chrisp65 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 A bit OT I guess, but I came home from London today to vote. Some limp local interest Welsh Assembly powers thing. Felt kind of obliged to do so, what with the poor buggers elsewhere literally dying for the chance to do the same. I don't think I've ever missed a vote, though I have on occassion (twice) simply written 'none of the above' at the bottom of the form. Rolled into the polling station about an hour ago, got my name ticked off and it looked from the number of pencil ticks on the sheet that the turnout could be a record breaking low. I reckon on a page of 50 or so names I was the 6th or 7th tick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Apathy, for anything slightly political. Wish people would wake up and realise how important the vote is, from the smallest to the biggest, every vote you make is so important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 realise how important the vote is How important is it? When what you are voting for isn't what you get; When those for whom you are voting are usurped by vested commercial interests; When the parliament you are voting for is little more than a nodding chamber at the behest of the executive? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgyknees Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Absolutely agree. But you can either sit down and watch the country fall to pieces, or stand up and do something about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 ...stand up and do something about it. Absolutely agree. Just don't expect to find any salvation in a ballot box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awol Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Barnsley by-election result in (held because former encumbent was a fraudster) and unsurprisingly the seat was held by Labour. What's interesting is the pecking order after that: 2) UKIP 3) Tories 4) BNP 5) Independent 6) Lib Dem - lost deposit! Not looking great for Clegg and interesting to see UKIP come second in an area that is a Labour fortress. Incidentally the winner (Dan Jarvis) is a former Para Major and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. Not the candidate that UNITE wanted selected but good to see an alternative to the usual party aparatchik type gettng into the HoC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 6) Lib Dem - lost deposit! To use a Royston Keane phrase: "Stick it up your bollix" Nasty Nick. Destroyer of the Lib Dems as we know them (and in many ways such a boon to Labour). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Jon - the result while it was pretty much a safe Labour seat, was still a very good one for the party. The Labour support as percentage was significantly high and the support for the policies were still very strong. The LibDems are killing themselves by supporting the vindictive and ideologically led cuts and policies of the Tory party in Gvmt and the election showed that. Areas like Barnsley and South Yorkshire in particular have been targeted by the Tory party and their supporters and the people are not happy, hence the total disappear of any support for either the Tory or LibDems compared to the election of only a few months back. Clegg has killed the LibDems with his love affair of Tory led policies and his desire for a job in a Tory led Gvmt. I am smiling at Jon's attempts to try and paint some seedy picture of the Labour candidate with a reference to Unite - which has no relevance whatsoever to the whole result or the candidate EDIT: By Jon I am meaning AWOL not the "Macc lad" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 the support for the policies were still very strong. You know this how, Ian? :winkold: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Look North (aka Look Leeds), Radio Sheffield and the Sheffield Star, and lots of friends / ex-work colleagues who live in Baaaaaarnsleh :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 The LibDems are killing themselves by supporting the vindictive and ideologically led cuts and policies of the Tory party in Gvmt and the election showed that. Areas like Barnsley and South Yorkshire in particular have been targeted by the Tory party and their supporters and the people are not happy, hence the total disappear of any support for either the Tory or LibDems compared to the election of only a few months back. Clegg has killed the LibDems with his love affair of Tory led policies and his desire for a job in a Tory led Gvmt. Absolutely spot on Ian. I wonder at what point they may say "enough is enough"? Is it already too late for that anyway. If they got out soon-ish, and started to stand up for their "principles" (if they still have any) then perhaps the elctorate may have forgiven and forgotten by the time the next GE comes about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Look North (aka Look Leeds), Radio Sheffield and the Sheffield Star, and lots of friends / ex-work colleagues who live in Baaaaaarnsleh :-) Fair enough. TBH I don't think it hugely matters what "policies" Labour come up with right now. They really don't have to do much at all right now, to continue to garner a groundswell of support. All they need to do is not be The Tories or the Lie Dems, and continue to oppose the ideologically imposed cuts, and they'll be laughing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Today there is the second reading of the Tory led Minimum Wage (amendment) bill to cut the minimum wage - absolutely scandalous but not unexpected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awol Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Jon - the result while it was pretty much a safe Labour seat, was still a very good one for the party. The Labour support as percentage was significantly high Wth respect mate a reasonably presentable primate would be elected in Barnsley if it wore a red rosette. the support for the policies were still very strong. Serious question - what policies? The Ed's have been pretty strongly criticised for having no policies other than saying that anything the coalition does is baaaaad - dutifully repeated by their supporters. The LibDems are killing themselves by supporting the vindictive and ideologically led cuts and policies of the Tory party You should copyright this line, although I agree on the broader point that the Lib Dems core support seems to be collapsing. Areas like Barnsley and South Yorkshire in particular have been targeted by the Tory party and their supporters and the people are not happy Assuming that the Tories have indeed "targeted" South Yorkshire (a load of cock imo) how have Tory voters targeted South Yorkshire exactly? Sanctions, travel ban, what? I am smiling at Jon's attempts to try and paint some seedy picture of the Labour candidate with a reference to Unite - which has no relevance whatsoever to the whole result or the candidate Eh? I think Javris is a good man and said I was glad he'd been elected. I was just amused (and pleased) he beat the UNITE candidate to the nomination. That union is trying to parachute as many of its people as possible into the PLP in return for keeping Labour afloat financally. The less they manage to do that the greater the chance of Labour being a better opposition which is undoubtedly a good thing. Today there is the second reading of the Tory led Minimum Wage (amendment) bill to cut the minimum wage - absolutely scandalous but not unexpected This would be the ammendment proposed by Chris Chope and which the Coalition Government is opposing? Doesn't sound quite as bad when you put it like that, does it? Good effort though :winkold: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowychap Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Clegg was saying that the Lib Dems would never have won anyway, that's why he didn't go there and put out a weakened side leaving Carman to canvas virtually on his own. Presumably, also, they need to concentrate on their performance in parliament and shouldn't get distracted by a dismal showing in a competition that is a distraction from the main priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Clegg was saying that the Lib Dems would never have won anyway, that's why he didn't go there and put out a weakened side leaving Carman to canvas virtually on his own. Presumably, also, they need to concentrate on their performance in parliament and shouldn't get distracted by a dismal showing in a competition that is a distraction from the main priority. The lesser spotted snowster wades back in FTW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazdavies79 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 A bit OT I guess, but I came home from London today to vote. Some limp local interest Welsh Assembly powers thing. Felt kind of obliged to do so, what with the poor buggers elsewhere literally dying for the chance to do the same. I don't think I've ever missed a vote, though I have on occassion (twice) simply written 'none of the above' at the bottom of the form. Rolled into the polling station about an hour ago, got my name ticked off and it looked from the number of pencil ticks on the sheet that the turnout could be a record breaking low. I reckon on a page of 50 or so names I was the 6th or 7th tick.Turnout so far has varied from 28% to 44%. So far it's a clear 'yes' vote. So it looks like more power will shift from Westminster to Cardiff. Another small step in the right direction IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gringo Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I am smiling at Jon's attempts to try and paint some seedy picture of the Labour candidate with a reference to Unite - which has no relevance whatsoever to the whole result or the candidate Eh? I think Javris is a good man and said I was glad he'd been elected. I was just amused (and pleased) he beat the UNITE candidate to the nomination. That union is trying to parachute as many of its people as possible into the PLP in return for keeping Labour afloat financally. The less they manage to do that the greater the chance of Labour being a better opposition which is undoubtedly a good thing.It woul dbe better for the people financially supporting a party to also represent them. Much better than supporting the aprty and getting your pay off in other areas. Why would union members not make good politicians? Maybe we need more bankers and arms manufacturers on the green benches? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drat01 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 his would be the ammendment proposed by Chris Chope and which the Coalition Government is opposing? Doesn't sound quite as bad when you put it like that, does it? Good effort though Chope represents which party? The Tory one. Who is sponsoring this second reading? Chope - hence its Tory led. The minimum wage thing is like the NHS for the Tory party especially, they hate it. Chope is trying to get through something that a lot of the core Tory supporters would love to see, the party are trying to see what reaction it gets. The minimum wage is very high on the list of next cuts IMO Don't forget these and their supporters said that they would not raise VAT, not affect front line services like police, doctors, nurses, schools. Along with many many other lies they spouted only a few months back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisp65 Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 The barnsley bi election will only cause all LibDims to stick with their leader and his mate Nick Clegg. If they separated from the Tories this would potentially cause an election. At 4% support, I don't see them going down that road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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