alternative vote

what will you vote on the 5th of may

  • Total voters
    43
  • Poll closed .
Margaret Pilkington said:
Clatonender, if everyone else did that too, then although we would, in theory have Av...it would still be a first past the post system....or have I got it completely wrong(remember I am a bear of very little brain)?
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No, in theory you're quite correct. The spanner in the works comes from everyone not playing by the rules so the whole system of AV then becomes a mockery.

You're only really interested in one candidate anyway, why should you have to bother with the others?
 
And thinking about, and denoting the 'also rans' would be quite time consuming.....well that is, if you did it properly.
I think many people give very little thought to where they put their cross.......they(in the main) just look at the colour of the political banner and that's it.

The fact that the Labour party has changed beyond all recognition since the days of true Socialist policy escapes many people.
The other political parties have also changed,but I would think, to a much lesser degree.
When I vote(and I don't always vote in National elections....if I don't find a party that has my core values at its heart then I cannot, in conscience, vote for any of them) I do consider seriously what my vote means.
My daughter tells me off,(isn't that a scary concept) and says that someone has to govern the country and, that by wasting my vote I am allowing others to dictate the way governing should go.
In local elections I operate in a different way......my vote goes to the person who can do the best job for the area. Party politics has no place in local government.

In local elections voting against the party that is governing nationally seems to me to be a stupid idea......OK it might send a message to the MP's in Westminster, but do they really listen, or for that matter care? Their tenure is secure until the next General election,they think we are all dummies anyway and will have forgotten it all by then.
 
Ken Moss said:
No, in theory you're quite correct. The spanner in the works comes from everyone not playing by the rules so the whole system of AV then becomes a mockery.

You're only really interested in one candidate anyway, why should you have to bother with the others?
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The only party that are advocating AV are the Lib/dems because it would suit their purpose of trying to get more elected members, but as yourself and claytonender have said why would you want to rate the also rans on your ballot paper, when it could actually mean your helping a candidate get elected that under any circumstances would you ever support, its just like you or me helping to elect a member of the Tory Party in your case and Labour in minor, no way Jose'
 
Margaret Pilkington said:
And thinking about, and denoting the 'also rans' would be quite time consuming.....well that is, if you did it properly.
I think many people give very little thought to where they put their cross.......they(in the main) just look at the colour of the political banner and that's it.

The fact that the Labour party has changed beyond all recognition since the days of true Socialist policy escapes many people.
The other political parties have also changed,but I would think, to a much lesser degree.
When I vote(and I don't always vote in National elections....if I don't find a party that has my core values at its heart then I cannot, in conscience, vote for any of them) I do consider seriously what my vote means.
My daughter tells me off,(isn't that a scary concept) and says that someone has to govern the country and, that by wasting my vote I am allowing others to dictate the way governing should go.
In local elections I operate in a different way......my vote goes to the person who can do the best job for the area. Party politics has no place in local government.

In local elections voting against the party that is governing nationally seems to me to be a stupid idea......OK it might send a message to the MP's in Westminster, but do they really listen, or for that matter care? Their tenure is secure until the next General election,they think we are all dummies anyway and will have forgotten it all by then.
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I certainly think your spot on about lots of people voting for national issues (as a protest) at local elections, that's why I am quite sure Labour will gain Hyndburn in May, it was the same in 1997 when Labour won power HBC was in labour hands with a 44 seat majority in a 47 seat council, two years later they lost control, that's one hell of a turn round in anybodies book
 
im voting in favour. anything that makes voting more interesting;) im off theres a more important thing happening in a couple of hours..;) cmon the rangers:):dancedog:
 
Voting for AV won't make voting more interesting, it may have a catastrophic effect on who actually gets into power....you may get the very last person you would want to be governing you.
You have so much LESS power in deciding who actually governs you.....but then it will give you something else to whinge and moan about...if that makes life more interesting for you, then I don't envy your life.
 
kestrelx said:
Those who say that the 1st past the post system will avoid confusion and watered down government, seem to have forgot we have a coalition now because the 1st past the post system hasn't worked at the 2010 election - thus we have this coalition.

With AV; MP's will have to work harder to keep their seat - I am personally sick of MP's who have seats for life off less than 50% of the consituency vote.

What is AV? | Yes to fairer votes - Yes to AV - Alternative Vote

If they spent the same amount of time on TV, explaining how the AV works rather than promoting that Royal Wedding - this would be a far better country!

AV will mean that politicians and politics is fairer.
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It is hardly a strong argument to argue against first past the post on the basis that it didn't deliver a one party majority in 2010 given the current Government is the only coalition since the war.

AV won't fix 'MPs not working hard'. It just means they'll be more vague, stand for less and break more promises as they try and pander to second, third and forth preferences. People can still win without 50% of the vote under AV.

It would not make politics fairer. More coalitions - more deal making in smoke filled rooms by politicians not voters.

Under first past the post you can register your view on who should Govern and everyone gets one chance to do so. Under AV some people get more than one voice, they get more chances to vote than others if they support minority parties first. That is unfair.
 
Margaret Pilkington said:
In local elections voting against the party that is governing nationally seems to me to be a stupid idea......OK it might send a message to the MP's in Westminster, but do they really listen, or for that matter care? Their tenure is secure until the next General election,they think we are all dummies anyway and will have forgotten it all by then.
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I get what you're driving at Marg but I must strongly disagree. There is much more to local politics than that and 'sending the message to MPs in Westminster' is probably the last thing that should be on your mind when you cross your ballot sheet.

I would always, always advocate voting for the candidate who will do the most for your town or village in any local election. It is very little use to anyone voting for a Tory candidate simply because we have a Tory government if that candidate is useless, the same being equally true with a government of any colour.

I would urge all of you to vote for the person who will do the best job in your area, not the one who happens to be wearing the 'correct' badge.
 
Ken Moss said:
I get what you're driving at Marg but I must strongly disagree. There is much more to local politics than that and 'sending the message to MPs in Westminster' is probably the last thing that should be on your mind when you cross your ballot sheet.

I would always, always advocate voting for the candidate who will do the most for your town or village in any local election. It is very little use to anyone voting for a Tory candidate simply because we have a Tory government if that candidate is useless, the same being equally true with a government of any colour.

I would urge all of you to vote for the person who will do the best job in your area, not the one who happens to be wearing the 'correct' badge.
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Ken, I somehow think you have missed the point...maybe I waffled on a bit much:).
That was exactly what I was saying. Local politics are a different ball game altogether and should not be viewed in the way a general election is viewed.
 
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Margaret Pilkington said:
That was exactly what I was saying. Local politics are a different ball game altogether and should not be viewed in the way a general election is viewed.
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Think you'll find Margaret that the Party in opposition at Westminster always does better at local elections whichever party it is, think its called human nature;)
 
Margaret Pilkington said:
That was exactly what I was saying. Local politics are a different ball game altogether and should not be viewed in the way a general election is viewed.
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My apologies, I thought you were implying that people should vote with whatever government we have.

I would urge you all to look at your area and then look at the election promises that are being made. Make local representatives accountable and ask yourself whether the promises you have heard in the past have been fulfilled.

I have three years of my own tenure left to prove to people that I was the right choice in 2010. If it turns out that people think I was not then I will expect defeat, not because I'm wearing the wrong rosette but because I didn't work hard enough.
 
I was advocating that people think...and think clearly, about what they want for their own local area. What issues are there? How can they be sorted out? Is the man(or woman) canvassing your vote, aware of the issues....have they got a proven track record, are they up to the task?????
If the person trying to get your vote has no answers to these questions, then clearly they cannot perform the job that needs doing and you should not vote for them....whatever coloured rosette they are wearing.

Ken, I think we are both singing from the same hymnbook, and are both sitting in the same church:).
 
Margaret Pilkington said:
Ken, I think we are both singing from the same hymnbook, and are both sitting in the same church:).
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And not for the first time.

What we really need is for councillors to interact much more with the electorate so that they can see what function they perform in the grand scheme of things. So many of the residents in Rishton still think that we had a Labour council until last May because the government was Labour.

A crash course in local politics will be included in my next letter to the residents in May.
 
Ken Moss said:
My apologies, I thought you were implying that people should vote with whatever government we have.

I would urge you all to look at your area and then look at the election promises that are being made. Make local representatives accountable and ask yourself whether the promises you have heard in the past have been fulfilled.

I have three years of my own tenure left to prove to people that I was the right choice in 2010. If it turns out that people think I was not then I will expect defeat, not because I'm wearing the wrong rosette but because I didn't work hard enough.
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The Tory candidate couldn't even call personally - sent an acolyte, so how could we determine what the position was on anything unless we asked pre-determined questions?
Mind you, other than Ken calling some weeks ago we haven't even had a flyer from Labour.:rolleyes::D
 
Barrie Yates said:
The Tory candidate couldn't even call personally - sent an acolyte, so how could we determine what the position was on anything unless we asked pre-determined questions?
Mind you, other than Ken calling some weeks ago we haven't even had a flyer from Labour.:rolleyes::D
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You're currently at Norden View, Barrie, a highly exclusive area of Rishton and worthy of best bib and tucker. Leaflet on standby.... I have to watch my appearance these days, particularly as one of the Conservative candidate's supporters branded me 'common' for using Facebook to link to my political blog.

What a proud moment that was, I am finally one of the common people too!
 
Ken Moss said:
You're currently at Norden View, Barrie, a highly exclusive area of Rishton and worthy of best bib and tucker. Leaflet on standby.... I have to watch my appearance these days, particularly as one of the Conservative candidate's supporters branded me 'common' for using Facebook to link to my political blog.

What a proud moment that was, I am finally one of the common people too!
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Common asa muck Ken:D:D:D
 
Barrie Yates said:
The Tory candidate couldn't even call personally - sent an acolyte, so how could we determine what the position was on anything unless we asked pre-determined questions?
Mind you, other than Ken calling some weeks ago we haven't even had a flyer from Labour.:rolleyes::D
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Same wi me Barrie Labour sent somebody else top my door (which is strange as they done usually bother, think they know its a waste of time)Couldn't understand why Labour would canvass me and of course as soon as I heard the words I'm canvasing for John!!!!!!!the door was shut, I was having a very bad day health wise and was annoyed at being dragged to the door. Then I started to think about it and started to wonder, could it have been an Accy Webber, and I was right it was, as I was abruptly told on Facebook later. I can only say that if Clare had let me know she was canvasing in Immanuel that afternoon she was would have been quite welcome to come in for a brew, if I could have managed to make one that is:D:D:D
 
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