How do you get a Labour government?

[Big Tone]

I don’t vote because, as I keep saying, it sends a message which you,

A message to who, a message of what?

You refere to "them" in your post, who is supposed to be listening to your "message", what are they supposed to do about it?

You vote for candidates, are you expecting your none vote to create new candidates, or existing canditates to do what exactly?

Why do you think no one cares about the opinion of someone who doesnt vote, you talk about sending a message, making a statment, but of what?

All you talk about is generic tosh about how rotten they all are, how "they" should do something about it.

What, how, who, none of this you explain.

Hot air with no substance.

"They" are the Government, stop being obtuse! And they have the statistics and I have heard mention of how they are looking into it time and time again on the news. Are you okay with my use of 'they' now and is that clear enough? Next...

If you think 'no votes' are ignored try Googleing. Try this for a start.

“Just how bad was the turn out in the elections for police and crime commissioners?
The Electoral Reform Society predicted a final turnout of just 18.5% nationally in the PCC vote - but the actual result was even worse with just, 15% of the population voting in this election. So, how does that compare?

Well, stepping momentarily outside the political sphere, 15,488,019 votes were cast during the 2010 edition of The X Factor, equivalent to 23.18% of those eligible to vote (includes Ireland). This figure gives an inflated idea of the number of people taking part, with individuals able to cast multiple votes, but provides an interesting reference point nonetheless.

Today's figure certainly makes it one of the worst turnouts ever - coming in lower than that in the Manchester Central by-election yesterday, which was itself the lowest by-election turnout ever, lower than the previous record of 19.1% in Leeds Central in 1999”.

So there you have it. The X-Factor motivates people more than politics. (Why am I not surprised). Just because it’s a big deal to you and you think it should be a big deal to everyone else doesn’t mean they, (the electorate this time), give a rats a$$.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but that’s the fickle nature of British citizens. So then, you going to blame me for that too or the politicians and their crap policies?

 

[AronSearle]

]"They" are the Government, stop being obtuse!

“the government” is not a single person entity, it is a collection of MP’s, What, how, details allude you, you just still go on about how “they” should do “something”

You vote for a single MP in your constituency, he represents you in government, what exactly are you expecting “they/the government” to do here?

So no, I am not being obtuse, YOU vote for *AN* MP, not “them”, that (single) MP represents you, yet somehow you keep waffling on about “them” having to “something”. No, “they” don’t do anything, YOU make sure your MP does something, you have no control over the other 649.

And if your MP doesn’t do something, you raise merry hell with him, but most people don’t do that, most people don’t even know the name of their MP or what he voted for or against, and then whine the system is broken.

No it isnt, people just don't use it effectively.

The Electoral Reform Society predicted a final turnout of just 18.5% nationally in the PCC vote

Who cares about the PCC vote, no one, but that’s not the GE vote which we are all discussing here.

 

[Big Tone]

The figures for a GE are poor too, I just can’t delve here at work. Yes, you’re right and now we’re getting somewhere. Most people probably don’t know who their local MP is. I do and in the past I’ve written to him, Richard Burden, and the head of each of the three mains monkeys at the time. So please don’t accuse me of being lazy or not pro active, if you were.

This reminds me of a similar heated argument I had about 15 years ago with a woman who ranted and threw all her toys out the pram over no voters. I remember her saying “No one takes any notice of people who don’t vote you idiot! That’s why you should go, even if only to spoil your paper!!!”.

And look what happened, as I expected. They, sorry, The Government are looking at the issue and I first heard of this some years ago now; on the radio. Who would have believed it. Maybe in another 15 years we’ll see a different ballot which will reflect the mood better. Anyone want to bet on that, one way or the other?

The wheels of politics never turns quickly; we know this as an immutable fact. One thing is for sure, something has happened for the turnout to have plummeted to an all-time low. And it’s no good jumping up and down screaming “You should vote” when the electorate either don’t feel anyone represents them enough or are too apathetic. I have my own reasons and it’s become a very big club, like it or not, and it is ruffling feathers up higher; both singularly and as a group.

Maybe I’m just more disheartened than you Aron because I have tried, big time, to write to my MP and got no more than tea and sympathy. That's when I left for America. Must dash, home time...

 

[JBR]

AFAIK, NOTA is ignored but what I DO know is all non voters are most definitely recorded AND they are beginning to ask why. (At long last).

So a non vote speaks more than NOTA; whether you like it or not. My only hope is that they will do something constructive and look into why. But this is GB so I won't hold my breath...

Publicly, perhaps, they may sound as if they are concerned. Privately, however, I'm sure they don't give a toss as long as they keep getting elected to the pig trough.

 

[jockscott]

MP's who commit crimes should go to jail?, oh wait, they do....., and they generally don't commit many crimes and lose their positions as MP's (Chris huhne being the latest?)

Hmmm

That they should then be barred from politics, err no, the point of democracy is WE get to vote for who we want, the government of the day shouldnt be able to set up restrictions.

Ahhh, so under the last Labour government, Mandelson got back in with a very important position (after twice being found out lying and cheating.). But,,, not one of the electorate, had a say in his return to parliament.

This is where I agree with Big Tone. If they're caught cheating/fiddling expenses/swapping second homes to avoid tax/accepting bribes/etc, etc, MP's should be stripped of their position and barred from ever holding public office for the rest of their lives. Let's say , your employer found you fiddling your expenses/lying repeatedly/accepting bribes, etc, etc. They then sacked you.. What's the chance that they'll eventually set you back on?

 

[Big Tone]

Yes Jockscott and the same goes for Jeff Archer. Should be gone for good, not respected and giving advice to MP'S. Agree with you too JBR.


I don't know if you have ever been well and truly f'cuked over by your country Aron, but I hope not. I have and I can tell you nothing makes you more unpatriotic! It scarred me for life, can you tell, and changed the course of my life and that of my family. (Long story I won't bore you with).

I'm here for my sister and that's all! If something happened to her I'd be on the next plane back. (if I don't kill myself though depression first). That's what 'The Government' collectively don't understand and don't care about. If you stab someone in the front you don't get their vote again. At least not until the party and faces all change.

You can bet that the thousands of men and women who have lost their jobs, their livelihoods, their home will feel exactly as I do. Yes, other country's have their own crap. But to use a quote "There's nothing wrong with America which can't be put right with what's right with America". No one says broken America but we've all heard of Broken Britain.

Maybe we need more guns so that when the Government gets too powerful "we the people" can take it back. That's the idea and in the Constitution, and why they love their guns, and any President who tries rescind that won't smell the coffee for long.

What do we have, the comfy chair. "Oh no, not the comfy chair!"

 

[EFLImpudence]

No need to bar people with criminal records from standing for election.

Just don't vote for them, or any MP's that support them.

There you go. You wrote it.

They (all MPs) support each other
(why would Labour MPs not campaign to oust the likes of Archer? - because one day the boot will be on the other foot)
therefore there is no one to vote for.

I do not accept that the least worst is good enough.

 

[AronSearle]

Most people probably don’t know who their local MP is. I do and in the past I’ve written to him, Richard Burden, and the head of each of the three mains monkeys at the time. So please don’t accuse me of being lazy or not pro active, if you were.

Maybe I’m just more disheartened than you Aron because I have tried, big time, to write to my MP and got no more than tea and sympathy. /quote]

But you are what?

1 person out of 20-30 thousand in his constituency?

Which leads onto......

Ahhh, so under the last Labour government, Mandelson got back in with a very important position (after twice being found out lying and cheating.). But,,, not one of the electorate, had a say in his return to parliament.

And how quickly do you think he would have been given the boot again if tens or hundreds of thousands of people had petitioned their labour MP, saying how unacceptable this is, and how they will refuse to vote for any MP that does not actively oppose this.

Instead nobody really does much, and then whines about how "politics is broken".

It sure is, but they need to look into a mirror to find out why.

If everyone in every consistency actively pestered their MP on issues, **** would happen, but no one does, and I am so bored of hearing people drone on about how "they are all the same", "nothing changes", "they are all in it for themselves", blablabla.

The system is fine, it works, its the people that are at fault, and anyone that advocates not voting simply perpetuates this problem.

And it is why I so actively hate people who talk about voting "none of the above", it so completely fails to understand the issues at hand, how our system works, and what perpetuates the problems we have.