Reply to: Council Elections

[Septimus]

'If voting changed anything they'd abolish it ' Ken Livingstone circa 1987

[TheFaQQer]

I pretended to be out when I saw a besuited bloke knocking on the door earlier in the week. He looked like he was probably a Tory. Though I did answer the door to a Labourite the other week, but all he asked was if he could count on my vote, and when I said "no" he just said "thankyou", and left. Labour not even bothering to try to pursuade people anymore.

Doorstep canvassing is only really useful for working out whether they are likely to win. If you give an unequivocal response, they know not to waste their time trying to argue on the doorstep with you.


Two general elections back, my local Labour candidate wrote and asked if she could count on my vote. I wrote back and explained exactly why she couldn't.

To her credit, she at least acknowledged my response, said she was sorry that I wouldn't vote for her, but to remember that if she got in she was there to represent all constituents, no matter who they voted for.

She went up in my estimations for that. Until I saw her expense claims.

[VectraMan]

Bugger. Local Tory counciller has been defeated by a Labourite. That can't be good. Maybe I should have voted.

Still, in good news, UKIP have zero council seats in Oxfordshire. Zero. 4 Behind the independents. Good to know this area is at least more intelligent than the average.

[vetran]

Just looked at our result.

Only 27% of the electorate voted. Blimey, think what the other 73% could do!

please be sending us the postal voting forms, we will do the needful. Much voting, plenty quickness.

[mudskipper]

Just looked at our result.

Only 27% of the electorate voted. Blimey, think what the other 73% could do!

[AtW]

My mate's hubby is up for our local.

He's a nice bloke.

Unfortunately he's Tory.

Unfortunately for whom?

[Doggy Styles]

Just advice to any who are keen on the environment. Don't vote for The Green Party, they are primarily a left wing party who oppose any cuts in welfare and back the big public sector unions like Unison and Unite who want to keep their protected pensions and other perks at the expense of others. The environment is just an afterthought.

I thought they are only called Green because that was the only colour left.

Apart from Brown.

[xoggoth]

Just advice to any who are keen on the environment. Don't vote for The Green Party, they are primarily a left wing party who oppose any cuts in welfare and back the big public sector unions like Unison and Unite who want to keep their protected pensions and other perks at the expense of others. The environment is just an afterthought.

[Old Hack]

Lab candidate - Don't know
Tory candidate - Don't know
Lib-Dem candidate - Don't know
UKIP candidate - Don't know.

Love voting, so it's the UKIP fella, just for the crack. I hope he gets in.

[formant]

Labour candidate has been a Tory for the past 40 years, Tory candidate is, well, a Tory, LibDem candidate appears to have a slightly dodgy past.

Can't be arsed.

[d000hg]

Our local Green person has "scrap free cloths for councillors" as one of his pledges, or something equally world-changing.

[VectraMan]

+1 to that. Sums up my voting methods perfectly. Am not really in to politics if it was just tory/lab probably wouldn't vote as they are as bad as each other but UKIP gives me the perfect opportunity to vote on something that really bothers me.

It's a council election. You're meant to be voting on who you think best serves your local interests. Even UKIP supporters admit they don't have any real policies beyond the big one of getting out of Europe, and that won't come into the day to day decisions made by a town council member.

I agree with Doodab. I tend to lean more towards the LibDems for local politics; it seems like somewhere you want more sensible heads. Just don't let them be in charge of anything too big.

[doodab]

Lib dem for me. Good at councils generally. I like the higher tax threshold too.

[northernladuk]

Not sure that it matters if a party who has infinitesimal chance of gaining power at any time soon has all the right policies on every issue. It is much more important to vote on the major issues where they are strong (assuming you agree with them obviously) to force such policies on the major parties.

Not about your post specifically but what people will not grasp is that even extremists can have a useful role to play in democracy, it is fear of their ideas gaining ground that makes the major parties implement more acceptable and reasonable versions of their policies. Germany has had more sensible policies on immigration than we do for decades and a major factor was far right riots in the 60s.

Democracy should be about majority view. If you arbitrarily exclude one end of the normal distribution from any input you are no longer representing the middle ground.

+1 to that. Sums up my voting methods perfectly. Am not really in to politics if it was just tory/lab probably wouldn't vote as they are as bad as each other but UKIP gives me the perfect opportunity to vote on something that really bothers me. The fact they have a pretty narrow focus of policies is even better as there can be no argument as to what message I am voting for. I must admit I don't really want them to get in to power but I certainly want the other guys to listen to what is really upsetting the public.

[xoggoth]

Most importantly, their tax policies, whilst desirable, just do not add up. Until they do, they will not get my vote.

Not sure that it matters if a party who has infinitesimal chance of gaining power at any time soon has all the right policies on every issue. It is much more important to vote on the major issues where they are strong (assuming you agree with them obviously) to force such policies on the major parties.

Not about your post specifically but what people will not grasp is that even extremists can have a useful role to play in democracy, it is fear of their ideas gaining ground that makes the major parties implement more acceptable and reasonable versions of their policies. Germany has had more sensible policies on immigration than we do for decades and a major factor was far right riots in the 60s.

Democracy should be about majority view. If you arbitrarily exclude one end of the normal distribution from any input you are no longer representing the middle ground.