UK Election called

[Russethouse]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8603591.stm

May 6th as expected....

[Dog]

Wow  - what a non event - 70% of people will show their disgust with such a corrupt non democratic system and they will not bother to vote.

[NickP]

 Gordon Brown a Scott has said "he hopes Wayne Rooney is fit to play in the world cup". I really believe that. bit like Blair, and what was the saying Education,education, education, we are still waiting. It must be a great time to be a member of the  Liberal Party you can promise and say what you like, and never be called upon to prove your manifesto. And "call me Dave" is busy phoning up all his old Etonian mates and offering them jobs and a chance to get their snouts in the trough. There really has to be a better system than general elections? Unfortunately the only creditable alternative; The monster Raving Loony party seems to have disappeared. [:D]

[ebaynut]

[quote user="NickP"]  There really has to be a better system than general elections? Unfortunately the only creditable alternative; The monster Raving Loony party seems to have disappeared. [:D][/quote]

Unfortunately Dave Sutch decided life was not worth carrying on with and took his own life.

Some of his campaign slogans were first class, such (if you pardon the pun) as "Vote for insanity, you know it makes sense".

And that question he  asked, "why is there only one monopolies commission?"

 

[LEO]

[quote user="NickP"] Gordon Brown a Scott has said "he hopes Wayne Rooney is fit to play in the world cup". I really believe that. bit like Blair, and what was the saying Education,education, education, we are still waiting. It must be a great time to be a member of the  Liberal Party you can promise and say what you like, and never be called upon to prove your manifesto. And "call me Dave" is busy phoning up all his old Etonian mates and offering them jobs and a chance to get their snouts in the trough. There really has to be a better system than general elections? Unfortunately the only creditable alternative; The monster Raving Loony party seems to have disappeared. [:D][/quote]

Hi Nick,

I am a Scot.(a person born in Scotland )

Scott , is a common surname.

ps.

What has Wayne Rooney got to do with the Election?

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

Apparently Brown crazily likened the economy to Wayne Rooney's ever so slightly currently injured ankle.

I tell you what, Brown and Blair have got their own back on England for what the English did to Sir William Wallace!!! Ok, they took Scotland down too, but who hasn't cut their nose off to spite their face before? ;)

[Quillan]

I quite liked the 'Gene Hunt' idea, "fire up the Quattro" I hear Cameron shout. I think that they are not going to run it now because some said it might 'backfire' (no pun intended) on Labour. Some wouldn't mind the 80's comming back, far less 'PC', loads of money and back to the days when the police actually did policing and you had coppers on the beat.

[Bugsy]

God, I'm bored already [:@]

Whatever happened to the honour of the past when someone has got it so wrong, quietly into the office, close the door, and get out the Webley.

.

[Will]

Bugsy, I think the problem seems to be that all the people who know much better than the current politicians about how the country and the economy should be run seem to have moved to France. So we can only enjoy their pearls of wisdom through expat forums rather than in election manifestos.

[6]

[Bugsy]

[quote user="Will"]Bugsy, I think the problem seems to be that all the people who know much better than the current politicians about how the country and the economy should be run seem to have moved to France.

[/quote]

I think ALL the ordinary people of the UK probably know much better than these thieving corrupt muppets currently vying (spelling) for position.

The OFF switch has never looked so tempting.

.

[Quillan]

I think the problem lays in politicians behaviour and the way they talk down to us with that "you couldn't possibly understand, leave it to us professionals" attitude. Come PM's Questions and the elections you see them behaving like children in a junior school playground (actually perhaps that's a bit unjust to 5 year old's).

They have all been caught to some degree with their fingers in the till stealing the electors tax money and show little remorse afterwards. Labour PM's at PM's questions use it to for self gratification (look at how good we and our party are) and the Tories never ask anything important, they just use it as a 'have a go at Labour' opportunity and the rest are politely told to sit down and shut up.

The only pleasure (if you can call it that) I can see from it all is that the new series of "Have I got News for You" is likely to be an absolute hoot, I have already programed by recorder to record them all. If I were in the UK and had any inclination to vote, which I wouldn't, I think I would vote Liberal this time but to be honest I would be more likely to be one of the 70% that Dog mentioned who simply don't bother as none of them offer anything I am interested in and I don't think any of them have got any idea how to sort the country out.

[krusty]

Oh so the deed has not been done yet , I thought GB and HRH had got up early . [Www]

[NickP]

[quote user="LEO"][quote user="NickP"] Gordon Brown a Scott has said "he hopes Wayne Rooney is fit to play in the world cup". I really believe that. bit like Blair, and what was the saying Education,education, education, we are still waiting. It must be a great time to be a member of the  Liberal Party you can promise and say what you like, and never be called upon to prove your manifesto. And "call me Dave" is busy phoning up all his old Etonian mates and offering them jobs and a chance to get their snouts in the trough. There really has to be a better system than general elections? Unfortunately the only creditable alternative; The monster Raving Loony party seems to have disappeared. [:D][/quote]

Hi Nick,
I am a Scot.(a person born in Scotland )

Scott , is a common surname.


ps.


What has Wayne Rooney got to do with the Election?

[/quote]

Hello Leo,

First sorry for the typing error, (2oo many T's). As for Wayne Rooney the Scot Gordon brown mentioned him in one of his political comments about Britain's future, so as you  are a Scot and probably understand  him, ask Gordon. [:D]

[Russethouse]

Wow  - what a non event - 70% of people will show their disgust with such a corrupt non democratic system and they will not bother to vote.

 My feeling is that people died so that we could have a vote so I'm going to use it, my daughter who mentioned she might not bother has been told to show her opinion by spoiling or writing on the voting paper - not voting at all isn't an option

[Iceni]

It is indicative of the contempt that James Gordon holds for Parliament that his announcment about going to see Brenda is made to the media on a Sunday rather than in the House - but then, there are few votes in that sort of tradition.

This time, more than ever, the only election issue is "under which party will I suffer financially the least?"  Unfortunately those desperate to get a new duck house etc will not be able to confine themselves to such a simple concept - luckily it is only just a month or so to the great event.

If I could be bothered I would offer my vote for sale but I am too apathetic even for that.

John

[NickP]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

Wow  - what a non event - 70% of people will show their disgust with such a corrupt non democratic system and they will not bother to vote.

 My feeling is that people died so that we could have a vote so I'm going to use it, my daughter who mentioned she might not bother has been told to show her opinion by spoiling or writing on the voting paper - not voting at all isn't an option

[/quote]

I'm not sure that the 70% figure is accurate, but plenty of people don't vote. All the polls  on the news this morning showed different results, proving that it depends on who you ask? As you say people should vote, I believe that in some countries it's obligatory but has the facility to register a protest vote, Sounds like a good system to me.

I agree with Bugsy's idea of the webley, but I think the present incumbents of Westminster should be able to blow their brains (or lack of) out with a water pistol. After all why waste the lead shot. [:D]

[Clarkkent]

[quote user="Dog"]Wow  - what a non event - 70% of people will show their disgust with such a corrupt non democratic system and they will not bother to vote.[/quote]

How on earth do you know this? Are you saying that since the last election a further 35% of the total electorate will decide not to vote? You are indeed prescient.

And as for voting systems, did you know that Sarkozy was rejected by nearly 70% of the French electorate on the first ballot and still managed to be elected? Or that US presidents are not elected directly by the people but by an electoral college whose members (in some states anyway) are not formally mandated by the results of the popular election?

I have just returned to the UK from France. I had numerous conversations with people who have made their home in France, do not vote in UK elections, claim to have no further interest in Britain but who all expressed opinions - some trenchant - on the forthcoming election. Most have no idea who the current French prime minister is, do not watch French tv or read French newspapers and have little idea about what exercises the minds of their French neighbours. I do not understand this.

 

[Quillan]

[quote user="NickP"]

I'm not sure that the 70% figure is accurate, but plenty of people don't vote.

[/quote]

UK population = 66M

Those not allowed to vote being under age or not UK citizens etc = 14M

Total allowed to vote = 52M

Number of those on the electoral Roll = 44M

Number of people allowed but not registered 8M

2005 election, 61% of registered people bothered to vote which accounted for 27M votes cast.

If you add the figures together then really only 51% of those allowed to vote bothered to vote.

Labour got 35.3% of those registered to vote and bothered to vote which works out at 9.5M people.

So in real terms only around 20% of the people allowed to vote put them in to power.

[Chancer]

[quote user="Clarkkent"]

[quote user="Dog"].[/quote]

I have just returned to the UK from France. I had numerous conversations with people who have made their home in France, do not vote in UK elections, claim to have no further interest in Britain but who all expressed opinions - some trenchant - on the forthcoming election. Most have no idea who the current French prime minister is, do not watch French tv or read French newspapers and have little idea about what exercises the minds of their French neighbours. I do not understand this.

[/quote]

Very true!

The recent regional elections which dominated all the TV news pogrammes in the run up to the elections, pretty much all pograming over the weekend and was the only topic of conversation of my friends and neighbours almost passed un-noticed on this forum.

Apart that is for a posting where someone asked how to vote and got a reply concerning the then unannounced UK elections [;-)]

[Dog]

[quote user="Russethouse"]

Wow  - what a non event - 70% of people will show their disgust with such a corrupt non democratic system and they will not bother to vote.

 My feeling is that people died so that we could have a vote so I'm going to use it, my daughter who mentioned she might not bother has been told to show her opinion by spoiling or writing on the voting paper - not voting at all isn't an option

[/quote]

When confronted with the suggestion that people died so I could vote my reply is "Tell them they needn't have bothered".

I usually dripped up and dropped the shreds into the ballot box or wrote 'This is not a democracy' on the paper. I never concidered this a vote as I never voted for a candidate.

I had planned to run in and steal a ballot box as the election officials were always so old and infirm.

[NickP]

Dog wrote

"When confronted with the suggestion that people died so I could vote my reply is "Tell them they needn't have bothered".

Thanks very much you poor excuse for a foss septic, next time I go to visit the war graves to pay my respects,  I will pass on your sentiments, just remember if they hadn't died you would not be able to spout your rubbish publicly.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Chancer"]

The recent regional elections which dominated all the TV news pogrammes in the run up to the elections, pretty much all pograming over the weekend and was the only topic of conversation of my friends and neighbours almost passed un-noticed on this forum.

[/quote]

That's not very fair Chancer. Some people were interested but many were and probably are of the opinion that as they don't have a vote it's not really worth discussing on the forum. I have followed whats been happening in my area through the newspapers and local news on TV just to see how it will effect my personal life. As to debating it on a forum, why, I can't make a difference and what we get is what we will get.

[velcorin]

Quote from one of my German colleagues about their politicos, "Politicians, like diapers, have to be changed frequently - and for the very same reason". A mythical beast..............a German with a sense of humour!

I can empathise with that. I've never voted though. Never been in the UK for a General Election, and never allowed to vote wherever I was, don't feel comfortable with voting in the UK when I'm not resident, even if I pay NI.

[Will]

[quote user="Chancer"]

The recent regional elections which dominated all the TV news pogrammes in the run up to the elections, pretty much all pograming over the weekend and was the only topic of conversation of my friends and neighbours almost passed un-noticed on this forum.

Apart that is for a posting where someone asked how to vote and got a reply concerning the then unannounced UK elections [;-)]

[/quote]

Although I agree with you about the general lack of interest in French affairs on this forum, and the consequent over-emphasis on negativity about British politics, you obviously missed this topic which ran to three pages:

http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/2037833/ShowPost.aspx

[Renaud]

I intend to avoid all news programmes for the next months. I can do without all the stage managed stuff.

Fingers in my ears 'la la la, I can't hear you...'