a LibDem majority government getting in on Dec 9.

[oddoneout]

On the other hand, PR would mean you being reduced to a tiny speck on the wish list of your nearest MP being a hundred miles away, and part of a government cobbled together post-election in what used to be called smoke-filled rooms.

Don't worry though: Jo Swimsuit is confident of a LibDem majority government getting in on Dec 9.

Would it? Even if it did I'm not sure that prospect seems any worse than the cobbled together government that exists at present!

[teamsaint]

But surely both this move and that of the previous PM show that the fixed term part of the FTPA means what they want it to mean doesn't it? If certain conditions are met then the 5 years thing gets dumped as far as I can see since the next one is actually due 2022 - in theory.


And no teamsaint we don't all keep voting for them, but the FPTP system conveniently ensures that hundreds of thousands of us have no chance of changing things. Voting-wise I live in the middle of a deep blue sea.Going to the polls was unpleasant enough last time round for those of us who didn't want to be swimming in that cesspit, so I wonder how many will bother this time round knowing what a futile gesture their wasted vote is? I can see the attraction of a spoiled ballot paper...

I think you took my comment a bit too literally there, Oddy.

[MrGongGong]

And no teamsaint we don't all keep voting for them, but the FPTP system conveniently ensures that hundreds of thousands of us have no chance of changing things. Voting-wise I live in the middle of a deep blue sea.Going to the polls was unpleasant enough last time round for those of us who didn't want to be swimming in that cesspit, so I wonder how many will bother this time round knowing what a futile gesture their wasted vote is? I can see the attraction of a spoiled ballot paper...

Quite

My "MP" would bring back public executions
there really is no point at all in voting where I live
much better to spend the time doing something useful rather than walking the 20 feet over the road to the village hall to spoil another paper

[teamsaint]

Despite long term disillusion with politics, ( a generation ******ed by Blair after the ravages of Thatcherism) and almost zero chance of anybody other than a Tory being elected in my constituency, I’ll be voting, yet again , for the person most likely to come second to the tory candidate.
This seems to me to be the best course of action, in spite of everything.

What I do hope is that the lies about Corbyn finally stop. But I doubt that they will, since many of the come from within his own party and the “ liberal” media.

[MrGongGong]

Despite long term disillusion with politics, ( a generation ******ed by Blair after the ravages of Thatcherism) and almost zero chance of anybody other than a Tory being elected in my constituency, I’ll be voting, yet again , for the person most likely to come second to the tory candidate.
This seems to me to be the best course of action, in spite of everything.

I've come to the conclusion that it's better NOT to vote
every time i've voted AGAINST (which is more times than the 2 i've voted FOR)
it's taken as an endorsement of things I don't agree with

as to the lies about Corbyn (of which there are many)
He really doesn't do himself any favours

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukpolitics/comments/a8t9pt/jeremy_corbyns_record_on_europe/

[teamsaint]

I've come to the conclusion that it's better NOT to vote
every time i've voted AGAINST (which is more times than the 2 i've voted FOR)
it's taken as an endorsement of things I don't agree with

as to the lies about Corbyn (of which there are many)
He really doesn't do himself any favours

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukpolitics/...ord_on_europe/

I have quite a lot of sympathy with your view on this. It’s a close call.

[oddoneout]

I think you took my comment a bit too literally there, Oddy.

Sorry, it touched a nerve. I have noticed that the strident voices that kept trumpeting the 'vote them out' nonsense at every opportunity seem to have become more muted of late. Whatever the reason(and it won't be because the facts have finally dawned) I am glad because it did get very annoying.

I will vote, despite the pointlessness in terms of effecting change, because then I can lambast 'my' MP with a clear conscience!

[Richard Barrett]

I've come to the conclusion that it's better NOT to vote

"Social progress has always been achieved when people have come together in solidarity to demand change from the powerful, when people educate themselves and educate each other, and when they cause enough economic disruption to cause the powerful and wealthy to give in to some of their demands (one of the best ways to frighten the wealthy and powerful is by threatening to hit them in the pocket).

Trade unionism, mass protest, civil disobedience, boycotts, community organisation, activism, political education, charity, philanthropy, supporting progressive writers and activists ... these are all ways of positively influencing politics outside of the ballot box.

Refusing to vote for a demonstrably better political party than the current government (Labour, SNP, Plaid Cymru, Green ...), or for one that is marginally less bad in those constituencies unfortunate enough to have no other choice (Lib-Dem) is not."

https://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.com/