alternative vote

[Wynonie Harris]

im still undecided lookslike it could be a resounding no

Of course, it'll be no (from those who bother to vote) but that's not the point of the exercise. It'll have achieved its purpose because the Tories will have kept their side of the bargain with the LibDems and will thus be able to keep them on side for their next round of cost cutting. And the whole expensive business will have been paid for by us mugs who have been told by this same government to tighten our belts!

 

[Margaret Pilkington]

I would much prefer a referendum on our continued membership of that costly farce that is the EU.........I won't hold my breath though.

 

[Wynonie Harris]

I would much prefer a referendum on our continued membership of that costly farce that is the EU.........I won't hold my breath though.

Wouldn't if I were you, Margaret, it could be bad for your health. Perhaps an Accyweb politico could tell us why they won't give us a referendum on the EU? Sssshhhh...

 

[Ken Moss]

Wouldn't if I were you, Margaret, it could be bad for your health. Perhaps an Accyweb politico could tell us why they won't give us a referendum on the EU? Sssshhhh...

As you well know I'm very busy with local issues at the moment so this isn't really one for me to answer.

However, whichever side of the fence you sit on regarding Europe, it has to be admitted that the lack of a referendum for the public on membership of the EU is getting increasingly harder to justify considering the number of times it has been requested and even hinted at in the run up to the last General Election.

Compare that to the reasons for the referendum on the Alternative Voting system...

 

[Wynonie Harris]

As you well know I'm very busy with local issues at the moment so this isn't really one for me to answer.

Karma sent for making me laugh on a wet Sunday afternoon (and for the rest of your reply too, mate!)

 

[Stumped]

I don't see any point in voting at all. Recent adminstrations, including the current lot, have shown that the will of the people is just there to be ignored, the primary case being our continued piggy-bank membership of the rotten European Union which continues to take us all for a ride. Given the choice of our continued membership in a referendum is the one and only reason that would encourage me to consider voting again.

 

[Ken Moss]

I don't see any point in voting at all. Recent adminstrations, including the current lot, have shown that the will of the people is just there to be ignored...

The very attitude I'm keen to get rid of on both sides of the fence.

Local elections are completely different from national politics and make absolutely no change to those in power in Westminster. Make your councillors accountable, phone them, hassle them when something isn't right in your town. We're not here just to beg for your votes every four years and it would pay for a few more councillors to realise this.

Please vote in your local elections, it's the only voice you have.

 

[Margaret Pilkington]

It really doesn't help when national politicians like Ed Milliband give the impression that local politics is the same as national politics.

I do wish that people could see that there is a vast difference when voting in local elections.
In national elections vote for the party that you feel most closely aligned to......the one which reflects your own personal core values.

In local elections vote for the person who you feel can do the best job for your own locality, regardless of the party to which they belong.

 

[cmonstanley]

wihhout europe we have no defence with this administration..

 

[Pendle Red]

It's a vote that has been a long time coming and if it is a no then it will be a long time coming back round again.

I think AV could work even if it makes the politicians sit up particulary in marginals and think well I have got to work on this knowing that they will have to perhaps look more than there normal party marginalised policies to work more for the broader electorate.

 

[Margaret Pilkington]

I think AV is far to complicated, and most people want only the person they choose as their elected member...they don't want to choose 2nd and 3rd choices.
There is already so much apathy about voting, this will not help that situation one little bit........and some of the older voters will be alienated by the changes.

With AV we run the risk of having water weak administration for ever.

 

[Ken Moss]

It's a vote that has been a long time coming and if it is a no then it will be a long time coming back round again.

I think AV could work even if it makes the politicians sit up particulary in marginals and think well I have got to work on this knowing that they will have to perhaps look more than there normal party marginalised policies to work more for the broader electorate.

On the contrary, it is the electorate who need to be better informed about what their councillors actually do for them. From talking to the public on the doorsteps and across the borough it becomes apparent that a vast number vote for the badge and not the person, regardless of how good a job they are doing.

Many people seem to be under the impression that a vote for Labour in the Rishton election is a vote to put Ed Milliband in 10 Downing Street on May 6th or that a Tory vote will keep David Cameron in power and it is an uphill struggle to convince people of the difference between local and national elections.

I have lost count of the people I have helped with a problem but who will still not vote Labour in the locals under any circumstances on principle. When I ask them if they know who their Tory councillor is the stock response is almost always 'I don't know but it doesn't matter'.

The reverse will be true across the board but the AV system will not get rid of that.

 

[gynn]

Many people seem to be under the impression that a vote for Labour in the Rishton election is a vote to put Ed Milliband in 10 Downing Street on May 6th or that a Tory vote will keep David Cameron in power and it is an uphill struggle to convince people of the difference between local and national elections.

On the other hand, it is the only chance the electorate have (until the next General Election in 2015) to express their verdict on the performance of national politicians. If you stand on a Labour or Conservative ticket, the voters won't differentiate between national and local politics (and why should they?).

And the ruling party locally will, in my experience, rarely rock the boat when its own party is in power nationally.

I know it won't make much difference in Hyndburn, but I think the biggest legacy of the 2011 local elections will be the disappearance of a lot of hard working local Liberal Democrat councillors who will be judged on the performance of their national leaders.

 

[Ken Moss]

On the other hand, it is the only chance the electorate have (until the next General Election in 2015) to express their verdict on the performance of national politicians. If you stand on a Labour or Conservative ticket, the voters won't differentiate between national and local politics (and why should they?).

And the ruling party locally will, in my experience, rarely rock the boat when its own party is in power nationally.

I know it won't make much difference in Hyndburn, but I think the biggest legacy of the 2011 local elections will be the disappearance of a lot of hard working local Liberal Democrat councillors who will be judged on the performance of their national leaders.

I agree with what you're saying but a Labour or Conservative badge is an expression of opinion on national issues. For a useless local party to coast into power simply on the back of the party in Westminster is no good for anyone. We have several apathetic councillors who wave to the populace every time elections draw near and get voted in because of the badge.

Whilst in principle the AV system tries to do away with this it will never work because of those people who blindly vote for party colours and all we will end up with is lazy councillors who have found that their luck is running out suddenly garnering more votes by default.

The public doesn't trust politicians, I've learned that much from talking to residents on the doorstep who see us as being in it for what we can get. Councillors have to work harder anyway since the expenses scandal in order to justify their positions and quite rightly so.

Change the way your councillors behave, not the way they rack up their votes.

 

[jaysay]

I agree with what you're saying but a Labour or Conservative badge is an expression of opinion on national issues. For a useless local party to coast into power simply on the back of the party in Westminster is no good for anyone. We have several apathetic councillors who wave to the populace every time elections draw near and get voted in because of the badge.

Whilst in principle the AV system tries to do away with this it will never work because of those people who blindly vote for party colours and all we will end up with is lazy councillors who have found that their luck is running out suddenly garnering more votes by default.

The public doesn't trust politicians, I've learned that much from talking to residents on the doorstep who see us as being in it for what we can get. Councillors have to work harder anyway since the expenses scandal in order to justify their positions and quite rightly so.

Change the way your councillors behave, not the way they rack up their votes.

Nothing to do with local elections, this system would only be used at General elections, at local elections you very rarely get any more than a two horse race so PV voting would be useless, Oh and by the way there are bloody useless Labour councillors too

 

[Neil]

Oh and by the way there are bloody useless Labour councillors too

I have met at least one

 

[Stumped]

The very attitude I'm keen to get rid of on both sides of the fence.

Local elections are completely different from national politics and make absolutely no change to those in power in Westminster. Make your councillors accountable, phone them, hassle them when something isn't right in your town. We're not here just to beg for your votes every four years and it would pay for a few more councillors to realise this.

Please vote in your local elections, it's the only voice you have.

I hear what you're saying, Ken - and I recognise that local and national politics are fundamentaly different in their essence. However, the promises made on the doorstep during election campaigns should be taken with a pinch of salt as they never, ever seem to bear fruition.

 

[JCB]

On the other hand, it is the only chance the electorate have (until the next General Election in 2015) to express their verdict on the performance of national politicians. If you stand on a Labour or Conservative ticket, the voters won't differentiate between national and local politics (and why should they?).

Many voters in local elections don't vote on local issues . They use it as an opportunity to put two fingers up to those in Westminster . If nationally Labour do well in the May elections , the political pundits will say that it was a bad night for the Government .

Whether it is right or wrong , that's how it comes across . It always has been that way as long as I can remember .

One sure way of remedying it is to take party politics out of local government .

 

[g jones]

Local Elections held on one day, teh first thursday in May, simply turn into a referendum on the national government. However spreading them out wouldn't change anything in my view.

Voting on the government is an easy option and it not only represents issues that are of greatest importance to themajority, national issues. They are the issues people are familiar with and understand.

Local Councillors have to work very hard to compete with the bigger, national issues which pervade into people’s lives through tv news, newspapers and national policy such as the NHS.

Some local councillors manage to match national news with local news because of their efforts and their results run slightly at odds with national trends proving that local can be important.

People vote for a party locally because it represents a guaranteed offer, essentially left or right. Many voters never see candidates and if they do it is only for a moment on the doorstep and badge gurantee's some form of a contract between voter and candidate. Party's also offer a commitment to work together and a mandate. The major Party's have tended to offer a clear winner too.

All these factors I think form the basis of local election results which is shame. Councillor Britcliffe has wasted tens of £millions and under normal circumstances would never have been allowed anywhere near the leaders office.

 

[steeljack]

All these factors I think form the basis of local election results which is shame. Councillor Britcliffe has wasted tens of £millions and under normal circumstances would never have been allowed anywhere near the leaders office.

As opposed to the Billions of £s and many thousands of lives , (many of them British) wasted on an illegal war (Iraq) co-started/sponsored by the ex leader of the Party of which you are so proud to support .