UK Politics General Discussion

[John_P]

Just been to vote in Liverpool, don't think I've ever seen a general election ballot with so many parties. Noticeably a number not even living within the city itself.

Personally I think it's a joke people are allowed to stand in areas they don't live in.

 

[GaryH]

I always find it strange (though understand why) that for weeks and months we are bombarded every day by the media with election news - then on the actual day it all has to stop and people talk about.... normal stuff again! Its quite bizarre. Its like we have woken up from a long dream into an other world!

 

[Benzin]

Just been to vote in Liverpool, don't think I've ever seen a general election ballot with so many parties. Noticeably a number not even living within the city itself.

Personally I think it's a joke people are allowed to stand in areas they don't live in.

There's one Reform candidate standing in a constituency 200 miles away from where she lives.

Should have to stand in your main place of residence (PM aside) only. Not be able to pick and choose because of being concerned about not winning it or putting someone in to boost the numbers.

To factor in a quick house purchase who must have lived in that home for over 5 years too. And no second residency nonsense either.

 

[John_P]

There's one Reform candidate standing in a constituency 200 miles away from where she lives.

Should have to stand in your main place of residence (PM aside) only. Not be able to pick and choose because of being concerned about not winning it or putting someone in to boost the numbers.

To factor in a quick house purchase who must have lived in that home for over 5 years too. And no second residency nonsense either.

The reform candidate in my constituency was noted as having an address in London.

The whole idea of parachuting candidates in needs to be ended, they're supposed to be your local representative to Parliament.

 

[WillPS]

The reform candidate in my constituency was noted as having an address in London.

The whole idea of parachuting candidates in needs to be ended, they're supposed to be your local representative to Parliament.

The only people who can change the system are the victors of the system they'd be changing... it's why I very much doubt PR will happen any time soon.

 

[pluk]

The only party who have actually bothered to knock on my door is Reform, with their embarrassing flag festooned hired transit van blaring out land of hope and glory from a crappy horn speaker at the curbside.

They obviously got short thrift from me, but you have to wonder how many voters, without a lot of clear message or manifesto from the mainstream parties, could well be swayed by the vary fact that representatives from one candidate actually came and listened to them? It feeds right into the them and us sentiment against the traditional parties, and it's easy to see how these things could end up being quite effective.

 

[Benzin]

No one came to our door bar to drop leaflets.

Though if the Mrs answered to door to a Tory or Reform representative I think they'd have been told her exact feelings on matters.

 

[DiogoJ42]

The only people who can change the system are the victors of the system they'd be changing... it's why I very much doubt PR will happen any time soon.

People seem to forget, we had the chance to vote on switching to PR just a decade(ish) ago. The public said no.
... Proof that "the public" are not qualified to have the vote in the first place, if you ask me.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

People seem to forget, we had the chance to vote on switching to PR just a decade(ish) ago. The public said no.
... Proof that "the public" are not qualified to have the vote in the first place, if you ask me.

No, we didn't. We had the option of switching to the Alternative Vote in 2011. It was a convoluted confusing system and always to be doomed and, again, subject to the Liberal Democrats watering down their election promises to appease the Tories.

The alternative vote was a preference base system, most recently used in the London Mayoral Elections (but since scrapped) and not the same as Proportional Representation.

2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[WillPS]

No, we didn't. We had the option of switching to the Alternative Vote in 2011. It was a convoluted confusing system and always to be doomed and, again, subject to the Liberal Democrats watering down their election promises to appease the Tories.

The alternative vote was a preference base system, most recently used in the London Mayoral Elections (but since scrapped) and not the same as Proportional Representation.

2011 United Kingdom Alternative Vote referendum - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Precisely. AV (not even AV+) potentially yields even less proportional results than FPTP.

There was a whole commission set up by Tony Blair to determine a way forward, which was delivered by Roy Jenkins in 1998. 2.8 whole parliaments later and New Labour had done precisely nothing with it.

 

[jon81uk]

The alternative vote was a preference base system, most recently used in the London Mayoral Elections (but since scrapped) and not the same as Proportional Representation.

I liked the old London Mayor system and its obvious why the tories scrapped it. The ability to state your preference is for a Lib Dem or Green Mayor but you will accept a Labour as your second choice is a good thing. But not sure that system is right for a general election.

I do think voting for the person you want your local candidate to be is better than just voting for a party though and that leads into the discussion about candidates should really be fairly local.

 

[DiogoJ42]

Oh, we certainly weren't offered the best system. I still would have taken it over FPTP though.

 

[Jonathan]

Oh, we certainly weren't offered the best system. I still would have taken it over FPTP though.

Single transferable vote tbh.

 

[DiogoJ42]

Single transferable vote tbh.

I refer you to my old manifesto

 

[John_P]

Amusingly if the election goes the way the polls are showing you'll suddenly have lots of voices from the right declaring FPTP as not fit for purpose.

 

[DiogoJ42]

Amusingly if the election goes the way the polls are showing you'll suddenly have lots of voices from the right declaring FPTP as not fit for purpose.

I lean right compared to most peeps around here. I've never liked FPTP, even if "my side" wins.

 

[Matt N]

Interestingly given that a lot of people have been talking about voter apathy and probable poor turnout, I’m reading reports on various news outlets that the turnout today has been “one of the highest in recent electoral history”, with long queues at polling stations…

It is promising that so many people are getting out and voting! And if you haven’t done so yet, you’ve still got 2.5 hours!

 

[BarryZola]

It would be nice if younger age groups have actually started to vote in larger numbers than in the past. It would help to stop whatever government is in power just targeting older people in particular with their policies around election time just to ensure their vote. I hope this is the start of a trend if what Matt has mentioned indeed does happen.

 

[flyingguitar]

No one came to our door bar to drop leaflets.

Though if the Mrs answered to door to a Tory or Reform representative I think they'd have been told her exact feelings on matters.

I wish it was like that here, pratically has someone knocking our door atleast twice a week! with stacks (at least 10) of junk mail campaign leaflets per weeks as well

 

[Poisson]

Big upswell in support for Reform in various areas, especially the poorer areas near my work. Farage might have the integrity of a wet paper bag in a windstorm, but he's popular with some.