Politics

Anything that doesn't fit anywhere else, and is NON CH related - chat about the weather, or anything else that takes your fancy.

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loringa
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Re: Politics

Post by loringa »

Otter wrote: Mon Nov 04, 2019 8:46 pm I have never understood why it is viewed by some as Marxist to believe in the very CH-like ethos that your success in life should not be determined by who your parents are, who they know and how much money they have.
Absolutely - couldn't agree more with this sentiment. Unfortunately, I have no confidence whatsoever in Mr Corbyn to deliver much of benefit to the country in the (hopefully unlikely) event that he is the next PM. That he is a Polytechnic dropout from a minor public school is not the issue, but he is clearly well disposed towards both Marxism in general and the former Soviet Union specifically. He is an apologist for the IRA and the decades of terrorist acts they committed, and he has tolerated anti-Semitism in his party. Even our own resident Trot, Mr Redshaw, clearly a liberal in most areas, has posted on more than one occasion on some supposed 'Jewish lobby / conspiracy' manipulating government and its institutions behind the scenes.

Mr Johnson appears only to be interested in Mr Johnson and in remaining in the top job. Mr Corbyn is neither up to the job nor someone most people (including many / most Labour supporters) would wish to see in power. Ms Swinson has wholly over-reached herself by denying the referendum vote entirely and promising unilaterally to rescind the decision to leave the EU. As a remainer, I would love to see us staying but not without the country's approval and this was denied at the referendum, however dishonestly the 'leave' campaign behaved.

I'll definitely vote if my postal vote arrives. Possibly for my sitting Tory MP despite Mr Johnson but more probably for the Lib Dems, again despite Ms Swinson's pledge (mainly because whatever the outcome I know she'll never be in a position to deliver on her promise to her party).

What an unholy choice!
Last edited by loringa on Tue Nov 05, 2019 9:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
Katharine
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Re: Politics

Post by Katharine »

loringa wrote: Tue Nov 05, 2019 4:52 am
J.R. wrote: Mon Nov 04, 2019 6:58 pm I'm not getting involved too far !

As an 'Old Codger' from way back, I have always voted against, (Brexit). I have both personal and political reasons.
Sorry JR - does this mean you voted against Brexit, ie remain? Your reply to Mid A 15's post indicates the opposite. Thanks
I was confused at first too!

Thank you for your reply, Mid A 15, it was far fuller than many I have seen by leavers. I’m another that doesn’t want to get bogged down in discussion here. I will just say that I believe in the EU and all it has done, and fail to see how it has hampered the UK, we have had a veto and have used it at times.
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J.R.
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Re: Politics

Post by J.R. »

Sorry. on re-reading, my post is rather misleading.

I AM a Brexiteer.
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Mid A 15
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Re: Politics

Post by Mid A 15 »

Katharine wrote: Tue Nov 05, 2019 9:04 am
loringa wrote: Tue Nov 05, 2019 4:52 am
J.R. wrote: Mon Nov 04, 2019 6:58 pm I'm not getting involved too far !

As an 'Old Codger' from way back, I have always voted against, (Brexit). I have both personal and political reasons.
Sorry JR - does this mean you voted against Brexit, ie remain? Your reply to Mid A 15's post indicates the opposite. Thanks
I was confused at first too!

Thank you for your reply, Mid A 15, it was far fuller than many I have seen by leavers. I’m another that doesn’t want to get bogged down in discussion here. I will just say that I believe in the EU and all it has done, and fail to see how it has hampered the UK, we have had a veto and have used it at times.
Thank you Katharine.

In the spirit of both our desires not to get too involved yet put our respective positions across, I should just mention that QMV (Qualified Majority Voting) has severely diluted the UK's right of veto. QMV makes perfect sense for an EU aspiring to 'ever closer union' but not so much for a nation state wishing to retain political autonomy and freedom.
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Re: Politics

Post by scrub »

Mid A 15 wrote: Mon Nov 04, 2019 10:50 pmAs to how to vote in the forthcoming election, at this stage I honestly don't know. I am thoroughly disillusioned with them all and I am someone who has always had an interest in politics. A spoilt paper is probably favourite at the moment.
Interesting to read your reasoning, thanks for that. I don't share it, but it makes a pleasant change from the reasons my neighbours give for voting out.
For them it was only about two things;
Immigrants
Sticking it to the Germans

Anyway, as a bit of a politics nerd, it's nice to see that while you'd consider a spoilt paper, not voting wasn't considered. Something in the Aus citizenship exam that has always stuck with me was the difference between rights and responsibilities of a citizen, but it's something that most Brits never seem to grasp. It's your responsibility to pick up a ballot paper, but it's your right to do with it what you will and, in my opinion, a spoilt paper is a legitimate form of protest against a field of poor choices.
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J.R.
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Re: Politics

Post by J.R. »

An easy answer.

Make voting compulsory, but add 'NONE OF THE ABOVE' at the bottom of ballot papers.
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LongGone
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Re: Politics

Post by LongGone »

J.R. wrote: Tue Nov 05, 2019 3:10 pm An easy answer.

Make voting compulsory, but add 'NONE OF THE ABOVE' at the bottom of ballot papers.
There are places where, if NOTA exceeds 50%, the election has to be rerun and none of the original candidates can stand again
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Re: Politics

Post by scrub »

LongGone wrote: Tue Nov 05, 2019 3:29 pm
J.R. wrote: Tue Nov 05, 2019 3:10 pm An easy answer.

Make voting compulsory, but add 'NONE OF THE ABOVE' at the bottom of ballot papers.
There are places where, if NOTA exceeds 50%, the election has to be rerun and none of the original candidates can stand again
I like it, but given the calibre of our current choices, we'd soon run out of candidates.
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LongGone
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Re: Politics

Post by LongGone »

scrub wrote: Tue Nov 05, 2019 3:51 pm
LongGone wrote: Tue Nov 05, 2019 3:29 pm
J.R. wrote: Tue Nov 05, 2019 3:10 pm An easy answer.

Make voting compulsory, but add 'NONE OF THE ABOVE' at the bottom of ballot papers.
There are places where, if NOTA exceeds 50%, the election has to be rerun and none of the original candidates can stand again
I like it, but given the calibre of our current choices, we'd soon run out of candidates.
There was a short science fiction story in which the US decided that a computer should look at all the data and pick the one person who was "the best, qualified candidate for president." Turns out there was no one who was qualified.
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loringa
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Re: Politics

Post by loringa »

There hasn't been a post on this thread for a while but I'm assuming Julian hasn't imposed a period of purdah!

I am delighted to report that my postal vote eventually arrived out here! My completed ballot paper will be mailed from Heathrow on Tuesday and should thus arrive before the constituency deadline of 2200 on Thursday! Only three names on the ballot paper this time (Tories, Labour and Lib Dems); Labour rarely get more than a few thousand votes and, though currently held by a Tory, it was previously a Lib Dem seat so a change is possible (if not terribly likely).

I wait with baited breath for Friday morning - purely coincidental it's Friday 13th of course.
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Re: Politics

Post by Katharine »

Glad you got the ballot paper in time.

I had an email from a friend the other day. She was with her parents, trying to persuade them that they should consider going into care. Dad suddenly deteriorated on Monday evening, and died early on Tuesday. That afternoon, Mum suddenly had a thought and said ‘One of the last things he did, was post his vote, does that make him illegal as well as dead?’ Apparently they all had a laugh, but nobody in the family knew the answer!
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Re: Politics

Post by J.R. »

An interesting question Katharine.
One for our legal moderator, me--thinks !
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Re: Politics

Post by scrub »

loringa wrote: Sun Dec 08, 2019 1:35 pmThere hasn't been a post on this thread for a while but I'm assuming Julian hasn't imposed a period of purdah!
No purdah as far as I can tell, I just assume that people are finding the entire debacle as uninspiring as I am and are finding literally anything else to comment on!
I live in a very safe Labour seat and in any election there are only two parties who even bother canvassing on my street, Labour and The Greens. They're also the only two who've put any leaflets through the letterbox this time round. I figure if none of the other parties standing in my area can be bothered to come round to try to convince me to vote for them, then why the hell should I?
For all the faults they have, at least Labour and The Greens are putting the footwork in.

For the EU elections I was inundated with fliers, postcards, and other election junk, but it's nothing but radio silence from anyone not red or green this time round. Would not be surprised if a couple of candidates lose their deposits here.
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Re: Politics

Post by Katharine »

I live in a very safe seat too, scrub. It is Plaid country here, I’m surprised by the number of fliers we have had from them, they’ll win. I think we have had one each from Tory and Labour, the fourth candidate is Brexit. We are one of the Remain Pact seats, so no Green or Lib Dem.

I haven’t been out very much lately, but in our part of the large rural constituency I haven’t seen anything but Plaid posters.
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Re: Politics

Post by Otter »

Well ... I guess we can say there will continue to be no shortage of people needing a place at CH, with the national vote in favour of poverty and keeping/widening the wealth divide. Schools like this will be important in times like these.

I no longer care about Brexit one way or the other, but am sad at the national F Off at anyone from a low-income background doing an honest day's work and striving to improve their lives.
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