Local Elections

Masco&Bongo · Fri May 04, 2007 10:07 am

We didn't vote...

We've had no leaflets, no canvassers, no local workshop/meet the candidates type thing. Tell a lie, in fact, there was one "open house" type thing I heard about (from a woman in the butchers) which was Monday at 2pm, when I am at work.

There's been nothing on our council website about the elections either.

How am I supposed to vote when I don't know who is standing or what the policies are?

Milims · Post: # 56290Post **Milims** » Fri May 04, 2007 12:59 pm

We didn't bother either. Wasn't impressed by any of the candidates The only party I would have considered voting for was represented by someone who had their house done by Changing Rooms and then declared on TV that it was "bloody awful!!" funny that!
Also, having been on the polling officer and counting side of events, although there is some amusement to be found reading comments written on ballot papers, I have a sneaky suspicion that it is possible to trace where they came from (but don't quote me on that)

Cheezy · Post: # 56297Post **Cheezy** » Fri May 04, 2007 3:20 pm

Same thing here, not one canvesser,letter (apart from the quarterly update from the incumberants),poster, flyer NOTHING

If they want to encourage people to vote they could at least turn up and tell you about themselves, what they stand for and what they're going to do.

We voted by post, I had not a clue who to vote for, but we had pre-registered to do so, so thought we better reply. So we split it between me my OH so it was no overall winner from our house....pointless really.

The Chili Monster · Fri May 04, 2007 4:23 pm

Shortly before yesterday's election I discovered from her consort that the outgoing mayor had originally stood as a paper (ie no canvassing, no publicity) candidate - with her nomination submitted with just one hour to spare.
I've met a few people recently who have allowed themselves to be put forward as a paper candidate in yesterday's election. In fact, one wanted to be a councillor so badly he flew out to Egypt for two weeks last Friday. I guess there isn't just voter fatigue but also candidate fatigue.
I heard nothing from two of the major parties - not even a flyer. I was mailed, junk-style, by the Conservatives whose green credentials (or lack of) are probably best judged by their use of glossy paper and choice of evil ink.

Thomzo · Post: # 56302Post **Thomzo** » Fri May 04, 2007 4:25 pm

Cheezy wrote:Same thing here, not one canvesser,letter (apart from the quarterly update from the incumberants),poster, flyer NOTHING
.

Wow you were lucky. Living on a main road, I had a constant stream of them. Plus phone calls (how do they get my number?). It got so bad that when I saw another posse of them advancing on my house I went and hid in the garden.

I voted for the one that put the least junk mail through my letter box.

Zoe

ina · Post: # 56347Post **ina** » Sat May 05, 2007 8:34 am

No canvassers here, either - I think we are a bit too far out for them, thank goodness - but that many leaflets that I lost track of the many parties there were! All in all, I think there was pretty good information available, including on how to fill in the ballot papers. I'm amazed that there were still 100.000 (I think) who managed to get it wrong.

circlecross · Tue May 08, 2007 11:13 am

there were two candidates to vote for in our ward (not legalise cannabis unfortunetely). I did consider spoiling the paper, but then if I want to complain I can at least say "I voted for you, get it done". plus, the candidate i didn't vote for saw me in my garden with my toddler, handed me the leaflet, and left my gate open! retribution was mine!

Cheezy · Post: # 56621Post **Cheezy** » Tue May 08, 2007 11:30 am

Having thought about it it is probably because we're a safe Labour area that nobody bothers to spend time and money on canvassing, which I suspose is environmentally OK!.

We're in the next constituency to Uncle Tony's, apparently the Conservatives fielded a paper canditate (some random women who was nominated by one of Tony's cronies!) and she got ZERO votes!

Our MP is Alan Milburn, who used to live opposite me right up until he got into office then he hiked it Hexham rather than actually live in the constiuency

.

the.fee.fairy · Tue May 08, 2007 9:37 pm

One of our local areas voted in the BNP...

ina · Post: # 56786Post **ina** » Wed May 09, 2007 5:48 pm

the.fee.fairy wrote:At work til 11pm...

Don't know about where you are, but they opened at 7am here - I was the first, after a nightshift!

baldowrie · Post: # 56796Post **baldowrie** » Wed May 09, 2007 6:59 pm

'spoilt' papers have now gone up to 140,000 and rising!

the.fee.fairy · Wed May 09, 2007 8:56 pm

ina wrote:
the.fee.fairy wrote:At work til 11pm...
Don't know about where you are, but they opened at 7am here - I was the first, after a nightshift!

They probably did open early here, but i was too busy sleeping - its a horrible shift to do, i start at 1/2 pm and finish around 11pm, so it cuts all day out really.

ohareward · Post: # 57047Post **ohareward** » Sat May 12, 2007 8:40 am

Just interested to hear the views of you peple in UK on the resignation of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown taking over.

A bit of news here was about compulsory voting in Aussie, in Tasmania, where a few thousand people were fined for not voting. I think Australia is one of the few, if not the only country to have compulsory voting.
We have to register to get on the roll, but we don't have to vote if we don't want to.

Robin

the.fee.fairy · Sat May 12, 2007 11:04 am

Its a case of 'got rid one of bit of rubbish, only to have another fly in the back door'.

I don't like blair. i'l;l be interested to see what Brown has to say, but something tells me he's not going to be any better.

I'm not very up on the procedures of politics - why haven't we had a general election for a new Prime Minister?

Muddypause · Sat May 12, 2007 11:58 am

I'll be glad when the whole shebang is finally over. This isn't a comment about Blair or Brown, but about the media speculation that has been wall to wall for years about it. I'm sick and tired of every news report going on about about who will..who won't...when...how...why... When it's happened, tell us the news, untill then, for pete's sake give us a rest! I'm quite sure this is what turns most people off politics - not the policies or even the politicians themselves, but the endless media 'analysis' about it.

the.fee.fairy wrote:I'm not very up on the procedures of politics - why haven't we had a general election for a new Prime Minister?

We never elect a Prime Minister in this country, we only ever vote for our own MP. The party with the most MPs in parliament then has the right to form a government. Constitutionally, the leader of that party will become the PM, but who that party leader is is a matter for the party, not the electorate - technically he can be opposed from within the ranks of the party at any time. Blair hasn't resigned as PM, only as party leader; his position as PM will automaticaly move to whoever replaces him. It's not the first time this has happened in recent times - Wilson gave way to Callaghan in the 70s; Thatcher was ousted and replaced by Major in the 90s.

Many people do think this should require a general election, bacause, after all, they voted for their MP on the basis of who was leading their party at the time. But as the next leader of the Labour Party has not had a chance to show how or where he will lead the party, it's probably fair to give him a bit of a go first, and then make your mind up when you know what he's like as leader. In this country, we can at least be assured that there will be another election along shortly.