England local election results thread

[The39thStep]

not even the agent normally. One of the merry hoard of bored party supporters making sure they get every vote possible.

The only way to get a response out of any of them is to put your cross over two candidates' box. That way they'll both waste some time arguing that its a vote for them (and it'll eventually be dumped as spoilt)

I have a Guide to Judging Spoilt Ballot Papers booklet

 

[The39thStep]

they are paid, yes: but i never said they weren't.

Its not an interview Pickman

 

[Pickman's model]

Its not an interview Pickman

in future, before contributing, ask yourself: "is this post really necessary?"

 

[Sprocket.]

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

UKIP should be forced to go and live on an independent island somewhere! Doh!

 

[DotCommunist]

Corby Rural Divisions UKIP Candidate is called Margot Leadbetter Parker


lol

 

[The39thStep]

They won't get anything like 100. I know they're riding a wave ATM but they didn't make any (net) gains in either the 2011 or 2012 local elections.

I reckon 20 seats would be a good result. Their share of the vote will be pretty good tho.

UKIP odds :under 50 = 5/2; 50-100 =7/4; over 100= evens.

They were 5/2 to be over 100 a couple of days ago.

 

[chilango]

Who remembers the Anti Election Allance and the bright pink stickers?

 

[JTG]

My dad has just gone off to vote Tory. Now torn over whether I should vote in order to neutralise his idiocy

 

[The39thStep]

in future, before contributing, ask yourself: "is this post really necessary?"

lead by example?

 

[Streathamite]

not round where I live no, the SP candidates are standing in aylesbury, not here!

oh sorry yes, forgot it's not a bastion of red revolution round there!

 

[Pickman's model]

lead by example?

anarchists don't have leaders.

 

[Lo Siento.]

I tend to agree, I remember Blair trying to claim that low turnout was because people were happy. Much harder to spin 'your all scum' scrawled on a ballot paper in the same way.

But Blair had to try and spin low turnout, he never had to spin spoilt ballots.

On the mandate issue, spoilt ballots reduce the majority of the winning party and therefore reduces heir legitimacy as hey have secured less of the votes cast. What we need hough is a campaign to get people to write the same message on their ballot paper. May I suggest the following: 'down with parliament, down withe bourgeois democracy, forward to international working class revolution.'

Not about the legitimacy of individual candidates, but the legitimacy of the whole exercise.

Usually though I am too lazy to go to the polling station to bother.

That's the spirit!

 

[Sprocket.]

My dad has just gone off to vote Tory. Now torn over whether I should vote in order to neutralise his idiocy

Or just let his tyres down, urban guerilla tactics!

 

[Puddy_Tat]

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

no proletarian democracy candidate there?



Since we don't have a county council, no voting here.

 

[elbows]

Hoping to beat 1998 28.8% turnout, come on we can break the 25% barrier!

Any idea what the weather was like then?

For several reasons I doubt there is an opportunity for record low turnout at this election, but perhaps I'm wrong and I will certainly be doing my bit.

 

[JTG]

Or just let his tyres down, urban guerilla tactics!

He's walking

 

[muscovyduck]

Not about the legitimacy of individual candidates, but the legitimacy of the whole exercise.

Challenging the legitimacy of individual candidates is more likely to help us get to the stage where we can change the legitimacy of the exercise.

 

[emanymton]

Spoilt papers with abusive messages are just ignored, they're not talked about - they literally mean nothing beyond inflating turnout figures. No one cares. Canididates don't really see them never mind wring their hands thinking oh no i've got to change the entire system now. The agent has a look, nods says yes i agree these are all spoiled - and that's it.

I know, my post was a little tongue in check, a spoilt ballot is really for the person spoiling it rather that for 'them'.

There was a semi-serious point in it though. The reason it doesn't matter is that not enough people do it and not in any unified way. It could have more of an impact as part of a wider campaign. lets imagine we actually had a decent nationwide anti-cuts campaign a call could be made for people not planning to vote to spoil their ballot with 'no more cuts an end to austerity' or something similar. It's the sort of thing you could generate a bit of media publicity around if you could expect serious numbers of people to do it. Although better to be standing anti-cuts candidates in the first place.

 

[elbows]

If anyone wants to overdose on election turnout stats, this article has plenty:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/nov/16/uk-election-turnouts-historic

 

[Lo Siento.]

I know, my post was a little tongue in check, a spoilt ballot is really for the person spoiling it rather that for 'them'.

There was a semi-serious point in it though. The reason it doesn't matter is that not enough people do it and not in any unified way. It could have more of an impact as part of a wider campaign. lets imagine we actually had a decent nationwide anti-cuts campaign a call could be made for people not planning to vote to spoil their ballot with 'no more cuts an end to austerity' or something similar. It's the sort of thing you could generate a bit of media publicity around if you could expect serious numbers of people to do it. Although better to be standing anti-cuts candidates in the first place.

You answered your own question. If you could get enough people interested in coordinated active abstention to do that, the obvious retort would be - "why didn't you just stand a candidate on that platform".

The reason I abstain is because I don't think there's anything positive to be gained out of taking part in that sort of democratic exercise. It's an acknowledgement that they don't care about my opinions, that I don't care who's elected and that even if someone I thought represented me was elected, it wouldn't make the blindest bit of difference.

 

[Lo Siento.]

Challenging the legitimacy of individual candidates is more likely to help us get to the stage where we can change the legitimacy of the exercise.

You think? The Mayor of London was elected of 17.5% of the eligible voters, yet he still feels perfectly comfortable telling the trade unions that their votes to strike aren't valid unless they get 50% of the eligible voters.

 

[Sprocket.]

You think? The Mayor of London was elected of 17.5% of the eligible voters, yet he still feels perfectly comfortable telling the trade unions that their votes to strike aren't valid unless it's they get 50% of the eligible voters.

Sadly people ignore the fact about his 17.5% result yet get pitchforks and form mobs in attacking Trade Unions democratic procedures!

 

[muscovyduck]

You think? The Mayor of London was elected of 17.5% of the eligible voters, yet he still feels perfectly comfortable telling the trade unions that their votes to strike aren't valid unless it's they get 50% of the eligible voters.

Neither solution is perfect but at least turning up and spoiling a ballet paper stops them calling you apathetic.

 

[J Ed]

The Graunid was talking up the prospects of UKIP winning South Shields, I can't imagine it for a second but then again Bradford West happened..

 

[emanymton]

You answered your own question. If you could get enough people interested in coordinated active abstention to do that, the obvious retort would be - "why didn't you just stand a candidate on that platform".

Mostly true, it requires much more resources to stand a candidate, so maybe you could not cover every ward. But as said i is a semi-serious idea.

The reason I abstain is because I don't think there's anything positive to be gained out of taking part in that sort of democratic exercise. It's an acknowledgement that they don't care about my opinions, that I don't care who's elected and that even if someone I thought represented was elected, it wouldn't make the blindest bit of difference.

I tend to agree, spoiling by ballot is something I do for me and a handful of spoilt ballets don't make much difference either way.

I think we can agree on hating the dicks who insist you must vote regardless, the right not to vote is more important than the right to vote, imagine the Australian system without none of the above

 

[Lo Siento.]

Neither solution is perfect but at least turning up and spoiling a ballet paper stops them calling you apathetic.

I AM "apathetic" about electoral politics. I have no objection to being labelled that. It adequately describes my feelings about voting, and implicitly introduces my antipathy to all our elected representatives.

 

[treelover]

They seem to be hyping up these elections more than most local ones, but are they significant? and if not why is the media doing this?

The turnout will be low as usual, though I do expect some people who don't usually vote to turn out for UKIP

 

[DotCommunist]

They seem to be hyping up these elections more than most local ones, but are they significant? and if not why is the media doing this?

The turnout will be low as usual, though I do expect some people who don't usually vote to turn out for UKIP

I think because its looking like the tories and libs are going to take a pasting and the assumption is that labour and UKIP will make the gains.

 

[frogwoman]

Is it worth voting for Labour or ukip then? Don't think I could really bring myself to vote for either of them two! It would be Ukip in my area who had the best chance tbh.

 

[DotCommunist]

I wouldn't bother tbh, anyway isn't your ward like Tory heartland


I'm expecting Labour and Co-operative party lash up to do well round here.