The Politics Thread

[superjohnmcginlay]

Anybody think a minor party might get a chance?

I know what you mean about the tories, I just couldn't vote for them - I can't see any difference between Labour & Conservative, to be honest. You've got Mandleson, Keith Vaz and god knows how many other bent/corrupt/untrustworthy nobbers being handed job after job for simply lining their own pockets.

If they weren't such a set of bedwetters, I'd probably go Green

Commies under a different name.

[superjohnmcginlay]

Jocks are getting uppity again.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8385425.stm

[Verbal]

Anybody think a minor party might get a chance?

I know what you mean about the tories, I just couldn't vote for them - I can't see any difference between Labour & Conservative, to be honest. You've got Mandleson, Keith Vaz and god knows how many other bent/corrupt/untrustworthy nobbers being handed job after job for simply lining their own pockets.

If they weren't such a set of bedwetters, I'd probably go Green

Their vote is too wide spread, meaning under the FPTP system it is widely ignored. It's a problem the lib dems have had for ages.

Even if the major two parties take a voting it, their loss will equate to probably be a handful of seats at best.

[hisroyalgingerness]

There's only one bunch currently acting with dignity, wry humour, respected across the globe, campaigning relentlessly for the environment, huge amounts of charity work.

The royals. How ironic.

[InsaneApache]

There's only one bunch currently acting with dignity, wry humour, respected across the globe, campaigning relentlessly for the environment, huge amounts of charity work.

The royals. How ironic.

Not really. The guys who restored the monarchy knew what they were doing. We'd been 'run' by a politician and they'd all seen how that one had worked out.

Like I say to my yank step mum. We have monarch because all the politicians are scumbag liars and cheats and we deserve better than a 'Tony' or 'James' as head of state. So there.

[ratbert]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009 ... endum-plan

Let's chat about changing the voting system. The latest polls are showing signs of movement towards a hung parliament, which would give a great opportunity to finally stop viewing the country's problems and potential solutions through the left-or-right-only spectrum.

Or... could a new voting system cause confusion, fudge and instability?

Personally I'm for change, what do others think?

[Verbal]

Didn't Labour promise a referendum in 1997 or am I being a bit silly?

Either way, PR should be cool. Curtailing strong government and all that.

[BWFC_Insane]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009 ... endum-plan

Let's chat about changing the voting system. The latest polls are showing signs of movement towards a hung parliament, which would give a great opportunity to finally stop viewing the country's problems and potential solutions through the left-or-right-only spectrum.

Or... could a new voting system cause confusion, fudge and instability?

Personally I'm for change, what do others think?

Out of interest, who is viewing potential solutions through the "left spectrum"?

[William the White]

I've been an advocate of PR for years. I'd have a chance of casting a vote positively for a party I genuinely believe in instead of negatively - whoever has the best chance of keping the Tories out and isn't a Lib Dem...

[BWFC_Insane]

I've been an advocate of PR for years. I'd have a chance of casting a vote positively for a party I genuinely believe in instead of negatively - whoever has the best chance of keping the Tories out and isn't a Lib Dem...

Why? Out of interest.

I'm not a Lib Dem voter myself, just wondered why the opposition to them?

Aren't they the party that PR would most benefit?

[ratbert]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009 ... endum-plan

Let's chat about changing the voting system. The latest polls are showing signs of movement towards a hung parliament, which would give a great opportunity to finally stop viewing the country's problems and potential solutions through the left-or-right-only spectrum.

Or... could a new voting system cause confusion, fudge and instability?

Personally I'm for change, what do others think?

Out of interest, who is viewing potential solutions through the "left spectrum"?

I'd say Labour - if you can call the Blair/Brown era 'left'

[BWFC_Insane]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009 ... endum-plan

Let's chat about changing the voting system. The latest polls are showing signs of movement towards a hung parliament, which would give a great opportunity to finally stop viewing the country's problems and potential solutions through the left-or-right-only spectrum.

Or... could a new voting system cause confusion, fudge and instability?

Personally I'm for change, what do others think?

Out of interest, who is viewing potential solutions through the "left spectrum"?

I'd say Labour - if you can call the Blair/Brown era 'left'

You can't.

[Worthy4England]

Can't see either Labour or Cons ever offering a referendum on PR. Turkey's voting for Christmas springs to mind.

I can't recall whether the Government would need to ask Parliament to vote on whether we could offer a referendum, but I think they might and suspect it would be a "free vote" - so ask yourself, would you generally vote for something that could do you personally out of a job?

My problem with PR is when a true minority party effectively has the power of veto based on maybe just a couple of seats (which could happen in a hung parliament) or when the largest party just happens to come second to a band of 6/7 smaller parties.

[William the White]

I've been an advocate of PR for years. I'd have a chance of casting a vote positively for a party I genuinely believe in instead of negatively - whoever has the best chance of keping the Tories out and isn't a Lib Dem...

Why? Out of interest.

I'm not a Lib Dem voter myself, just wondered why the opposition to them?

Aren't they the party that PR would most benefit?

I really don't trust a party that says one thing in Rochdale and something quite different in Richmond. They blow with the wind. But I think if I lived in - say Tunbridge Wells - I might be persuaded to vote for them because that would be the best chance (tho very slim) of keeping out the Tories.

I think PR might allow a genuine party of the left to be represented in national politics and to make its argument untainted by the experience of Labourism. (And I was a Labour Party member for many years, and stood for council twice - in safe Tory wards, i didn't really want to win, but i wanted to give the Tories a hard time).

[superjohnmcginlay]

Which wards? How many votes?

[William the White]

Which wards? How many votes?

From my time in the West Midlands.

Wednesbury North. Can't remember how many votes - about 1200 I think. Came about 250 behind the Tory, which was real scary. It looked at one time during the count that I might win and actually have to spend 4 years being a councillor.

[Hoboh]

PR? Pah!!
You should all vote for me then I'd abolish elections, get rid of dodgy MP's, kill off the house of lords and save the tax payers a fortune!

The country would know where it stood abroad, Non and nein would be taught in schools and the only common markets would be at wimbledon, sorted!

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009 ... endum-plan

Let's chat about changing the voting system. The latest polls are showing signs of movement towards a hung parliament, which would give a great opportunity to finally stop viewing the country's problems and potential solutions through the left-or-right-only spectrum.

Or... could a new voting system cause confusion, fudge and instability?

Personally I'm for change, what do others think?

First comment is that anything that is contingent on a Labour majority, as the referendum in this story is, is a complete waste of time.

Second comment is that a hung parliament would be a very bad thing for the UK in the short term. See, for example: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/b ... tr=1185799

But the problem Worthy mentions is the biggest one - the idea of throwing out the Westminster system and replacing it with a load of coalition building with minority interest groups churns my stomach.

[William the White]

PR? Pah!!
You should all vote for me then I'd abolish elections, get rid of dodgy MP's, kill off the house of lords and save the tax payers a fortune!

The country would know where it stood abroad, Non and nein would be taught in schools and the only common markets would be at wimbledon, sorted!

I'm voting hobo. since the death of Screaming Lord Sutch he's the only alternative.

And, of course, keeps up a tradition of cambridge graduates going into politics.

Sorted.

[Verbal]

Can't see either Labour or Cons ever offering a referendum on PR. Turkey's voting for Christmas springs to mind.

I can't recall whether the Government would need to ask Parliament to vote on whether we could offer a referendum, but I think they might and suspect it would be a "free vote" - so ask yourself, would you generally vote for something that could do you personally out of a job?

My problem with PR is when a true minority party effectively has the power of veto based on maybe just a couple of seats (which could happen in a hung parliament) or when the largest party just happens to come second to a band of 6/7 smaller parties.

In the case of the latter you could issue a minimum threshold parties must achieve in order to take a seat in parliament - maybe 5% of the vote or something.

But aye, with regard to your first point, I doubt the two parties who benefit from FPTP would want to change it.