Local and mayoral elections

[View From The Top]

Total apathy appears to be the clear winner followed closely by don't give a fu ck as they are all the same.

[Petersfield Saint]

I disagree. A decision not to vote for any of the candidates (based on measured consideration of the options) sends out a clear message to those who solicit our vote.

 

As it happens, I think voting should be compulsory but with a 'none of the above' option on the ballot paper.

 

And the good thing about having different opinions on this is than neither of us is right or wrong :-)

 

This

[hypochondriac]

This

 

The problem about that is it begs the question what do you want then? If everyone voted for nothing then no one would be in charge.

[alpine_saint]

Looks like Red Ken has failed to return in London.

 

Great news. Boris maybe a toffee-nosed tw*t, but I reckon he has done more for the average Londoner than Livingstone ever did.

[Saintandy666]

Looks like Red Ken has failed to return in London.

 

Great news. Boris maybe a toffee-nosed tw*t, but I reckon he has done more for the average Londoner than Livingstone ever did.

 

Boris is all show and no action. He's an absolute failure and very right wing, which he expertly hides with his fool act. Some of my friends voted for Labour in everything else, but then Boris in the mayoral election, which I don't really understand given the difference in the policy. All Boris has done is fool around, get the 50p tax rate lowered, wasted £11m on 8 vanity buses and almost screw up a cycling project which was Ken's idea in the first place. Neither choice was incredible, but Ken has done a lot for London and has had a proven record on transport.

[hypochondriac]

Boris is all show and no action. He's an absolute failure and very right wing, which he expertly hides with his fool act. Some of my friends voted for Labour in everything else, but then Boris in the mayoral election, which I don't really understand given the difference in the policy. All Boris has done is fool around, get the 50p tax rate lowered, wasted £11m on 8 vanity buses and almost screw up a cycling project which was Ken's idea in the first place. Neither choice was incredible, but Ken has done a lot for London and has had a proven record on transport.

 

Ha! Very pleased for Boris. Would love him for Prime Minister.

[JPTCount]

The problem about that is it begs the question what do you want then? If everyone voted for nothing then no one would be in charge.

 

this is only really a problem at local elections, mist wards only have 3 options, which to most ppl atm is only 2 options. at a general election most ppl will also have the choice of ukip, green, bnp, mrlp and an independent or 2. this creates less apathy as u can show ur distaste with con/lab/lib by voting for someone who isn't one if them.

 

there are many things wrong with government these days but the 2 biggest issues imo are that the electorate don't understand the system, and most politicians are clones. the electoral system should part of a citizenship/general studies gcse, and ppe at Oxbridge shouldn't be the only qualification into office.

[Saintandy666]

Ha! Very pleased for Boris. Would love him for Prime Minister.

 

That would be horrific.

[The Cat]

Lib Dems romp home in Eastleigh again. Mind you they must spend most of their national budget on campaigning in this borough. It was non stop leaflets through the door here in Hamble.

[hypochondriac]

That would be horrific.

 

I'm glad the Lib Dems did terribly. I hope they disappear. London voted for Boris because they know he is the right choice. Most in this country do not believe how you believe.

[The Cat]

That would be horrific.

 

Wouldn't it just. I quite like him being in charge in London though because I don't live there and it makes me chuckle when I see him doing ridiculous stuff on the news.

[Saintandy666]

I'm glad the Lib Dems did terribly. I hope they disappear. London voted for Boris because they know he is the right choice. Most in this country do not believe how you believe.

 

It wasn't so bad for the poor old Lib Dems, hence why they aren't as sad as last year. Their vote share held up at 16%(that'd be 39 seats at the next general election compared to 57 now), and in many places they performed well, just look at Eastleigh where they trashed the opposition and Portsmouth where gains were made. It's not good, but it certainly doesn't indicate electoral wipeout in 2015. All they need to do is concentrate on areas which they already had MPs to consolidate seats. Though tbh, if these results indicate anything for the future, it is probably a less fractured left wing vote which the tories have enjoyed for years. This is very bad news for the conservative party as it could mean the end of their traditional dominance at the polls, especially if UKIP rise.

[Thedelldays]

Wouldn't it just. I quite like him being in charge in London though because I don't live there and it makes me chuckle when I see him doing ridiculous stuff on the news.

 

He is actually a very good politician. Regardless of his silly hair and funny posh voice

 

That is why an area of about 10 million people keep voting for him

[JPTCount]

Boris is all show and no action. He's an absolute failure and very right wing, which he expertly hides with his fool act. Some of my friends voted for Labour in everything else, but then Boris in the mayoral election, which I don't really understand given the difference in the policy. All Boris has done is fool around, get the 50p tax rate lowered, wasted £11m on 8 vanity buses and almost screw up a cycling project which was Ken's idea in the first place. Neither choice was incredible, but Ken has done a lot for London and has had a proven record on transport.

 

I was living in London during the last mayoral elections and he got my vote, the only time I have ever voted conservative.

 

but it's not like, borris, and the conservatives, are that right wing. they are hardly le pen and the nf. our three main parties are all in the centre on most issues, and if u read out random policies from their manifestos I'd struggle to get guess them, and I'd doubt many would be only one party.

 

borris is a character though, and understands the game. u only ever see him make a statement on good things, when something goes tits up he sends out a spokesperson. he has a good sense of humour too and not afraid to be himself in front of the press and act like a normaller. it's boring trying to see politicians pretend they perfect and incapable of wrong doing, then because they are so adamant they we're right all along, they have to be more accountable when the pig spore hits the wind spinner.

 

my two favorite quotes of his from the last year or so we're his chosen recipe for a charity book, "cheese on toast - cover toast with slabs if cheese, grill until alp nice!" and his response to Barclays when they complained they had spent £50m on sponsoring the bikes in London, yet they are known borris bikes, he replied, "if you give me £50m, I'll change my name to Barclays"

 

plus Ken is do slimey u could play catch the greased pig with him

[Saintandy666]

I was living in London during the last mayoral elections and he got my vote, the only time I have ever voted conservative.

 

but it's not like, borris, and the conservatives, are that right wing. they are hardly le pen and the nf. our three main parties are all in the centre on most issues, and if u read out random policies from their manifestos I'd struggle to get guess them, and I'd doubt many would be only one party.

 

borris is a character though, and understands the game. u only ever see him make a statement on good things, when something goes tits up he sends out a spokesperson. he has a good sense of humour too and not afraid to be himself in front of the press and act like a normaller. it's boring trying to see politicians pretend they perfect and incapable of wrong doing, then because they are so adamant they we're right all along, they have to be more accountable when the pig spore hits the wind spinner.

 

my two favorite quotes of his from the last year or so we're his chosen recipe for a charity book, "cheese on toast - cover toast with slabs if cheese, grill until alp nice!" and his response to Barclays when they complained they had spent £50m on sponsoring the bikes in London, yet they are known borris bikes, he replied, "if you give me £50m, I'll change my name to Barclays"

 

plus Ken is do slimey u could play catch the greased pig with him

 

I wasn't using right wing in the Marie Le Pen sense. I was talking economically. Though Boris Johnson in the past has had to apologise for racist comments he has made, though I don't believe he is racist... just a very high tendency to say stupid stupid things. Don't be fooled by that looseness though and look at the policy behind and he is very right wing.

[Thedelldays]

Now, if labour really wanted power, they need to ditch the idiot in charge.

 

There is no way on this earth that ed will be allowed to represent us on a global scale

[Thedelldays]

I wasn't using right wing in the Marie Le Pen sense. I was talking economically. Though Boris Johnson in the past has had to apologise for racist comments he has made, though I don't believe he is racist... just a very high tendency to say stupid stupid things. Don't be fooled by that looseness though and look at the policy behind and he is very right wing.

 

Hilarious

[Saintandy666]

Now, if labour really wanted power, they need to ditch the idiot in charge.

 

There is no way on this earth that ed will be allowed to represent us on a global scale

 

He's no worse than Cameron(who still hasn't won a general election). You could very well see a Labour-led coalition in 2015.

[Turkish]

Now, if labour really wanted power, they need to ditch the idiot in charge.

 

There is no way on this earth that ed will be allowed to represent us on a global scale

 

Some said on five this morning that when people say "Ed Milliband, Prime Minister" and don't s****** afterwards labour can be taken seriously, I think that just about sums it up.

[Orange]

Pretty disappointed really.

Thought UKIP were going to do a lot better when i called it a day around 2.

 

As the Tory for Southampton said last night, Labour have promised everything to everyone in Southampton.

Sad how a party can bring this country to its knees and do so well.

[solentstars]

Now, if labour really wanted power, they need to ditch the idiot in charge.

 

There is no way on this earth that ed will be allowed to represent us on a global scale

i think the same was said about Cameron in his hug a hoodie days. Edited 4 May, 2012 by solentstars

[solentstars]

Pretty disappointed really.

Thought UKIP were going to do a lot better when i called it a day around 2.

 

As the Tory for Southampton said last night, Labour have promised everything to everyone in Southampton.

Sad how a party can bring this country to its knees and do so well.

because some people know That the greedy bankers and speculators had more. To do with the slump around the world than any single government and councils only deal with local problems.

[pap]

Pretty disappointed really.

Thought UKIP were going to do a lot better when i called it a day around 2.

 

As the Tory for Southampton said last night, Labour have promised everything to everyone in Southampton.

Sad how a party can bring this country to its knees and do so well.

 

I visited Southampton last year when it was being run by the Tories. Filth overflowing on the streets due to Royston's hardball with public sector workers. Needless to say, wasn't impressed.

[pap]

Now, if labour really wanted power, they need to ditch the idiot in charge.

 

There is no way on this earth that ed will be allowed to represent us on a global scale

 

He hasn't done too badly - certainly better than Hague did at a similar point after the first New Labour landslide.

 

Why don't you think he'd represent us well internationally?

[JPTCount]

I wasn't using right wing in the Marie Le Pen sense. I was talking economically. Though Boris Johnson in the past has had to apologise for racist comments he has made, though I don't believe he is racist... just a very high tendency to say stupid stupid things. Don't be fooled by that looseness though and look at the policy behind and he is very right wing.

 

even if we just take the economics, he's not very right wing, and the alternative isn't even left wing economics, it's not like ken is going to start buying up all the 17 companies that have a part of the trains in london. Borris is not going beyond Reaganomics, and we've had a pretty right wing economic policy nationally since the 80s

 

macro economics is all a con anyway, not even people who study it can really give u a good and logical explanation on how and why it works, things like quantative easing are just fancy things for the government, banks and economics experts hide behind. until successive governments stop bailing out the banks they are all the same, and stuck in the economic policy in the centre, allowing free markets and capitalism, but only saving the banks when they crash to keep the public from revolting.

[alpine_saint]

Sour grapes from Saintandy666.

 

And I think Boris would be light years ahead of Camerloon as PM.

[Thedelldays]

He hasn't done too badly - certainly better than Hague did at a similar point after the first New Labour landslide.

 

Why don't you think he'd represent us well internationally?

because he is an idiot. he sounds like an idiot.

the wrong brother is in charge.

[alpine_saint]

He hasn't done too badly - certainly better than Hague did at a similar point after the first New Labour landslide.

 

Why don't you think he'd represent us well internationally?

 

Can you imagine the likes of Putin and Obama trying to avoid bursting into laughter when he tries to make a speech or deliver an important point ?

[pap]

because he is an idiot. he sounds like an idiot.

the wrong brother is in charge.

 

He's not an idiot.

 

I'll agree that his nasal speaking style can be bloody grating, but his job would be to run the country, not narrate audiobooks.

[Thedelldays]

He's not an idiot.

 

I'll agree that his nasal speaking style can be bloody grating, but his job would be to run the country, not narrate audiobooks.

unfortunately, his job is more than running the country. it is to represent us on global affairs...sadly for you, cameron has done this and done this quite well.....

 

this is the wrong brother...this bloke will never be PM...if the other brother was in charge, labour would storm the next election

like it or not. many people will vote (like I do) on who they think is the better person....

[ecuk268]

Sour grapes from Saintandy666.

 

And I think Boris would be light years ahead of Camerloon as PM.

 

I think that Cameron thinks the same.

 

As a senior Tory was quoted yesterday "The only think that would be worse for Cameron than Boris losing would be Boris winning"

[anothersaintinsouthsea]

Pretty disappointed really.

Thought UKIP were going to do a lot better when i called it a day around 2.

 

As the Tory for Southampton said last night, Labour have promised everything to everyone in Southampton.

Sad how a party can bring this country to its knees and do so well.

 

 

errr i thought the Condems took a hammering

[JPTCount]

Can you imagine the likes of Putin and Obama trying to avoid bursting into laughter when he tries to make a speech or deliver an important point ?

 

putting doesn't laugh, not even at George Dubyah. he can only manage sinister smile when he really tries.

 

[pap]

unfortunately, his job is more than running the country. it is to represent us on global affairs...sadly for you, cameron has done this and done this quite well.....

 

this is the wrong brother...this bloke will never be PM...if the other brother was in charge, labour would storm the next election

like it or not. many people will vote (like I do) on who they think is the better person....

 

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that Cameron has had no foreign policy success. On the face of it, Libya looks like it was a good intervention, so credit where it's due, TDD. He did well there.

 

That's about the only success I can point to. Everything else has been an unmitigated disaster. He bottled the EU question, and even though the EU veto looked good, it was ultimately toothless. The entire government seems to have been in bed with the Murdochs since 2006, hiring people like Andy Coulson and helping NewsCorp with their BSkyB takeover. He showed absolutely no leadership during the worst civil disturbances the country has seen in decades, preferring to extend his vacation rather than get home and do his job.

 

Highest unemployment levels for decades, the country is back in recession and still going over budget. I don't think Cameron is doing a good job at all. Seems that the electorate is in agreement.

[Thedelldays]

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that Cameron has had no foreign policy success. On the face of it, Libya looks like it was a good intervention, so credit where it's due, TDD. He did well there.

 

That's about the only success I can point to. Everything else has been an unmitigated disaster. He bottled the EU question, and even though the EU veto looked good, it was ultimately toothless. The entire government seems to have been in bed with the Murdochs since 2006, hiring people like Andy Coulson and helping NewsCorp with their BSkyB takeover. He showed absolutely no leadership during the worst civil disturbances the country has seen in decades, preferring to extend his vacation rather than get home and do his job.

 

Highest unemployment levels for decades, the country is back in recession and still going over budget. I don't think Cameron is doing a good job at all. Seems that the electorate is in agreement.

but that is it...you are going into policies etc...I will vote for who comes across the best.

if "ed" was a blue, now way would I vote for him

 

I voted for blair 7 years ago..because he comes across as a good chap..

 

 

"ed" simply comes across as a complete nerd

[trousers]

Boris is all show and no action. He's an absolute failure and very right wing, which he expertly hides with his fool act. Some of my friends voted for Labour in everything else, but then Boris in the mayoral election, which I don't really understand given the difference in the policy. All Boris has done is fool around, get the 50p tax rate lowered, wasted £11m on 8 vanity buses and almost screw up a cycling project which was Ken's idea in the first place. Neither choice was incredible, but Ken has done a lot for London and has had a proven record on transport.

 

So, in other words, Londoners aren't clever enough to suss out that Boris is fooling them into liking him...?

[trousers]

I'm not going to sit here and pretend that Cameron has had no foreign policy success. On the face of it, Libya looks like it was a good intervention, so credit where it's due, TDD. He did well there.

 

That's about the only success I can point to. Everything else has been an unmitigated disaster. He bottled the EU question, and even though the EU veto looked good, it was ultimately toothless. The entire government seems to have been in bed with the Murdochs since 2006, hiring people like Andy Coulson and helping NewsCorp with their BSkyB takeover. He showed absolutely no leadership during the worst civil disturbances the country has seen in decades, preferring to extend his vacation rather than get home and do his job.

 

Highest unemployment levels for decades, the country is back in recession and still going over budget. I don't think Cameron is doing a good job at all. Seems that the electorate is in agreement.

 

Devil's Advocate alert...

 

Given Labour planned to cut £8 for every £9 that the ConDems have cut, how would things have panned out radically different? I thought this ongoing economic crisis was global, or was it only 'global' when Labour were at the helm and now it's just domestic...?

Edited 4 May, 2012 by trousers

[pap]

but that is it...you are going into policies etc...I will vote for who comes across the best.

if "ed" was a blue, now way would I vote for him

 

I voted for blair 7 years ago..because he comes across as a good chap..

 

 

"ed" simply comes across as a complete nerd

 

So you're going for style over substance then?

 

Sadly, you're not alone. It's been that way since politics entered the television age, which is probably why we have so few top politicians of any conviction.

 

Ed does come across as nerdy, but it's not really him that's the problem. It's us. We value the wrong things in our politicians, thus we have the crap that we have now.

 

Winston Churchill tops many polls for Britain's best ever Prime Minister. Do you think he'd have a sniff at electability in this airbrushed day and age?

[Thedelldays]

 

Winston Churchill tops many polls for Britain's best ever Prime Minister. Do you think he'd have a sniff at electability in this airbrushed day and age?

he was kicked out after the war wasn't he.....? (yes I know he came back)

 

ed is a nerd...a complete nerd and the public simply won't have a complete nerd run the country.....like it or not

[Orange]

I visited Southampton last year when it was being run by the Tories. Filth overflowing on the streets due to Royston's hardball with public sector workers. Needless to say, wasn't impressed.

 

I'm talking about the wider picture. I see what you'e saying though, i don't live in Southampton so don't really know what went on.

I just despise the way Labour are acting so smug and holier than thou despite the fact they spent like drunken sailors with no regard for the debt mountain they were producing.

Then you get an issue like youth unemployment for example. Labour are the party that reassured people only 12,000 Easter Europeans would cme and work here in 2004. A million and something later they might have been a bit wrong. The reason i mention that was having to sit through Labour candidates preach about how they are the party for the youths out of work.

[pap]

Devil's Advocate alert...

 

Given Labour planned to cut £8 for every £9 that the ConDems have cut, how would things have panned out radically different?

 

It wouldn't. All the mainstream parties are pretty much offering the same limited number of morsels on their political platter. It is a tired old menu which needs radical changes, and after running out of ideas in its 13 years of power, the outgoing Labour government would have been the last group of people you'd have expected to deliver radical change.

[trousers]

It wouldn't. All the mainstream parties are pretty much offering the same limited number of morsels on their political platter. It is a tired old menu which needs radical changes, and after running out of ideas in its 13 years of power, the outgoing Labour government would have been the last group of people you'd have expected to deliver radical change.

 

Damn...there was I looking for a debate and you go and agree with me.

 

FFS

 

:-)

[Thedelldays]

me, I am now UKIP all the way

 

sod all this euro crap

sod the open door immigration

sod the lot red, blue and yellows

[JPTCount]

but that is it...you are going into policies etc...I will vote for who comes across the best.

if "ed" was a blue, now way would I vote for him

 

I voted for blair 7 years ago..because he comes across as a good chap..

 

 

"ed" simply comes across as a complete nerd

 

so Blair came across as good chap? how did that work out?

 

and unless u lived in sedgefeild between 97-05 u didn't vote for him

 

same rules apply with ed if u don't live in donny

[The Cat]

Ed does come across as nerdy, but it's not really him that's the problem. It's us. We value the wrong things in our politicians, thus we have the crap that we have now.

 

Too true.

[trousers]

I'm talking about the wider picture. I see what you'e saying though, i don't live in Southampton so don't really know what went on.

I just despise the way Labour are acting so smug and holier than thou despite the fact they spent like drunken sailors with no regard for the debt mountain they were producing.

Then you get an issue like youth unemployment for example. Labour are the party that reassured people only 12,000 Easter Europeans would cme and work here in 2004. A million and something later they might have been a bit wrong. The reason i mention that was having to sit through Labour candidates preach about how they are the party for the youths out of work.

 

Indeed. 'Youth unemployment' went up 40% under Labour (IIRC).

 

I'm not sure who has the biggest history wiping airbrush....Pompey or the Labour Party :-)

 

P.s. I think the Tories could be doing better too...

[pap]

I'm talking about the wider picture. I see what you'e saying though, i don't live in Southampton so don't really know what went on.

I just despise the way Labour are acting so smug and holier than thou despite the fact they spent like drunken sailors with no regard for the debt mountain they were producing.

Then you get an issue like youth unemployment for example. Labour are the party that reassured people only 12,000 Easter Europeans would cme and work here in 2004. A million and something later they might have been a bit wrong. The reason i mention that was having to sit through Labour candidates preach about how they are the party for the youths out of work.

 

The Labour Party spent a lot of money during their period in office, and made some grievous errors during their time in charge - most notably going to war. That said, a significant proportion of the country's debt is down to bailing out the financial system. If the Conservatives were in power when that storm hit, would their response really have been any different?

 

We've got to see parties of all colours in Government lately, and none of them have impressed. Perhaps that accounts for the low turnout we saw in yesterday's elections.

[Thedelldays]

so Blair came across as good chap? how did that work out?

 

and unless u lived in sedgefeild between 97-05 u didn't vote for him

 

same rules apply with ed if u don't live in donny

I did vote for him...lets be honest. we vote for our PM when we vote

I have no idea who my local MP is.. I voted conservative in the last election as I liked dave more than the others

[Saintandy666]

So, in other words, Londoners aren't clever enough to suss out that Boris is fooling them into liking him...?

 

Not at all, I'm just saying he uses his personality to mask his politics. It's hardly revolutionary analysis of this contest.

[pap]

Damn...there was I looking for a debate and you go and agree with me.

 

FFS

 

:-)

 

Save your energies for glorious revolution, comrade