Fun and games with ballot papers

**DracoM** · 13-12-19, 13:14

<< Played Byrd's Ne Irascaris in the early hours.
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Precisely. Balm to hurt minds.

**EnemyoftheStoat** · 13-12-19, 13:59

Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post

Isn't it more a case of: To hell with probity?

It’s lying dead in a ditch.

**Joseph K** · 13-12-19, 14:09

Just leaving these here on the off chance people weren't aware of this already -

Boris Johnson’s record of bigotry, antisemitism and far-right politics must not be forgotten | Letters

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/dec/11/boris-johnsons-record-of-bigotry-antisemitism-and-far-right-politics-must-not-be-forgotten

Letters: A group of Jewish academics and campaigners voice their concerns about the prejudices of the Conservative leader, while residents of Jeremy Corbyn’s constituency express their full confidence in their representative

We Asked Black People What Boris Johnson's Comments About 'Piccaninnies' and 'Watermelon Smiles' Mean To Them

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/tory-leadership-race-boris-johnson-called-black-people-piccaninnies_uk_5d0263bce4b0dc17ef059528

Tory leadership frontrunner's remarks "tell me that, as a black man, I am inferior".

**cloughie** · 13-12-19, 14:28

Presumably we are now stuck with this lot until December 2024, and will have to live with whatever they decide is a good idea. I could get depressed about it but at my age, life may well be too short so what’s the point! I’ll just get on with it, enjoy my music and other joys of life, and hope that not too many decisions in high places are made to ruin it! Deep down, however I do fear something fairly dreadful may happen.

**Pulcinella** · 13-12-19, 14:37

Originally posted by cloughie View Post

Presumably we are now stuck with this lot until December 2024, and will have to live with whatever they decide is a good idea. I could get depressed about it but at my age, life may well be too short so what’s the point! I’ll just get on with it, enjoy my music and other joys of life, and hope that not too many decisions in high places are made to ruin it! Deep down, however I do fear something fairly dreadful may happen.

Me too, but surely one of the first things to do will be to rescind the Fixed Term Parliament Act. It's provably not fit for purpose.

**zola** · 13-12-19, 14:56

Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post

Me too, but surely one of the first things to do will be to rescind the Fixed Term Parliament Act. It's provably not fit for purpose.

But it is also extremely simple to circumvent, as the election we have just endured shows. As for being stuck with this lot until December 2024, I doubt they would inflict another winter election, so my bet would be May of that year. Small comfort I know but anything different would only come on the back of something pretty unpleasant.

**Andy Freude** · 13-12-19, 16:07

Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post

Me too, but surely one of the first things to do will be to rescind the Fixed Term Parliament Act. It's provably not fit for purpose.

Devil and the deep, isn't it? It was designed to stop the governing party timing an election for when they thought they had the best chance of winning again. Giveaway budget, feelgood factor, call an election.

**cloughie** · 13-12-19, 16:11

Originally posted by Pulcinella View Post

Me too, but surely one of the first things to do will be to rescind the Fixed Term Parliament Act. It's provably not fit for purpose.

Very true they just pass a vote and there’s another GE!

**cloughie** · 13-12-19, 16:13

Originally posted by zola View Post

But it is also extremely simple to circumvent, as the election we have just endured shows. As for being stuck with this lot until December 2024, I doubt they would inflict another winter election, so my bet would be May of that year. Small comfort I know but anything different would only come on the back of something pretty unpleasant.

A real irony was the SW tip of UK making the news and delay to the final result!

**ahinton** · 13-12-19, 16:38

Originally posted by cloughie View Post

A real irony was the SW tip of UK making the news and delay to the final result!

Yes, why was that, do you know? It's not as though it was a close call.

**Andy Freude** · 13-12-19, 16:43

Originally posted by ahinton View Post

Yes, why was that, do you know? It's not as though it was a close call.

Bad weather held up the arrival of the boxes from the Isles of Scilly.

**LMcD** · 13-12-19, 16:51

Originally posted by ferneyhoughgeliebte View Post

Well, 14 million votes for the Tories - The Sun average daily circulation is 1.26million. (Average daily circulation of combined Sun, Mail, Times, Star, Express, & FT, around 4million). None of which takes online editions into account.

For quite some time I've felt that the owners and/or editors of what one might call traditional newspapers have overestimated their influence. It was the social media wot won it, or at least helped win it, don't you think?
I would like to think that cloughie's fears are unfounded, but alas I share them. Is it my imagination, or can I hear hatches being battened down?

**Pulcinella** · 13-12-19, 16:58

Originally posted by LMcD View Post

For quite some time I've felt that the owners and/or editors of what one might call traditional newspapers have overestimated their influence. It was the social media wot won it, or at least helped win it, don't you think?
I would like to think that cloughie's fears are unfounded, but alas I share them. Is it my imagination, or can I hear hatches being battened down?

Or Brexit store-cupboards being replenished?

**LMcD** · 13-12-19, 17:07

On at least two occasions in the last week, I've watched vox pops in which an interviewee who clearly didn't think we belonged in the EU said they 'wanted to get out of Brexit', which is not the same thing as getting it done. Were they sure they knew what they were going to vote for (or against)?

**oddoneout** · 13-12-19, 17:32

Originally posted by LMcD View Post

For quite some time I've felt that the owners and/or editors of what one might call traditional newspapers have overestimated their influence. It was the social media wot won it, or at least helped win it, don't you think?
I would like to think that cloughie's fears are unfounded, but alas I share them. Is it my imagination, or can I hear hatches being battened down?

But how much of the traffic on social media has its origins one way or another with the press? People read something(online or otherwise) and pass it on with comments that reinforce a viewpoint. Easy pickings for the likes of the Sun to drip poison into the system? Although people are I think increasingly questioning how news is presented on TV, presumably because they can see the mechanism(inadequate questioning, irritating interview styles etc), I'm not sure that the same critical eye is brought to bear on written reportage.
At the risk of being inflammatory I'll mention that it was not the will of the people to have a Conservative government since the Tory vote share was 43.6%. Useful thing FPTP.