Posh Boys in trouble?

[Serial_Apologist]

I have just voted Green on all three ballot papers but not with any great enthusiasm. If there had been a "destroy the system" candidate or a raving loony candidate on the constituency list, the person would have certainly got my vote. Every candidate on that list was lousy. One of my parents, previously switching between Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative, voted UKIP as a protest. The other, historically a Conservative, destroyed all three ballot papers following on from a destroyed paper in 2010.

We are all in our various ways outside this system now. Many who have just walked into this country do have more of a stake in it. The excuse for not having received a polling card was the poor postal service. No one offered to follow up on it. However, the people outside the building wanted to know what I had for breakfast and my inside leg measurement. This is how Britain is across the board. I did have a brief conversation about the second choice vote. We all agreed that many people think it is compulsory.

On last night's news it was stated that many Londoners never gave a second choice vote last time around - the figure was either 40% or 60%.

[Lateralthinking1]

On last night's news it was stated that many Londoners never gave a second choice vote last time around - the figure was either 40% or 60%.

Thanks for that serial_apologist. However, this election will be decided on second preference votes with a margin of around 10%. It is quite possible that many second votes will go to Johnson and Livingstone just because people think that they have to give a second preference. They are the only ones who benefit from the lack of transparency and the ballot paper is always misleading.

[amateur51]

Possibly not posh boys so much as greedy boys, but my heart soared when I read this....

"Insurance firm Aviva has lost the vote on executive pay at its annual meeting. Excluding abstentions, 54% voted against the remuneration report at its annual general meeting (AGM).

"It's pretty embarrassing, this almost never happens. It's a big slap in the face," said BBC business editor Robert Peston."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17938865

[MrGongGong]

the turnout is a promising 2.8% in our polling district.

and people complain about grade inflation

[Lateralthinking1]

You Gov are predicting a win for Boris Johnson by 53% to 47% in the second round. The Conservatives will lose 3 seats to Labour on the London Assembly and the BNP/Independent will lose his seat.

Expected totals on the Assembly - Lab 11, Con 8, LD 2, UKIP 2, Green 2. If this happens, the Johnson budget could in theory be voted down by a combination of all opposition parties. It is though unlikely that UKIP members would oppose it.

The Johnson vote will be about the same as last time. This bucks the broader national trend of an 8% swing away from the Conservatives although it will be another good night for SNP in Glasgow.

The win is expected to fully establish Boris as the main contender to David Cameron in the longer term. What many forget is that he is considerably to the right of him in policy terms.

[teamsaint]

You Gov are predicting a win for Boris Johnson by 53 to 47. The Conservatives will lose 3 seats to Labour on the London Assembly and the BNP/Independent will lose his seat.

Expected totals on the Assembly - Lab 11, Con 8, LD 2, UKIP 2, Green 2. If this happens, the Johnson budget could in theory be voted down by a combination of all opposition parties. It is though unlikely that UKIP members would oppose it.

The Johnson vote will be about the same as last time. This bucks the broader national trend of an 8% swing away from the Conservatives. It should establish him as the main contender to David Cameron. What many forget is that he is considerably to the right of him in policy terms.

But, to be fair, if Boris was in charge, there are not so many countries left to invade now.
Unless we invade the same ones again, I suppose.

[Lateralthinking1]

But, to be fair, if Boris was in charge, there are not so many countries left to invade now.
Unless we invade the same ones again, I suppose.

Quite right. This will leave him in the position of being able to escalate the major offensive on the British poor.

[teamsaint]

Quite right. This will leave him in the position of being able to escalate the major offensive on the British poor.

it's always nice to see someone who really enjoys their work.

[Lateralthinking1]

it's always nice to see someone who really enjoys their work.

Unlike those counting. There is a 22 hour wait for the result. More widely, many cities have already rejected the proposal to have a Mayor. No news from Bristol but frenchfrank could be pleased when the result of the referendum is declared.

We now know that Labour did very well but not fantastically. The Conservatives got a bit of a drubbing and the Lib Dems did badly but have not quite slipped off the map. Good votes for the Greens and UKIP but not translated into representation.

I waded through four hours of the coverage in which I think these were the most interesting facts:

- The Conservatives have not won a General Election outright in 20 years. Nearly a quarter of a century in 2015.
- Cameron has been the Tory leader for 7 years now. He seems incapable of completely convincing the electorate.
- No party has won a second General Election with an increased share of the vote. This looks set to continue.
- There are hints from Cameron that his best chance in 2015 is to form another coalition with the Lib Dems.

- The UKIP vote is starting to worry Conservative backbenchers who are calling for a policy swing to the right.
- Conference season will be particularly tricky for the Conservatives this year because of the UKIP performance.
- Backbenchers believe that the public are to the right of Tory policy. They are actually to the right and to the left of it.
- The public are particularly disillusioned with Coalition inefficiency. The turnout was around 33% - the lowest in 12 years.

- The Queens Speech will be presented as starting afresh but economically it will be more of the same.
- Some Lib Dem led policy is perceived by many as remote. Lords reform is thought ill-timed given the recession.
- It was the worst local election result for the Lib Dems since their formation in the late 1980s.
- It still translates into 39 Lib Dem MPs in a General Election which is far better than in the days of the Liberal Party.

- For now Ed Miliband is safe. His position is far more secure than it was in late 2011. Yvette will have to wait.
- The results are particularly good for Labour seeing that nearly all so far are from Tory leaning England.
- Labour also appear to be doing reasonably well in Wales at the expense of Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems.
- There was an 8% swing. It equates to an overall majority of 80 but in 1995 it was 21%, a much healthier figure.

[french frank]

No news from Bristol but frenchfrank could be pleased when the result of the referendum is declared.

Not overjoyed, Lat. 12.9% of the electorate has voted for a mayor. So we're getting a mayor.

[gurnemanz]

Professor Pongoo, a candidate dressed as a penguin, has received more votes than the Liberal Democrats in Edinburgh. He might get my vote.

http://local.stv.tv/edinburgh/98159-candidate-dressed-as-a-penguin-receives-more-votes-than-two-major-parties/

[amateur51]

Unlike those counting. There is a 22 hour wait for the result. More widely, many cities have already rejected the proposal to have a Mayor. No news from Bristol but frenchfrank could be pleased when the result of the referendum is declared.

We now know that Labour did very well but not fantastically. The Conservatives got a bit of a drubbing and the Lib Dems did badly but have not quite slipped off the map. Good votes for the Greens and UKIP but not translated into representation.

I waded through four hours of the coverage in which I think these were the most interesting facts:

- The Conservatives have not won a General Election outright in 20 years. Nearly a quarter of a century in 2015.
- Cameron has been the Tory leader for 7 years now. He seems incapable of completely convincing the electorate.
- No party has won a second General Election with an increased share of the vote. This looks set to continue.
- There are hints from Cameron that his best chance in 2015 is to form another coalition with the Lib Dems.

- The UKIP vote is starting to worry Conservative backbenchers who are calling for a policy swing to the right.
- Conference season will be particularly tricky for the Conservatives this year because of the UKIP performance.
- Backbenchers believe that the public are to the right of Tory policy. They are actually to the right and to the left of it.
- The public are particularly disillusioned with Coalition inefficiency. The turnout was around 33% - the lowest in 12 years.

- The Queens Speech will be presented as starting afresh but economically it will be more of the same.
- Some Lib Dem led policy is perceived by many as remote. Lords reform is thought ill-timed given the recession.
- It was the worst local election result for the Lib Dems since their formation in the late 1980s.
- It still translates into 39 Lib Dem MPs in a General Election which is far better than in the days of the Liberal Party.

- For now Ed Miliband is safe. His position is far more secure than it was in late 2011. Yvette will have to wait.
- The results are particularly good for Labour seeing that nearly all so far are from Tory leaning England.
- Labour also appear to be doing reasonably well in Wales at the expense of Plaid Cymru and the Lib Dems.
- There was an 8% swing. It equates to an overall majority of 80 but in 1995 it was 21%, a much healthier figure.

Brilliant stuff Lat and you don't even have the benefit of a Swing-O-Meter

One slight issue re the 2015 election - there'll be fewer constituences and that'll need to be factored in. But I'll leave that to Prof Anthony King & Prof David Butler & his BUPS (the British Unions of Psephological Saddos )

[amateur51]

Not overjoyed, Lat. 12.9% of the electorate has voted for a mayor. So we're getting a mayor.

I did warn you about turnout thresholds, french frank

[french frank]

I did warn you about turnout thresholds, french frank

But that was the difference in Bristol: it was the year when we had no other elections so people weren't going to the polls anyway.

Those against: 11.3%.

Democracy rools ...

[amateur51]

But that was the difference in Bristol: it was the year when we had no other elections so people weren't going to the polls anyway.

Those against: 11.3%.

Democracy rools ...

I take your point natch but strange sort of democracy, innit