[Sloper]

Not twat factor, or strictly moron, but elections.

Im not interested in who your intention is to vote for (I will be voting Monster Raving Loony (officials) in protest against the cuts to legal aid and that our Tory MP is a twunt) but why you vote or alternatively why you don't.

For me, voting is an essential part in one's relationship with the state and the expression that the state at the behest of the citizens (subjects) and not vice versa.

[Oldmanmatt]

Because I've spent too much time in places where the option does not exist and have come to realise:
Democracy, as practiced in the UK, warts and all; is one of the best in the world...

(I will be voting Monster Raving Loony (officials) in protest against the cuts to legal aid and that our Tory MP is a twunt)

I was looking at the photos of the bewigged protestors, on strike, no less!

(Bunch of lefty agitators, I thought...)

And I wondered where you stood on the issue (after all, organised labour is a bit lefty and protesting in the street is positively Prolitarian).

😜

[Johnny Brown]

I will continue to vote Green until any of the major parties start to take environmental issues seriously.

[Sloper]

But why do you vote? (particularly as the Watermelons are never going to exercise any meaningful power)

OMM, yes there's a disproportionate number of lefty luvvies and so on in criminal & family law, always good for a bit of friendly baiting (but by god it's good that they're there, but that's another discussion) but their principles are right and sound and worthy of support.

[Johnny Brown]

Because the less folk bother, the worse the system works.

Russell Brand's recent rant on this really annoyed me. He had absolutely nothing to say and yet was given a giant platform.

[Sloper]

Absolutely, that's why I'm going to have fun campaigning for the MRLP (although I appreciate some will say it's the smae as the Tories but with less hypocrisy)

[Jaspersharpe]

Still not as nuts as UKIP though.

[butters]

He had absolutely nothing to say and yet was given a giant platform.

Is this not Russell Brand succinctly summed up in one short sentence? 

[tregiffian]

I`ll be at the Jubilee Hall to fill in my numbered voting slip.

[tomtom]

He had absolutely nothing to say and yet was given a giant platform.

Is this not Russell Brand succinctly summed up in one short sentence?

I liked Brands outburst.. whilst he may not have had many constructive points (in a traditional political way) he voiced frustration and concerns that are reflected by many people (including myself to a degree..). I thought Paxo's reaction was interesting - I got the impression that after interviewing many many politicians Paxo kind of agreed with some of his observations!

Anyway, is there an election coming up?

[slackline]

Wrote it in another thread the other day, but these days I vote to stop the loonies of either extreme from getting in power.

[kelvin]

Never voted, not once. I'd possibly be inclined to vote at a local level but only if party politics were banned.

I even went so far as getting myself off the electoral register but that only messed up my credit rating - back on it with tail between my legs 

My daughter has a firm interest in politics and was just too young to vote at the last election. She'd wanted the LibDems in but would have had to vote for Labour in our area to try and stop the Tories getting the vote. Such a great system she realised, when you have to vote for someone you actually don't want...

[petejh]

If there were an anarchist (NB. not hooded brick-thrower) movement along the lines of 1930s Catalonia I'd vote for it. But there isn't. And if there was, the state would send in police/spies to undermine it or the US would see it as a threat and undermine it.

Given the lack of the above option I don't really care whether lab/lib dems or con are in power but given the choice I'd choose a coalition of 2 of the above to give some more thoughtful feedback on proposed policy.

[mrjonathanr]

I will continue to vote Green until any of the major parties start to take environmental issues seriously.

 

They all will, give it a couple of decades.  At the moment there's only money to be lost in green issues in the short term. Globally we'll sit on our hands till environmentally we're in crisis and responding to it will be a matter of consensus.

Currently to be 'green' means giving up a financial advantage but that will change. We'll all be after shutting the stable door then.

[slackline]

She'd wanted the LibDems in but would have had to vote for Labour in our area to try and stop the Tories getting the vote. Such a great system she realised, when you have to vote for someone you actually don't want...

This sort of two-party thinking is a real problem in politics/first past the post system.  Instead think of it this way...a vote for the LibDems would have not been a vote for the Tories just as much as a vote for Labour would not have been, if she (and others)  had voted for LibDem it might have been closer three ways instead of two.

Tactical voting like that only serves to reinforce the two party crap the country has dealt with for as long as I can remember.

[Johnny Brown]

I liked Brands outburst.. whilst he may not have had many constructive points (in a traditional political way) he voiced frustration and concerns that are reflected by many people (including myself to a degree..).

Hmm. He lost me at the point when he said 'it's not for me to suggest an alternative, I'm just expressing dissaffection' or somesuch. Well sadly Russell, the greatest minds of humanity have been on this for about 4000 years and this is about the best they've come up with. In that context the whole whine seemed to collapse.

I thought Paxo's reaction was interesting - I got the impression that after interviewing many many politicians Paxo kind of agreed with some of his observations!

Hmm again. I took it more as a growing resignation that Brand didn't actually have a point other than his demographic were a bit bored, or possibly even the recognition that his own attacks on politicians might have helped turn a generation away from politics.

[Pantontino]

I liked Brands outburst.. whilst he may not have had many constructive points (in a traditional political way) he voiced frustration and concerns that are reflected by many people (including myself to a degree..).

Hmm. He lost me at the point when he said 'it's not for me to suggest an alternative, I'm just expressing dissaffection' or somesuch. Well sadly Russell, the greatest minds of humanity have been on this for about 4000 years and this is about the best they've come up with. In that context the whole whine seemed to collapse.

I thought Paxo's reaction was interesting - I got the impression that after interviewing many many politicians Paxo kind of agreed with some of his observations!

Hmm again. I took it more as a growing resignation that Brand didn't actually have a point other than his demographic were a bit bored, or possibly even the recognition that his own attacks on politicians might have helped turn a generation away from politics.

Obviously I didn't agree about the not voting bit. Politicians will only slant their policies towards young people if they are keen voters, like the older demographic is, but I think he pointed out some truths about the worrying increase of corporate power over our lives and the destiny of the planet (i.e., there is a bunch of psychopathic neoliberal lunatics in charge and they don't give a damn about anything that does not fit their world domination plans), plus the total lack of trust that people feel towards Westminster politicians who lie, cheat and  treat the general public with nothing but contempt.

[Pantontino]

Going back to Sloper's original question - I believe voting is very important, even in safe seats.

Where I live the nationalists, Plaid Cymru have always dominated and sometimes it feels like voting is a waste of time as they always win. But, you never quite know how things are going to swing (the Labour candidate Alun Pugh is a force to be reckoned with and might stand a chance next time) and also I like to think that there is an element of 'representing everybody' that goes with being an MP. I don't agree with our MP on some things (particularly Plaid's buddying up to the agricultural lobby) but he does seem to take seriously the concerns of his constituents, even those like me who didn't vote for him.

[tomtom]

Going back to Sloper's original question - I believe voting is very important, even in safe seats.

Where I live the nationalists, Plaid Cymru have always dominated and sometimes it feels like voting is a waste of time as they always win. But, you never quite know how things are going to swing (the Labour candidate Alun Pugh is a force to be reckoned with and might stand a chance next time) and also I like to think that there is an element of 'representing everybody' that goes with being an MP. I don't agree with our MP on some things (particularly Plaid's buddying up to the agricultural lobby) but he does seem to take seriously the concerns of his constituents, even those like me who didn't vote for him.

I lived in Aber 99-2005 - and in the first election there Plaid walked it as above. However, during the second election I was there for (sorry forgotten when) Plaid got cocky - and assumed it was a safe seat. The weekend before the elections, the lib dems were out in town in force chatting (I spoke to their candidate) and were very amenable nice people. Plaid were no-where to be seen. Also, in previous years Plaid had bussed the students from the welsh speaking halls of residence to the voting stations and didnt.. the lib dems however did!

Lib dems won by c.150 votes... I remember having a chat in the changing rooms after 5 a side the day of the results, and who voted for what came up - and it seems several people (including myself) decided the lib dems had made the effort and plaid hadnt - and they got what they deserved!


JB: You're right - Brand didnt suggest any alternative - it was a rant - but I agreed with much of his rant... re: disaffection with the ruling 'classes', corporation, greed... Right now I dont think voting for any of the three will address much of this (its basically a choice between varying degrees of shitness) - and thus find it hard to motivate myself to vote for any of them.

[tomtom]

The other problem with our voting system is that we vote for our local MP AND the national party all rolled into one candidate...

My MP is Dianna Johnson (lab) who I think is a great local MP. I've met her - and think she works really hard for the area. But at the last election I would have voted Lib Dem from a 'who should run the country' basis (I wouldn't now I dont think).

I also voted for PR in the referendum.... that died a death...

[Oldmanmatt]

Having worked for some of these world dominating corporations and even spending a couple years in the employ of Lord The Dickhead Ashcroft (who is a complete paranoid Knob of epic proportions), I have to giggle (a little, sorry) at the notion that anything as organised as world domination is remotely thought possible.
Generally the Uber-rich hate each other, are a bunch of sociopathic, recklessly gambling Shites; only interested in their own short term goals.
Ashcroft used to write a list of seven tasks to complete each day, one might be buy a new tooth brush and he'd then obsess  over them till done.
Most of them had been broke/bankrupt at some point, they're just to far off with the fairies to be dented by it.

Except Mark Watkins.

He's cool and seems content to dominate the world of insurance without being arrogant (as long as he has Lucy (30 years younger and famously caused a diplomatic incident by going shopping in a Bikini in Dubai) is with him).

Back in 2000 I took Babyface Hague trekking on the Greenland icecap, jetsking in the pack ice and growlers; along with his new bride Ffion. He was a spineless wanker. Then the leader of the Con's and a puppet.

Almost put me off voting for life.

But then I spent the next decade in the Middle East.

Really, what we have is pretty good.

The rich push for their own agenda and there are as many different agendas as rich men (mainly) pushing. The only real advantage they seek is tax cuts and favourable trading for their companies and this often requires opposite policies.

The current crop of ruling wankers, seems to be the most corrupt in decades and I want to be part of voting them out ASAP!

Voting is the only way to get them out.

Even when the alternative sucks too...

[rginns]

The only reason I'll be stepping in the voting booth is to spoil the ballot paper but I've always voted in the past., I'm just disgusted with all of them

[richie0210]

The current crop of ruling wankers, seems to be the most corrupt in decades and I want to be part of voting them out ASAP

I've never voted , but for this reason above I will be this time

[dave]

This time around when talking to colleagues about the election Im going to make a a point of asking anyone who moans about the current system how if at all they voted on electoral reform. The point being if they abstained or voted for the status quo then they have no right to complain now they wasted the best opportunity for positive political reform for 150 years.

[petejh]

Just wanted to ask the previous 4 or 5 posters - who do you think is most likely to enact this change you're talking about? - I'm genuinely curious! As far as I know there's lib/lab/con, the greens and ukip. There are few other national parties like Plaid and the SNP, plus some other oddities on the margins. Who of those 5 parties do you think is the most likely to change the status quo?
And I'm assuming here that 'status quo' means  stuff like corruption, bowing too easily to corporate lobbying,  overemphasis on spin rather than substance, first past the post system, self interest before public interest etc. etc.
Seems to me like a vote for con or lab is wasted if you want anything to change from the present state of affairs. Lib dems in majority, perhaps. Greens or UKIP would definitely change the picture; don't think I want Farage running the show though.