Cable Forum - Conservative Party's chronicles

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Mr K	20-01-2026 19:48

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLD BOY (Post 36209335)

If you made voting mandatory, you would be requiring people with no interest in politics who don’t even know the name or party of the current prime minister to select a name that they have ever heard of.

How, in anyone’s world, is that acceptable?

Not sure about mandatory voting, but we should certainly make it easier. Some of the latest policies like voter id (when there wasnt an issue) seem to be designed to stop people voting. Allow voting online, and voting over a weekend.

Make everyones vote count - under the current system your vote only really matters if youre in a 'swing' constituency. A safe seat and many dont see the point. Folks feel obliged to tactically vote for partys they dont really back.

The bigger turnout the better, regardless of who you support.The Govt would have more legitimacy with a higher turnout/fairer voting system

Chris

20-01-2026 20:27

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

The trade-off is a disconnect between voters and their representatives. It’s impossible to get rid of any of the utterly odious greens in the Scottish parliament, for example, because all of them are elected off a regional list where you vote for a party rather than an individual from that party. The top few names on the list will always get returned to Parliament as long as the party polls 7-10% overall, no matter how manifestly batsh** they’ve behaved over the course of a 5-year term.

When the Tories refused to do the decent thing and deselect Neil Hamilton ahead of the 1997 election, Martin Bell stood as an independent in Tatton and unseated him. Had there been a regional list for that part of England, Hamilton, as a safe-seat candidate, would also have been near the top of the regional list and almost certainly would still have been an MP from 1997-2001.

Anonymouse

21-01-2026 07:51

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr K (Post 36209340)

The Govt would have more legitimacy with a higher turnout/fairer voting system

You mean the current lot aren't legitimate? Well, that explains everything! :p:

Sephiroth

21-01-2026 09:19

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

Mr K carefully said "more legitimacy". He didn't question the government's legitimacy per se. Within the law, they are the legitimate government. Within emotion, more legitimacy would arise with greater turnout. Different nuance on the word "legitimacy".

1andrew1

21-01-2026 09:50

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLD BOY (Post 36205586)

The Wokingham Constituency has been Conservative for donkey’s ages, but recently, the dissatisfaction with them has been demonstrated in the ballot boxes, with the Lib Dems now in charge with a majority of one. There is growing dissatisfaction with their administration, and my guess is that former Conservative supporters will vote Reform in their droves come the next council election.

Presumably the right-wing vote got split two ways. Labour will never get in so could be a safe Liberal Democrat seat for a while if there is no electoral pact between Reform UK and the Conservatives.

Hugh	21-01-2026 11:27

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1andrew1 (Post 36209370)

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLD BOY View Post
The Wokingham Constituency has been Conservative for donkey’s ages, but recently, the dissatisfaction with them has been demonstrated in the ballot boxes, with the Lib Dems now in charge with a majority of one. There is growing dissatisfaction with their administration, and my guess is that former Conservative supporters will vote Reform in their droves come the next council election.

Presumably the right-wing vote got split two ways. Labour will never get in so could be a safe Liberal Democrat seat for a while if there is no electoral pact between Reform UK and the Conservatives.

Not sure it’s a simple as that - the Conservatives have been steadily losing Council Seat in Wokingham Borough Council for the last seven years (they always used to have 40+ seats).

Year Conservative—LD—Labour
2018 42——————8——-3
2019 31—————-16——-4
2021 31—————-18——-3
2022 26—————-23——-3
2023 22—————-26——-5
New ward boundaries (54 seats)
2024 19————-—27——-8

Could be a number of factors, including changing demographics…

Sephiroth

21-01-2026 14:11

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

I obviously know Wokingham as well as OB. OB is right - "anyone but the Tories". Demographics haven't changed in the past couple of years.

Reform UK has a higher profile now and they could well split the conservative vote, leaving the wretched Lib Dems in power.

Hugh	21-01-2026 14:14

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

How do you explain the changes in Local Election voting over the last 8 years?

Sephiroth

21-01-2026 14:23

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh (Post 36209389)

How do you explain the changes in Local Election voting over the last 8 years?

May, Boris, Truss, Sunak.

OLD BOY

21-01-2026 18:19

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sephiroth (Post 36209339)

I understand your point, OB; but isn't it rather cynical to hope that the great unwashed avoid voting? As soon as they are made to vote, their interest is likely to rise, if only to vote NOTA or spoil their ballots.

I didn’t say anything about the great unwashed. There are people from many walks of life who have no interest or much knowledge about politics.

Anonymouse

22-01-2026 02:14

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sephiroth (Post 36209368)

Oops.Good point. I guess I'm too ready to think the worst of politicians.

---------- Post added at 03:14 ---------- Previous post was at 03:13 ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLD BOY (Post 36209411)

I didn’t say anything about the great unwashed. There are people from many walks of life who have no interest or much knowledge about politics.

Me, for example. :p:

1andrew1

22-01-2026 05:53

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh (Post 36209389)

How do you explain the changes in Local Election voting over the last 8 years?

One factor is Brexit. There's a good proportion of senior management living there who know the red tape burden and economic costs that Brexit has placed on their businesses. And they've punished the Conservatives for this.

There could also be local factors at play too if the Liberal Democrat councillors are doing a better job on the ground.

Sephiroth

22-01-2026 09:05

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

In Wokingham, the Lib-Dems are not doing a “lousy job”. They have their woke moments, but, by and large, the Borough is not suffering.

The Tories have a mountain to climb to regain a majority and Reform UK an even greater mountain to even gain a seat.

To my knowledge, Brexit is not a particular factor in the Tories’ decline. The economy and migration is/was the “anyone but the Tories” driver.

I still voted Conservative.

thenry

22-01-2026 16:55

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

https://x.com/RupertLowe10/status/2014388457393545678

Short and sweet :erm:

Hugh	08-02-2026 18:29

Re: Conservative Party's chronicles

2 Attachment(s)

I see Liz is off her meds again…

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/atta...8&d=1770578276

https://www.cableforum.uk/board/atta...9&d=1770578939

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