Posh Boys in trouble?

[MrGongGong]

No sympathy at all for the carpers who complain but don't vote. Spoilt ballot papers are counted so the excuse that 'they're all the same', 'politicians are the offscourings of the earth' &c &c aren't a reason for not expressing your opinion.
!

I used to think this
but sadly not any more (and for the record i've already "voted" even though I might be carping )

As with many things it's MEANINGFUL choice that matters , there is a point of not voting as all votes are used to justify the rotten system.
Calling a rejection of the poor choice on offer a "spoilt" paper hardly lends credibility to what for some is a more meaningful gesture than voting for or against a list of yes men/women who will abandon all pretence of ethics at the first opportunity.

[Serial_Apologist]

I used to think this
but sadly not any more (and for the record i've already "voted" even though I might be carping )

As with many things it's MEANINGFUL choice that matters , there is a point of not voting as all votes are used to justify the rotten system.
Calling a rejection of the poor choice on offer a "spoilt" paper hardly lends credibility to what for some is a more meaningful gesture than voting for or against a list of yes men/women who will abandon all pretence of ethics at the first opportunity.

The fewer voting, the more those elected assume apathy and behave in their own interests or incompetently. Unless we care by voting for someone, they won't.

[MrGongGong]

The fewer voting, the more those elected assume apathy and behave in their own interests or incompetently. Unless we care by voting for someone, they won't.

hummmmm

Where I live there isn't anyone I would vote for ........... (without going through them)
So how on earth does one express any opinion ?

[Serial_Apologist]

hummmmm

Where I live there isn't anyone I would vote for ........... (without going through them)
So how on earth does one express any opinion ?

Vote for the one you least despise, GG.

[french frank]

As with many things it's MEANINGFUL choice that matters , there is a point of not voting as all votes are used to justify the rotten system.

Isn't the point, though, that for many people there isn't a meaningful choice, so what do you do then? If you don't vote, there's no way to distinguish you from the people who are just too lazy to go to the polling station; or who forget; or who are ill; or who neither know nor care anything about the elections. They aren't recoognised as a rejection of the system. Nor do 100 spoilt papers (a technical term) among 40,000 in the constituency mean much as they include various non-countable papers which were intended to express a vote but failed to do so . But 25,000 spoilt papers out of 40,000 send a message not only to the politicians but to the rest of the country. They can hardly be said to 'justify the rotten system'.

[Serial_Apologist]

Not sure if I'm allowed to say this, but I'll be voting for Ken in tomorrow's mayoral, Green Jenny Jones second.

Not because I wouldn't put Jenny first, but given the fact that public opinion has moved strongly in the direction of local authority representatives being independent of party, and Ken is no party machine man. Also, what happens locally has greater implications regarding national politics now more than ever; and the unelection of Boris - though also not a party machine clone - would be a huge blow to Cameron's and Clegg's morale.

[amateur51]

Not sure if I'm allowed to say this, but I'll be voting for Ken in tomorrow's mayoral, Green Jenny Jones second.

Not because I wouldn't put Jenny first, but given the fact that public opinion has moved strongly in the direction of local authority representatives being independent of party, and Ken is no party machine man. Also, what happens locally has greater implications regarding national politics now more than ever; and the unelection of Boris - though also not a party machine clone - would be a huge blow to Cameron's and Clegg's morale.

all round S_A!

[french frank]

the unelection of Boris - though also not a party machine clone - would be a huge blow to Cameron's and Clegg's morale.

Not sure that Clegg would be very upset. Moreso if Paddick is annihilated.

Stupidity is that this is the year we don't have any elections in Bristol, so people are being asked to vote in a referendum that they've forgotten about, don't care about, don't understand. And unlike in previous mayoral referendums, it'll be binding on a simple majority, and irreversible. Stoke on Trent have already dumped their mayor and Doncaster is having a referendum on dropping theirs.

[Serial_Apologist]

Not sure that Clegg would be very upset. Moreso if Paddick is annihilated.

Stupidity is that this is the year we don't have any elections in Bristol, so people are being asked to vote in a referendum that they've forgotten about, don't care about, don't understand. And unlike in previous mayoral referendums, it'll be binding on a simple majority, and irreversible. Stoke on Trent have already dumped their mayor and Doncaster is having a referendum on dropping theirs.

Paddick - straight guy though he is (pun not intended) - will be hamstrung by political association, unfortunately. Last time I looked he was polling lower than the Independent lady of Italian descent, I guess for the reasons I suggested above.

[french frank]

Paddick - straight guy though he is (pun not intended) - will be hamstrung by political association, unfortunately. Last time I looked he was polling lower than the Independent lady of Italian descent, I guess for the reasons I suggested above.

Well, at least the LibDems won't be hammered in Bristol tomorrow , though with their long-serving leader standing down, Tories and Labour might unite to kick them out. Last time it happened the Tories helped Labour back into power with a minority administration - and Labour accepted the help, of course!

[amateur51]

Well, at least the LibDems won't be hammered in Bristol tomorrow , though with their long-serving leader standing down, Tories and Labour might unite to kick them out. Last time it happened the Tories helped Labour back into power with a minority administration - and Labour accepted the help, of course!

Is that normal for Labour or normal for Bristol?

[french frank]

Is that normal for Labour or normal for Bristol?

It's not normal that we don't have elections! It's our one year out in every four. LabCon cooperation hasn't been unheard of in this part of the country ever since the LibDems began to break up the dominance of the Old Firm. And now they're rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of a return to Buggins' turn .

[John Skelton]

And now they're rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of a return to Buggins' turn .

That's depressing. Apart from there being three Bugginses, does the LibDem Party make any significant difference to the outcome of "Buggins' turn"? (Or propose to do anything significantly different from the other Bugginses?) They all seem much the same to me .

[LHC]

Not sure if I'm allowed to say this, but I'll be voting for Ken in tomorrow's mayoral, Green Jenny Jones second.

Not because I wouldn't put Jenny first, but given the fact that public opinion has moved strongly in the direction of local authority representatives being independent of party, and Ken is no party machine man. Also, what happens locally has greater implications regarding national politics now more than ever; and the unelection of Boris - though also not a party machine clone - would be a huge blow to Cameron's and Clegg's morale.

That's the first time I've seen Ken's duplicitous relationship with the Labour party expressed as a virtue. You are certainly correct that he's not really a party man. After all, Labour's campaign in London has been reduced to Tom Watson telling labour voters to "hold your nose and vote for Ken"

[french frank]

That's depressing. Apart from there being three Bugginses, does the LibDem Party make any significant difference to the outcome of "Buggins' turn"? (Or propose to do anything significantly different from the other Bugginses?) They all seem much the same to me .

Well, that underlines the hideous result of the last election. Had there been a LabLibDem deal, they might have made a better job of getting proper PR. Which in turn would have stood a chance of getting governments/coalitions which better reflected the wishes of the voters.

(Can you have three Bugginses, btw? And scraping a disaster of a deal on one occasion doesn't exactly constitute having a 'turn', especially as it's one they're unlikely to accept again even if it was offered.)

But this illustrates my theory: that if three parties (actually four if you count the SNP in Scotland) end up looking pretty much the same on economic policies when they're in power, there are probably limitations to what, in practice, they can do. One needs to be sitting at the table hearing why one's suggestions are impracticable or counterproductive to be convinced. Taking the wheel of a clapped-out Trabant may demonstrate different levels of driving skill. But it will always be a clapped-out Trabant.

[Have cast my vote. Now that the pre-work rush is over, the turnout is a promising 2.8% in our polling district. Let's hope it's not pouring with rain when people come home from work.]