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2021 Local elections

ddraig said:
Thought mine was bad with 3 papers! gonna be a nightmare on polling day
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I'd hate to be a polling officer on the day. The PCC is using the Supplementary Vote system, we're voting for one County councillor, 2 District councillors and 3 Parish councillors and then a Yes or No vote in the referendum.

I wonder how many spoilt papers there's going to be.
 
Not my bit of town (keeping it real in St Thomas, me), but after initially being intrigued by the unusual name, I see Zion Lights is standing for Labour here in Exeter.

I'd never heard of her, but she seems to be known:
en.m.wikipedia.org

Zion Lights - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org en.m.wikipedia.org
 
The Q household is awash with apathy over the local elections, I have posted off my vote for the PCC and my no doubt futile attempt to unseat the local Tory, however I represent the entirety of democratic action in the Q abode. Mrs has lost her postal vote, Son Q has stated he can't be arsed to walk the 1 mile to the polling station. Youngest Q made an enormous fuss about the fact that she was 6 months to young to vote in the GE but can't be bothered to come the 5 miles from her sisters to vote in the LE.
As for FDiL Q she doesn't seem to have taken part in the democratic process for several years since she moved out of her parents. She didn't bother to register when she came here with her ex-boyfriend because it was only supposed to be temporary, she didn't register when they split up and she moved in with the rest of the Saturdays since it was only temporary and she was certainly expecting living with us to be a lot more temporary than it has turned out to be.
 
local council - three parties (sitting lib dem, tories usually second in this ward) and a pro-covid 'freedom alliance' loon

police commissioner - three parties (current tory not standing again, current tory deputy standing) and retired police sergeant standing as independent on 'back to the good old days policing' sort of line.

meh.
 
I think its 3 papers for me (cov council, west mids mayor and west mids police com.)

I had a booklet for the mayor contest but nothing else.
 
i need to decide who to vote for (i applied for a postal vote in case i ended up being self isolating on the day)

vermin - don't be silly.

yellow vermin - meh. although council candidate is reasonably good on street level local stuff. don't think they stand a chance of winning control of the tory council though (they did have control by mayor's casting vote for a year or two when the tories were at their lowest ebb in the mid 90s)

labour - meh. almost certain not to win this seat (they now have about 3 or 4 councillors on the district - which they consider something of an achievement having varied between 0 and 1 when i moved here) - and would be seen as an endorsement of sir kieth.

loon - even more don't be silly.

abstain - tempting, although gets counted along with people who can't be bothered

spoiled paper - also tempting, although gets counted along with people who can't quite manage to get one X in one box. have done in the past on the police commissioner thing as the whole thing's bloody ridiculous.
 
I'm really torn, well not torn, maybe slightly dishevelled, between not voting, spoiling my ballot paper or voting Green. None of those will make a scrap of difference, but which will get noticed most by anyone who gives a toss? Or is it best not even bothering not to bother?
 
County council and PCC ballot papers here. I applied for a postal vote at the height of lockdown, probably fine to vote in person now but whatever. I didn't bother sending back the PCC ballot paper.
 
Bristol campaign (four elections here):

Green ads keep popping up on my facebook, nothing from others. Algorithms etc but it's still striking. Got one for the ward just over the hill from me where one of the Labour councillors elected in 2016 is standing for the Greens this time. They have big ads on hoardings in central areas where they are expected to do well (wouldn't be surprised if they nearly sweep the council seats in the West constituency, which had one of the biggest Labour majorities in Westminster in 2017).

Labour campaign is based very much around Marvin Rees "getting stuff done". Big digital billboards have seen ads featuring Rees, then Starmer (do they think he's a vote winner in a city that saw a big Corbyn surge?) and now just a huge red "Vote Labour". Loads of endorsements from various city great and goods, community organisations, third sector CEOs etc. Convenient announcement around the long running arena saga and YTL (who will be building it) putting millions into transport infrastructure etc. Actual campaign photos seem very much based around Marvin, sitting councillors and MPs going out doorknocking which gives the impression that they don't have that many others going out to do it. Saw some strange stuff last week around Rees campaigning in Southmead (safe Labour) and then Lockleaze (safe Labour) whilst leapfrogging the Horfield ward in between which is always marginal and returned a Lab/Tory split last time. Friend's mum in Horfield says she's been canvassed by the Tories and had plenty from them but little from Labour. Gives the impression that they're looking more to turn out Labour votes in their safer areas to return Marvin rather than try and hold their slim majority on the council.

Tory/Lib Dem mayoral campaigns seem low key, though we've had leaflets in our Tory held ward where Labour would look to challenge. Labour leaflets too so the local party is campaigning even if we've had no visits from His Royal Marvinness.

I imagine Rees will be returned with a much reduced vote from his 2016 victory (when he doubled his vote from 2012 when he lost to Ol Red Trousers himself George Ferguson). Who makes the second preference run off will be interesting - the Ferguson vote could splinter in several different directions and while the Tories were third last time, they may find themselves behind the Greens if they gain enough share from Ferguson and pissed off Labour lefts.

The top end of the Glos Rd and Ashley Hill sees a battle between Labour and Green stakeboards outside houses but I've not seen much elsewhere in the city. Imagine turnout will be higher in those areas than on the estates that ring the city so I guess that does matter in terms of reading the signs.

Rees to beat the posh Green candidate Sandy Hore-Ruthven in the run off, Labour to lose their majority with seats gained by the Greens and Tories. Metro mayor will stay Tory as the Bristol vote is outweighed by Tory South Glos & BaNES. PCC (won twice by retiring independent Sue Mountstevens) you'd imagine will be Tory as the yokel vote down in Somerset weighs in
 
Round here, it's very much whether you prefer the yellow vermin to the blue vermin, and much as I hate the LDs, they are marginally better than the Tories.

It's a funny area. Winchester itself is pretty solid LibDem, but the local authority covers a 158 square mile area, which takes in a lot of rural, tory, areas. Lib Dem council at the moment. No Labour seats at all, I don't think.

I'm very pragmatic when it comes to these things. I'll vote LD, with no illusions and just to keep the tories out.
 
two sheds said:
All across the south west at least used to be LibDem or tory.
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tbf there are pockets of Labour support in certain places. The only remaining Labour councillors in BaNES are in the Paulton/Midsomer Norton area (Twerton in Bath went Lib Dem last time). Bridgwater is a Labour town but the hinterland makes the Bridgwater Westminster seat a Tory shoo in. Wellington is another town that reliably votes Labour, while Frome has been voting Green lately and has a town council controlled by independents.

But the farmers, landowners and moneyed retirees etc keep the Westminster seats in the blue column by and large

Edit: in Gloucestershire, the Stroud seat has been Labour often enough, the towns of Dursley, Stonehouse, Nailsworth and Stroud itself being a match for the Cotswold set. Gloucester is a working class city that Labour really ought to win more often than they do, while the Forest of Dean has a decent Labour vote (or used to at any rate - still strong in Cinderford, Coleford & Lydbrook)
 
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I’ve often been nose-holding Labour, but this time just can’t. I might vote green. One of them wanders round my area looking a little lost and seems a nice guy.

Central Sheffield so very solidly Labour.
 
mx wcfc said:
Round here, it's very much whether you prefer the yellow vermin to the blue vermin, and much as I hate the LDs, they are marginally better than the Tories.
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How so? At the 2019 GE the LDs stood on a platform to the right, economically, to the Tories. This is party that is aiming to build its support by appealing to socially liberal Tories.
Support for the LDs only encourages the talk of shitty 'progressive alliances'. You've criticised Starmer but these people are to the right of him, what they want is a party/politics fully committed liberalism, to remove even the shadows of class from progressivism.
 
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redsquirrel said:
How so? At the 2019 GE the LDs stood on a platform to the right, economically, to the Tories. This is party that is aiming to build its support by appealing to socially liberal Tories.
Support for the LDs only encourages the talk of shitty 'progressive alliances'. You've criticised Starmer but these people are to the right of him, what they want is a party/politics fully committed liberalism, to remove even the shadows of class from progressivism.
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Yes, I get this. I don't support the LDs at all. But this is local politics, and the LDs are better than the Tories round here. The howls of indignation from local tories when the LDs closed a rat run, thus opening up a city centre square for pedestrianisation and pavement pub tables, was a joy to behold, and worth voting LD on its own.

Voting Labour/Green is a waste of time here, and just risks the tories getting in again. No thanks.
 
Thinking of voting Green in the local elections - feel a bit bad because the Labour candidate went to primary school with me and I know him to be a good guy and politically sound, but I think the PLP and Starmer have to be punished for their behaviour towards the left of the party.

Don't think there's much risk of the Tories getting in here but it would matter for Labour to see they are losing votes to the left.
 
hmm at the greens being 'left'

they do seem to be trying to stand up to the new labour council in lambeth who want to demolish council estates

on the other paw, their administrations in brighton + hove seem to be marked mainly by attacks on council workers pay and conditions...
 
JTG said:
tbf there are pockets of Labour support in certain places. The only remaining Labour councillors in BaNES are in the Paulton/Midsomer Norton area (Twerton in Bath went Lib Dem last time). Bridgwater is a Labour town but the hinterland makes the Bridgwater Westminster seat a Tory shoo in. Wellington is another town that reliably votes Labour, while Frome has been voting Green lately and has a town council controlled by independents.

But the farmers, landowners and moneyed retirees etc keep the Westminster seats in the blue column by and large

Edit: in Gloucestershire, the Stroud seat has been Labour often enough, the towns of Dursley, Stonehouse, Nailsworth and Stroud itself being a match for the Cotswold set. Gloucester is a working class city that Labour really ought to win more often than they do, while the Forest of Dean has a decent Labour vote (or used to at any rate - still strong in Cinderford, Coleford & Lydbrook)
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IIRC they've gerrymandered the Stroud seat a bit too, taking Minch out which also had a surprising chunk of Labour voters, but can't recall the details. Bad news for a Labour rebound was the general thrust though.
 
JimW said:
IIRC they've gerrymandered the Stroud seat a bit too, taking Minch out which also had a surprising chunk of Labour voters, but can't recall the details. Bad news for a Labour rebound was the general thrust though.
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Yeah, they've drowned a load of Labour votes by chucking a few towns into the vast rural Cotswold seat haven't they?
 
JTG said:
Yeah, they've drowned a load of Labour votes by chucking a few towns into the vast rural Cotswold seat haven't they?
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Yeah, it was a couple of towns and more w/c villages to Cotswold which is down a Tory sink. I also recall the map made it look an obvious exercise in social engineering because it wasn't any sort of natural re-drafting by geography or council area etc
 
Yeah, Stroud, Stonehouse, Nailsworth, Dursley, Minchinhampton etc should clearly all be in the same seat together with the villages and valleys. Cotswolds is clearly more spread out (you could argue about whether W-u-E should be Stroud or Cotswolds I guess but the rest seems about right).
 
Puddy_Tat said:
hmm at the greens being 'left'

they do seem to be trying to stand up to the new labour council in lambeth who want to demolish council estates

on the other paw, their administrations in brighton + hove seem to be marked mainly by attacks on council workers pay and conditions...
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Hate to post in tweets but saw this on David Broder's feed and it made me smile (I agree with you though the Greens are liberals in E&W, in Germany and elsewhere)

mx wcfc said:
Voting Labour/Green is a waste of time here, and just risks the tories getting in again. No thanks.
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Voting LD is "letting" the Tories in (just the ones that favour a bit more social liberalism and greenery)
 
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