Mayoral and General Elections 2017

[andy+kirsty]

Liz will be thrilled that you are looking forward to her death

My position on the monarchy has mellowed with age. It's moved from beheading and revolution towards pension and redistribution of assets and wealth.

It is a common belief that people move to the right as they grow older - I never thought it'd happen to me but there you go.

[andrewbowden]

I find it hard to vote for one, never mind two. PR is the way forward but I do like the representation we have when we elect an MP.

Always the option not to vote for a second choice (or third choice or whatever.)  Sometimes the decisions are easier than others.

In my student days we ranked every candidate (if we wanted to).  The most interesting option was at the bottom. 

R.O.N.

Re-open nominations.

[Melancholyflower]

Not sure I agree with this. In a GE, you usually vote for your favoured govt and thus, you vote for the best manifesto which is the party line. The MP should toe the party line as that is why they were voted in.

Agree.  You can't *not* have coalitions if you don't want party politics!

[Dave]

The national press, in the form of the Daily Express, The Guardian, and possibly others, have published a list of 16 candidates being sponsored by Gina Miller in her bid to halt brexit.

Yes I read that too. Gina Miller's pressure group is called Best for Britain. However, it's nothing to do with 'halting Brexit'. The group is simply backing candidates who want a proper parliamentary vote on the outcome of the government's Brexit negotiations.

See https://bestforbritain.org/

[Duke Fame]

Well, I'd say any candidate who would accept any party whip, is ipso facto unsuitable to be an MP. That of course means that hardly any of the MPs who will be elected will be suitable. Each candidate makes their own personal statement of their beliefs to their electorate and if they say they will support or oppose a particular idea, they should not alter this just because their party changes policy, or agrees a deal with another party. Of course, people do change their mind on issues; that after all is the point of Commons debates, but it should be the MP's own decision on how to vote on any issue, not a question of party allegiance. We elect them as representatives of the constituency, not as a party automaton.

Actually, it's very fair. Each local area elects a person to represent the area in parliament. What could be fairer than that? Of course if the electorate fail to do their job and just vote for whoever has the right party label, that's the fault of the electorate, not the system. The system could be improved certainly. Getting rid of party names and symbols on the ballot paper would be a good start.

Not sure I agree with this. In a GE, you usually vote for your favoured govt and thus, you vote for the best manifesto which is the party line. The MP should toe the party line as that is why they were voted in.

[Duke Fame]

A system when I put the candidates in order, so I don't have to 2nd guess how other people will vote, or risk wasting my vote.

I find it hard to vote for one, never mind two. PR is the way forward but I do like the representation we have when we elect an MP.

[Duke Fame]

Also remember that in every other democracy the electorate can elect a second house and head of state.

We are stuck with a pensioner whose there becuase their daddy was, grandma was, etc etc. and 800 others who are appointed and like the idea of £300 a day. It may have been the best way of doing things x hundred years ago but it is far from democratic in a civilised western nation.

We need wholseale electoral reform, an elected head of state, two elected chambers and devolved government for the home nations. it could be that if each nation had a parliament then the commons become the elected second chamber and do away with the lords.

It needs serious  thought - at the moment no one seems to be discussing it except the Greens and UKIP.

The think about the Lords is that it works rather well, daft in theory but works in practice. I do dislike the guaranteed career for old MPs but it does seem to work. IF it were an elected chamber, would you not just see another wave of gravy train hoppers?

[Duke Fame]

Well said Andy. I agree with nearly all of that. It's a bizarre anomaly that England is the only country in the UK without its own parliament or assembly.

The only thing I would disagree with is the idea of electing our Head of State. After all, the Americans have recently done that, and look what they ended up with!

I'm looking forward to the reign of Charles III and (if I live long enough) William V!

Liz will be thrilled that you are looking forward to her death

[mikes]

^^^^

Well I won't be voting for her.

[Harry]

I thought the other day that I was receiving a lot of bumf from Lisa Smart and the Liberal Democrats, i.e. leaflets, newspapers, personally addressed letters, etc.

It had occurred to me that this must be costing them a small fortune.

Today all became clear. The national press, in the form of the Daily Express, The Guardian, and possibly others, have published a list of 16 candidates being sponsored by Gina Miller in her bid to halt brexit.

It would appear that Lisa Smart is being bankrolled by Gina Miller and her backers (which possibly includes George Soros).

[Dave]

Here are the current bookies' odds for Hazel Grove.   https://www.oddschecker.com/politics/british-politics/hazel-grove/winning-party

I'm not a betting man, but I think I might be tempted to put a tenner on the LibDems at 13/2.

[Dave]

Well said Andy. I agree with nearly all of that. It's a bizarre anomaly that England is the only country in the UK without its own parliament or assembly.

The only thing I would disagree with is the idea of electing our Head of State. After all, the Americans have recently done that, and look what they ended up with!

I'm looking forward to the reign of Charles III and (if I live long enough) William V!

[andy+kirsty]

Also remember that in every other democracy the electorate can elect a second house and head of state.

We are stuck with a pensioner whose there becuase their daddy was, grandma was, etc etc. and 800 others who are appointed and like the idea of £300 a day. It may have been the best way of doing things x hundred years ago but it is far from democratic in a civilised western nation.

We need wholseale electoral reform, an elected head of state, two elected chambers and devolved government for the home nations. it could be that if each nation had a parliament then the commons become the elected second chamber and do away with the lords.

It needs serious  thought - at the moment no one seems to be discussing it except the Greens and UKIP.

[andrewbowden]

A system when I put the candidates in order, so I don't have to 2nd guess how other people will vote, or risk wasting my vote.

Absolutely.

Any system that sees people having to think about tactical voting, vote swaps and more, is a poor system.  There are better ways for the people to vote for their representative in Parliament. 

[ringi]

Actually, it's very fair. Each local area elects a person to represent the area in parliament. What could be fairer than that?

A system when I put the candidates in order, so I don't have to 2nd guess how other people will vote, or risk wasting my vote.