England local election results thread

[Random]

"Labour are defending the South Shields seat in a contest caused by the resignation of David Miliband in March.

Mayoral contests are also being held in Doncaster and North Tyneside....

More than 2,300 seats are up for grabs in county council and unitary authority elections across the length and breadth of England,"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22376584

Are UKIP expected to do well? Any places where a left-of-Labour candidate has a chance?

 

[brogdale]

Its sunny; used to be known as 'Labour weather' on election days, and won't the 'kippers be playing golf?

 

[belboid]

Doncaster mayor will be interesting, NF as well as English Democrats and the looney ex-ED who is currently mayor.

UKIP will be the nights winners, could get 100+ seats.

The left will do even worse than usual, but it is the tory shires voting, in the main, so no big deal.

 

[Quartz]

I'm less concerned about for whom people vote than they actually go and make an informed vote. The democratic process is one of our better responsibilities and it is a shame to see people shirk it.

 

[belboid]

What's wrong with an informed abstention? And how do you tell the difference between informed and uninformed votes?

 

[JimW]

I'm less concerned about for whom people vote than they actually go and make an informed vote. The democratic process is one of our better responsibilities and it is a shame to see people shirk it.

I can quite see the better informed finding the process not very democratic at all and so choosing not to legitimise it by participating.

 

[frogwoman]

can't decide whether not to bother or spoil the ballot paper.

 

[muscovyduck]

can't decide whether not to bother or spoil the ballot paper.

Spoil it. Do it for me, I've yet to have the opportunity

 

[Teaboy]

I'm less concerned about for whom people vote than they actually go and make an informed vote. The democratic process is one of our better responsibilities and it is a shame to see people shirk it.

You pompous oaf. I'll do what I fucking well like.

My vote is far to important (to me anyway) to be thrown away on a party / person I don't support.

 

[JimW]

You pompous oaf.

Steady on there! This is a family board.

 

[J Ed]

I'm less concerned about for whom people vote than they actually go and make an informed vote. The democratic process is one of our better responsibilities and it is a shame to see people shirk it.

lol

 

[J Ed]

People are actually regularly using shirk as a verb now

jesus

 

[frogwoman]

acutally i've always spoilt my ballot paper because i've thought of it as a chance to say my bit and there hasnt been a party i've supported where i've lived, but i've read arguments recently suggesting that you shouldn't even do that because it's still an engagement with the bourgeois state and so somehow legitimising it.

dunno what to think tbh.

 

[muscovyduck]

acutally i've always spoilt my ballot paper because i've thought of it as a chance to say my bit and there hasnt been a party i've supported where i've lived, but i've read arguments recently suggesting that you shouldn't even do that because it's still an engagement with the bourgeois state and so somehow legitimising it.

dunno what to think tbh.

If you don't go at all they can count it as you being fine with how things are, or apathetic to the extent that you deserve what you get. Maybe not you personally, but the portion of people who don't vote.

 

[William of Walworth]

What's wrong with an informed abstention? And how do you tell the difference between informed and uninformed votes?

Nothing -- but personally I'd prefer a spoilt ballot paper ("None of the above!" etc or pithier ) than simply not bothering. I accept neither make any difference either way, cos returning officers don't distinguish between political spoilt and confusion spoilt, but you get my drift.

(No voting happening here in Wales, so I'm a stay at home!)

 

[frogwoman]

But if you spoil it they can count it as you being too stupid to know how to vote.

Dunno tbh.

 

[JimW]

I can confidently predict that spoilt ballots, abstentions and a general informed contempt for the electoral process will emerge as one of the biggest winners tonight.

 

[William of Walworth]

If you don't go at all they can count it as you being fine with how things are, or apathetic to the extent that you deserve what you get. Maybe not you personally, but the portion of people who don't vote.

And I agree with that too. Go out and spoil, people!

 

[The39thStep]

acutally i've always spoilt my ballot paper because i've thought of it as a chance to say my bit and there hasnt been a party i've supported where i've lived, but i've read arguments recently suggesting that you shouldn't even do that because it's still an engagement with the bourgeois state and so somehow legitimising it.

dunno what to think tbh.

How do you avoid on a day to day basis engaging with the bourgeois state and somehow legitimising it.I think we should be told

 

[William of Walworth]

But if you spoil it they can count it as you being too stupid to know how to vote.

Dunno tbh.

I did acknowledge that political spoils and confusions spoils aren't distinguished. But neither are political stay at homes distinguished from 'can't be arsed'/'didn't even know there was an election' stay at homes ...

 

[elbows]

Bah, many results not due till Friday and no proper election results program on TV.

 

[William of Walworth]

I can confidently predict that spoilt ballots, abstentions and a general informed contempt for the electoral process will emerge as one of the biggest winners tonight.

Or underinformed = high UKIP vote ....

 

[muscovyduck]

But if you spoil it they can count it as you being too stupid to know how to vote.

Dunno tbh.

They can but it's a wee bit harder, because you've actually turned up and filled in the ballot paper.
Although in the grand scheme of things it doesn't actually matter. I just like the rebellion of it. It's basically legal graffiti.

 

[belboid]

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/05/how-well-does-labour-need-do-local-elections

To do 'well', Labour need to win back four councils & win around 300 seats, according to that. Not impossible.

 

[muscovyduck]

They count the spoilt papers? If so, then yes, definitely go and spoilt it.
Sorry I know that seems like something really basic but I've not voted before

 

[William of Walworth]

They can but it's a wee bit harder, because you've actually turned up and filled in the ballot paper.
Although in the grand scheme of things it doesn't actually matter. I just like the rebellion of it. It's basically legal graffiti.

And there's scope to be quite creative/artistic if you want

(for the tiniest of audiences admittedly, but if you have a mate working on the counting teams with a phone camera, then better publicity could be there there for you ... )

 

[William of Walworth]

They count the spoilt papers? If so, then yes, definitely go and spoilt it.
Sorry I know that seems like something really basic but I've not voted before

Yeah, just a general total of spoils is given as part of the formal result/returning officers' readout.

 

[Streathamite]

acutally i've always spoilt my ballot paper because i've thought of it as a chance to say my bit and there hasnt been a party i've supported where i've lived, but i've read arguments recently suggesting that you shouldn't even do that because it's still an engagement with the bourgeois state and so somehow legitimising it.

dunno what to think tbh.

surprised you haven't voted for an SP candidate, or hasn't there been one?

 

[articul8]

People are actually regularly using shirk as a verb now

Shirk is a verb

I shirk, you shirk, she shirks...

 

[muscovyduck]

And there's scope to be quite creative/artistic if you want

(for the tiniest of audiences admittedly, but if you have a mate working on the counting teams with a phone camera, then better publicity could be there there for you ... )

There's something really romantic about only a tiny audience seeing your artwork before it's destroyed though. Makes it more personal and amplifies the message. Obviously, this only works if they haven't already seen the same thing 50 times over.