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Local Government elections - UK
Topic Started: Thursday, 3. May 2007, 21:10 (164 Views)
Eve
Former Admin/Moderator
Any comments about the local elections?

Any fears?

Any hopes?
Howdy Folks. Has anybody seen my husband lately?
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Timothy
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Thankfully we don't have any local elections! :)
"An adult faith does not follow the waves of fashion and the latest novelty."
"Having a clear faith, according to the credo of the church, is often labelled as fundamentalism."
Pope Benedict XVI
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Derekap
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There was a time when even local elections generated some liveliness. We got leaflets from the candidates, canvassers came to the door to try to gain or keep your support. In the evenings sometimes someone would work out you hadn't been to the polls because people on chairs outside the room with notebooks asked your number and would come offering to take you to the polling booth in their car if your number didn't appear. Admittedly we vote by post, but we have received only one leaflet and no canvasser has called. Even the parties and candidates seem apathetic and this I think spreads to the voters.

It could be because we live in a cul-de sac of six houses out of a cul-de sac of a dozen houses and the canvassers and leaflet distributers keep to the main road.

For a practising Christian it is not really easy to chose who to vote for. One may prefer to vote for party A but their candidate in your area leaves much to be desired; on the other hand you mady not approve of party B but their canididate is much better. In any case I feel party politics should not be so demanding in local elections.

One thing I disagree with is local money going to the central government which in turn pays it back to councils of the same political persuation in order to ensure support and re-election and tie the hands of councils where the opposition rules in the hope voters will switch their support because of dissatisfaction.
Derekap
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newminster
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Never mind local government elections; try coping with the Scottish parliamentary elections.
One split ballot paper with list candidates on the left (cross one from Lib-Dem, Lab, Con, SNP, two breeds of Socialist, two Christian groups, and about four others) and the constituency MSP on the right (that's an easy one).
Paper is well over a foot long; don't fold it; insert it in the box face down.
Then you can start worrying about the council election. Change to 3-member wards (I know parts of England have had that before; this is the first time in Scotland) by proportional representation. List the candidates in order of preference; do not put an 'X' or your ballot is spoilt. Do not fold your ballot paper; insert it in the other ballot box face down.
Pity the ward next door. As well as the 18" long national paper they have no fewer than 10 candidates chasing three seats including two disaffected Labourites that have been rejected twice and a representative of the 'Had Enough' party.
Returning Officer is expecting to start declaring results about 4 a.m.
And I'm covering the whole shooting match for one of the agencies! :wacko:

If I don't surface till next week, y'all will know why!

Timothy ----- care to do a swap???????
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Derekap
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I hope you don't have to suffer recounts! Whilst ostensibly it is more democratic to have several candidates with different policies I think that too easily one can have too many to be practical. I think people like Lord Screaming Such can lower the status of elections.
Derekap
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Rose of York
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Derekap
May 3 2007, 09:59 PM
I think people like Lord Screaming Such can lower the status of elections.

Such people can cause a non democratic result. Example, if Party A gets 48%, Party B 46% and the "weird" candidates get the remaining 6% who will ever know what would have been the result if only the two serious candidates had stood for election?

Screaming Lord Sutch will influence no elections. He died a few years ago.
Keep the Faith!

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Rose of York
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I will be looking at the results in areas with high immigrant populations. BNP are very active in those places. How can a BNP candidate get elected if more than half the voters are black or muslim?
Keep the Faith!

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Clare
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Putting the "Fun Dame" into Fundamentalist
I completely forgot about the local elections until it was too late!

:wh:

Clare.
S.A.G.

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Deleted User
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Clare
May 3 2007, 10:56 PM
I completely forgot about the local elections until it was too late!

:wh:

Clare.

Me too :o
Although I did rush to the Polling Station when I remembered at about 9.30pm. I was too late even though it was before 10pm.
(I should say, it wasn't a great effort as it's only around the corner)
KatyA
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Timothy
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Quote:
 
How can a BNP candidate get elected if more than half the voters are black or muslim?


Either because they don't vote, they may not have the vote, and when they do vote it requires that they all block vote to prevent the BNP winning a seat, when in actual fact they will be divided by several political parties.
"An adult faith does not follow the waves of fashion and the latest novelty."
"Having a clear faith, according to the credo of the church, is often labelled as fundamentalism."
Pope Benedict XVI
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Joseph

I never vote politically in Local Elections.

Whenever I can, I vote for individuals that I know, and that I feel may represent my views. At a time when I knew most of those standing for election, one year my voting slip ended up with 'three from each main party' - how's that for being democratic? :)

For today's election, we had only received a leaflet from one party. This stated that we could vote for 'all eight' candidates. On arrival at the voting booth we were told we could vote for up to 'nine' candidates - so it seems that even the most enthusiastic party couldn't find a ninth candidate to stand for election. :(
Joseph
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ANGLO-CATH

I found it very difficult to pick a candidate to vote for this time, as none of them seemed to want to tell me want they were going to do!

Of the 5 parties (Lab, Con, Lib-dem, Green & BNP) only two put anything through my door (Lab & BNP) The labour candidate only wanted to criticise our current councils doings, with no indication of what she would do different, and the BNP's leaflet went straight in the bin (recycled of course B) So I voted tory (and me a life-long Labour man & union rep).

Actually, without the BNP, I doubt whether I would have bothered voting; but I am so opposed to what they stand for, I felt I must vote for someone just to keep them out.

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Rose of York
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Timothy
May 3 2007, 11:42 PM
Quote:
 
How can a BNP candidate get elected if more than half the voters are black or muslim?


Either because they don't vote, they may not have the vote, and when they do vote it requires that they all block vote to prevent the BNP winning a seat, when in actual fact they will be divided by several political parties.

Muslims are politically aware and there is a high turnout in areas with high muslim population. Muslims are no less likely to have a vote, than people who are not muslims. Most are British citizens, born here, just as I, a descendant of immingrants, am English, and British. Most of the original immigrants (who have been here for over forty years) are naturalised British citizens.

In a local government electoral ward for local elections, if the majority of residents are muslims, the councillors tend to be muslims. They do not block vote. Muslims join Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem and other parties.

It was the same when inner cities had high populations of Catholics living near the Catholic Church. Parties would choose their candidates to get "the Catholic vote".

BNP's main strength is in "white strongholds" close to "muslim strongholds".

I should know. The town where I was born is split 50/50. The East Ward is [/i]mainly[/i]muslim population, and muslim councillors. The West Ward is mainlywhite population, mainly (but not all) white councillors.
Keep the Faith!

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Rose of York
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We received literature from Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem and Independent candidates. Lib Dems knocked on the door and explained their local policies.

One candidate issued a leaflet saying his family had been in the area for many generations, he has served the people for many years, and was awarded an MBE. He said nothing about his policies or those of his party.

I voted for a candidate who understands the district, its history and culture and the desires and needs of local people. In local elections, I take little account of political allegiance.
Keep the Faith!

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Timothy
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Rose,

I was simply responding to your comment;

Quote:
 
How can a BNP candidate get elected if more than half the voters are black or muslim?



By explaining the possible reasons how that could happen. Many Muslims do not have the vote, Somalian immigrants for example.

Quote:
 
They do not block vote. Muslims join Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem and other parties.


That's exactly my point, therefore its easy to see how the BNP can do well in wards which do have large number of ethnic minorities.

Quote:
 
We received literature from Labour, Conservative, Lib Dem and Independent candidates.


Labour and the Lib Dem's have simply abandoned our area. They often don't even field candidates!
"An adult faith does not follow the waves of fashion and the latest novelty."
"Having a clear faith, according to the credo of the church, is often labelled as fundamentalism."
Pope Benedict XVI
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