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Hola from sunny Espana

 

Thought you may like some timely advice from an expat on whom to vote for. I can only suggest that you do not vote for any lying, self-opiniated, thieving, smarmy, gutless, selfish or cheating politicians. That's that then, what will you do today!!!

 

Enjoy it

 

Steve

Hi Steve,

 

That's narrowed it down considerably then !!!!

 

Rich

I was going to vote for Shaun the Sheep, but he didn't have anything to say, baaa!! Actually the Liberal candidate seems like a "nice" boy, the conservative's a smarmy git, and the others and conspicuous only by their absence. Doh!!

Hi Stu/Tony

 

Guess I could still vote but didn't think it right seeing I no longer live in UK. I don't want the blame!!  Isn't Shaun the sheep over qualified to be a MP?

 

good luck

 

Steve

Hullo old things.

Never mind Shaun my money's on Ermintrude. P'raps the Magic Roundabout is much more appropriate.

Guess you can tell, I'm just as cynical as all the rest.

Think you've probably got it right Steve, if you don't vote you cant get blamed for anything.

Having said that, in a moment of weakness I did visit the polling station, got a dilemma though.

The local labour man is an all around good egg. He wasn't involved in any expenses scandle. He works very hard for his constituents, he replies to letters from Joe Public and takes action to help people. For transport he rides his bike if at all practical and often turns up a little late for appointments as a result. I'd love to have voted for him, the bugger of it is, a vote for him is translated as a vote for Gordy and more of the same......... Noses back in the trough!!!!! 

I think he should have stood as an independent, he would have wiped the board clean.

Ah well.........Good job it's all over.........till tomorrow, then the post mortem starts.

Have fun.

Sticky. 

You're right Steve, Shaun is definately overqualified.

 

Change of subject, just got home from Exeter after a gig by Chuck Prophrt and the Mission Express, all I can say is blinding, a good mix of Rock, R 'n B (proper R 'n B that is), country and blues, I'm hoarse, deaf and aching yet again, bloody good though!!!

 

Hi All

 

Can a country with compulsory voting be called democratic. Discuss.

 

Cheers

 

Steve

It could largely depend on what the penalties for not doing so would be Steve, I would imagine that a fine is the most commonly applied, otherwise how do you "police" the system, is this fair, does the voter have the opportunity to show that they don't feel represented by any of the parties, or candidates, is there provision for political dissent. Before I could fully agree to compulsory voting some of these restraints would have to be put in place, after all in a democracy we all have the right to our opinion and the right to say "none of the above" if we so desire.

 

Stu

Exactly  Stu, No Screamin Lord Sutch - no vote!

 

Cheers

 

Steve

Quite so, nuff said.

 

Stu

Hi all.

As I see it, if voting were compulsory it would not be any less democratic.

You could still vote for Shaun the sheep or the Jedi party if you wanted to.

This would obviously count as a vote of non confidence in the alternatives.

Someone told me they were going to vote for the Icelandic Volcano Party as it

had done more to control immigrtation in a week than the government had in 10 years!!!!!

Hey Ken what happens in Aus if you don't vote, do you get deported to Colwyn Bay?????

Anyhow, I'm surprised that we have not had a reaction from Parrotty,

perhaps all this Polyticks is a bit below her dignity.

Have fun all.

Sticky.

 

Hi Sticky, if you don’t vote you receive a fine, some get hauled before the courts.  It is not a large fine in monetary terms, but you need to have a good reason for not voting.  Lets face it some people try to vote twice.  Some people/groups who belong to certain religions and other such organisations have exemptions and do not have to vote.  However guys, you cannot complaint about a political party or how your country is being governed if you do not vote or form your own political party.  If you don't like what you have, you have to do something about it.  We get some weird parties like the Sun Ripen Tomato Party, Marijuana Party etc so the choice is there.  Not quite the Italian style, where if I remember correctly at one of there recent elections some female got elected because she dropped a boob out every now and again during her campaign. It does happen quite often in countries like the UK where voting is not compulsory, that candidates get into Parliament because people in the community do not turn up to vote because it is perceived that so and so will win. So why bother. and when all is done and dusted they later find out that if all of 'X's' supporters had turned up and voted, the elected candidate would have and could have been some one different.  We have a preferential voting system, and not first past the post.  So the candidate with the most first preference votes is not always the candidate elected into Parliament. Cheers and no more on this subject from me, Ken

That's fine as long as a government in power doesn't move the goalposts and make it next to impossible for the lunatics to stand for election Ken, I can't remember what the deposit is in this country now but we do seem to have less of the lunatic fringe than we used to, sadly I feel. But having just done a quick calculation for another purpose I came up with the result that based on an approximate 70% turnout on a proportional representation basis 168 seats would have gone unfilled thereby having a majority, personally I think the time has come for change.

Anyway I've now got "Dem Old Post Election Blues Mama!"

And I've still got to go to work this afternoon.

Hello Guys,

The political debate is certainly hotting up on here now ... boobs in Parliament (that would be nice, instead of the usual bloomers we get) .. the "easily lead" sheep .. we have those already in the form of local government "officers" ..  " may the force be with you" always wins out .. someone has to "lead" a democracy. Socialism is a "non-working" method of orgainising communities (1984 and all that).

 

Can we go back to the "village" structure and local groups? .. I guess not .. but at that sort of level you get to know your community, its different characters that "influence", the "local squire / landowner / industrialist" all "lead" by sheer weight of influence on the "driving force" for us all ... the economy .. here we are then, full circle ... back to Goverment and policies, and last but no least .. the vote ...a lot of people died for the cause, more will die because of it.

 

We, don`t have a real "dictatorship" in England .. but sometimes our self induced "system" we call democracy does feel like it. I like the idea of proportional representation, and the theory is good, but which candidate will be chosen from a national fielding of anyone willing to put their "head above the parapet" only to suffer ridicule, trial by the public as to their credentials / character traits.

 

Back to local groups again, local issues, apathy by the general public in their search for "individualism in our society .. (opposites arise again in that statement). I guess we have to be aware of each others issues, whims, wishes etc, but all these things have to remain fixed within the constraints of our environment and what materials it can support.

 

Now then, shall we now pop over to the house of commons and vent our spleen(s) to the assembly of our "self motivated" peers .. I personally would not bother to inflict the humility on my "self-opinionated" mind, and another thing ... how on earth do you control a class of 650 unruly individuals (other than with a "whip") .. and who among us will be speaker? ( Bring on the "Mace" spray .. tally ho!)

 

There, that should do it nicely .. comments please.   

Hi Guys, Your comments just keep getting better.  Bit beyond the education of this ex BT Boy.  As I see it, your problem in the UK with a ‘Hung Parliament’ will be greater now with great difficulty in Bills getting through the House of Commons without major amendments all the time or being watered down.  Both of the major parties will have to make large concessions to Nick Clegg’s mob when he decides whom the Lib Dem will support. I reckon you will be back at the Polls again in the not too distant future.  It will be a make or break for the Lim Dems. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Which every party they final side with.

When you have a Hung Parliament I don’t think the government will get much chance to change the goal posts. From what I read the Lim Dems are closer aligned to Labour than the Conservatives.  They would be expected to form a government with the Tories, based on the number of seat the Tories won. But this will not be a happy scenario for many Lib Dem elected members.  They will want major concessions from the Tories such as to nominate the Speaker and pick up some prime portfolios/cabinet positions/ministries.  Don’t know what these are called in the UK.

 

Don’t think there is a lot of difference in the political levels. Lets face it; most start off at the lower levels in local government and then step up the levels into the national arena.  They love the power, its in the blood, being the Mayor of Timsbury sounds nice or being serious the mayor of Bath or Bristol.  But being the member for Bath or North Somerset at Westminster has a much better ring. It would surely be a more prestigious position and lead to the chance of being Prime Minister or at least a nice juice portfolio and lots of perks.  And to these type of people being National is much more important than the local scene.

 

Your Lords is a bit like our Senate except I don’t think your Lords are voted in but appointed. Which is a reward I suppose for past favours or whatever you would like to call it. Must fly, definitely final crap from me.  Ken     

Hi All.

Fascinating, I'm sure!

I like your analogies, Bill and Ken seems to have it pretty well all weighed up.

I am lead to believe that we are one of the few democracies that still employs the 'First past the post system'

for determining the outrcome of elections. Now then, both major parties are vehemently against any change to this in spite of various government sponsored reports that categorically state that this is not the ideal way to proceed.

Am I the only person in the world to have a theory as to why?

Call me cynical if you like, but I can't help feeling that it may be something to do with the fact that many of our so called 'Serving' MP's that were elected by this method would loose their place at the trough if PR were introduced.

There are many more equally self preserving and egotistic reasons that the mainstream politicians will never support PR, but I'm sure you all know what they are.

If you have not already slit your wrists or at least lost the will to live, feel free to discuss.

Have fun.

Sticky. 

Good morning happy electorate

 

Does recent events mean that Clegg is only a heartbeat away from being Prime Minister? Worrying.

 

God bless

 

Steve