Knackered politicians

[visualnickmos]

I have thought for many years - since a teen in the 70s, that election day/night reminded me of archive footage of the war 'home front' sort of stuff; spirit of almost enforced camaraderie, hot cocoa, last night of the Proms, and all the rest of it - you get the picture - that unique bit of British zaniness. Like people running around with ballot boxes, and the rush to 'declare' asap. Surely the counting in many a constituency, must be dodgy and highly inaccurate to say the least....

[french frank]

Surely the counting in many a constituency, must be dodgy and highly inaccurate to say the least....

What, with all those eagle-eyed party apparatchiks standing behind them? "Oi! that got put on the wrong pile!"

[LeMartinPecheur]

I have thought for many years - since a teen in the 70s, that election day/night reminded me of archive footage of the war 'home front' sort of stuff; spirit of almost enforced camaraderie, hot cocoa, last night of the Proms, and all the rest of it - you get the picture - that unique bit of British zaniness. Like people running around with ballot boxes, and the rush to 'declare' asap. Surely the counting in many a constituency, must be dodgy and highly inaccurate to say the least....

I'm less worried by random inaccuracies in the counting of votes than by malpractice/ fraud in the casting of those votes.

Exact first counts don't matter at all in most seats. In the marginals, any doubt and there will be a recount, or recounts. But how can we be sure that in marginal seats, all the postal votes are genuine? I've heard that you can receive considerable attention (= bribes) if you happen to run an old people's home and encourage all your disabled residents to apply for postal votes, then very considerately remove all the strain of actually placing the cross in the 'right' place

[ardcarp]

I too am very suspicious of the trend to postal voting; and would be even more so were it to become online voting. This from the government website:

Anyone can apply for a postal vote – you don't need to give a reason.

IMO, the postal vote should have remained available solely for people who physically couldn't present themselves at polling stations, e.g forces abroad or disabled. I wouldn't go so far as disenfranchising the residents of retirement homes though!

[mangerton]

I too am very suspicious of the trend to postal voting; and would be even more so were it to become online voting. This from the government website:


IMO, the postal vote should have remained available solely for people who physically couldn't present themselves at polling stations, e.g forces abroad or disabled. I wouldn't go so far as disenfranchising the residents of retirement homes though!

Yes, I must agree. I think you should have to give a good reason.

I've just watched "The Vote" which was on TV on Thursday. Excellent; well worth a look, IMHO. You'll get it on 4OD.

[french frank]

I've heard that you can receive considerable attention (= bribes) if you happen to run an old people's home and encourage all your disabled residents to apply for postal votes, then very considerately remove all the strain of actually placing the cross in the 'right' place

I was election agent in a council ward where we suspected that happened. Our candidate lost by 10 votes.

[ahinton]

Well, whatever it is of maybe, when did we last have a 7-a-side battle, still less one in which three prty leaders resigned within hours of confirmation of defeat?

[ardcarp]

I've just watched "The Vote" which was on TV on Thursday. Excellent; well worth a look, IMHO. You'll get it on 4OD.

Thanks for that Mangers. I've just watched it...very droll.

[kernelbogey]

The Greeks, shurely? [....]

Will they be having an exit poll soon?

[kernelbogey]

[...]The contexts we were hearing about included farm labourers (see 'gangmasters'), fishing boat crews, car-washers, driveway layers.

I understand, bizarrely, also 'nail bar' cosmetic workers.

[french frank]

Not quite fair ff to say that they don't matter to owners.

Yes, I was thinking of the recent cases of domestic workers who are physically abused and kept imprisoned. I think they matter much less to their masters than some of the young black slaves who entered the service of 18th-c aristocrats, were 'treated well' and even received a good education.

[ardcarp]

Do listen to this!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05sycds#auto

P.J. O'Rourke commenting on our election. Very amusing.