Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Thanks Xaccers :) I understand that better now.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Somebody with sense.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/8639348.stm

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

While this argument is sound in principle, its central weakness is in the likely number of people in any constituency who are politically motivated enough to come out to vote and yet not to align themselves with any of the candidates on the ballot.

A typical constituency in England has about 70,000 voters. To expect 28,000 people to turn out with the deliberate intention of expressing support for none of the above is a bit optimistic, I think.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

But would it not be nice to have the choice?;)

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

You do have a choice. You can put up a deposit and stand for election yourself. Or support someone else who has chosen to do that. I think it's fair to say there is an independent on the ballot paper more often than not, in any given election.

In the final analysis, personally I just don't think the number of people who would actually turn out and then select 'none of the above' would be worth the amount of Parliamentary time that it would take to pass the measure into law.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

He never did stand on his head & juggle ice-cream :(

Brewster beat to him it...

[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Brewsters Millions - Man they don't make films like that any more! Top film.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

This little fiasco reinforces the subtext of the Neo-Liebour and liberal elites smearing of anyone who disagree's with the policy of open (and uncontrolled/barely controlled) immigration, being a fascist/bigot/xenophobe/racist.... So much for the governments anouncement of 6 months or so ago, that we, the British people needed to have and open and frank debate about the impact of migration into the UK, without that subtext of smearing that has come from the supporters of immigration.... It seems Gordon, in an unguarded moment may well have stated what he truely believes, and for a change not what he thinks the plebs want to hear.

As for his announcement of contrition outside the ladies house.... He looked as genuine as one of my copies of The Mona Lisa.... Namely, not very....

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

More like nonsense.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Taxes will have to pay (rise) and that will be irrespective of which party gets elected. And things will get rougher. All as a consequence of a global economic screw up, not something GB cooked up personally (although he could in hindsight have done things differently but then hindsight is a wonderful thing).

It's this annoying emphasis on "personalities" in politics that irks me. I am fully aware that Brown is not blessed with one (a personality) but surely it should be about parties and their policies and not about how a particular political figure behaves or projects.

It's going to be interesting whatever happens. Personally I would not like to see the Tories back on the throne or the Lib Dems sat in it for the first time but then I have very little faith in Labour either.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Correct! :tu:

I've just been listening to a succession of shameless New Labour stooges, culminating in that wholly unpalatable hypocrite Charlie Wheelan, claiming everything from Brown's not really like that to it's all been exagerrated by the media. I wonder if former spinmeister Wheelan would have been so understanding of such insults and critical of the the media's role in this had it been Clegg or Cameron who'd slipped up and were getting hammered? No, he'd have been gleefully leading the vitirolic personal attacks and calling for heads to roll just like his former colleagues in the New Labour's miserable grubby smears section Draper and McBride.

This episode has shown up just how these people will say or do anything to try to get votes. The don't give a stuff about the electorate, less still the electorate's concerns. Anyone who disagrees is fair game for any amount of personal attacks - political collateral damage! Only when they get caught out do their true colours show.

Even during his 'sincere' personal apology, Brown's spinners were trying to persuade Mrs Duffy to pose for a handshake photo-opportunity with him. I wonder how much of the 40 odd minutes he spent with her were motivated by and devoted to the 'apology' and how much to trying to persuade her to make a public showing of forgiveness to recover the situation and boost his image? For some people a sincere apology was all that was required from Brown but he couldn't even manage that without blatantly trying to salvage what's left of his tattered reputation.

What this shows yet again is that despite all the regurgitated promises to listen to the people, to respect those with concerns about immigration, encourage debate about it and take action to control it, New Labour's agenda is quite the reverse. They care nothing for the views of the people of this country and gerrymandering on a national scale is what they're about. The utter cynicism and hypocrisy of these people really knows no bounds. They care about one thing and one thing only - their own survival and even their own deluded supporters are fair game!

New Labour - A Future Fair for All (as long as and only when you happen to be of some use to them that is...) :rolleyes:

---------- Post added at 08:59 ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 ----------

Possibly but it'd be even nicer to have someone worth voting for in every constituency... ;)

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

And it's in the majority winner's interest to keep them out of the polling stations lest they vote for the other bloke.
I have often wondered if Labour's plan has been to increase voter apathy so that it comes down to which party has the largest number of die hard supporters that would vote for a banana if you painted it red.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Me too!

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Another tempting idea, except that the conventional wisdom is that it tends to be Labour voters who are more prone to apathy.

Low turnout is a symptom of voters becoming disengaged with the whole political process. They think they can't change anything, due to a lack of real choice, so therefore why bother. I just don't see how adding a 'none of the above' to the ballot paper is going to change that.

Radical electoral reform, not tinkering around the fringes, is the only way we're likely to get any reversal of that apathy.

---------- Post added at 09:58 ---------- Previous post was at 09:50 ----------

This thread is now closed. Please continue discussion in the Week 4 thread, here: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/20...-week-4-a.html

Remember to vote in the new poll!