Correct.

That's it in a nutshell Renton

The only decent thing to come out of the whole farce was the "No - you can fook off" to having a Mayor

It's fairly predictable, but I was pleasantly surprised to see the Greens in London coming third in the London-wide assembly votes.

That's democracy (of sorts) for you OP.  You didn't vote, so what's to complain about? 

 

In the past I've sometimes voted LibDem in the locals  - but not while Clegg still draws breath!

 

Fantastic to see this government of well-connected posh boy arseholes get a well-deserved electoral kick in. 

 

Tory shire backbenchers arguing that they aren't 'right wing' enough to be popular really shows just how they must only listen to right wing farmers, bankers, affluent ex pats and the blue rinse brigade.  They forget they're in government courtesy of Clegg's Yellow Tories and don't have an electoral mandate for the right wing experiment they're already inflicting on the country.

UKIP accused gobby Tory, Baroness Warsi, of being a 'bitch' because she claimed the UKIP vote benefited from ex-BNP voters.

 

 

One mostly racist rich man's party getting lairy with another mostly racist rich man's party!

"That's democracy (of sorts) for you OP.  You didn't vote, so what's to complain about?"

 

Well - cos their a bunch of lying, squabbling, self satisfying bullies.

That's why I didn't vote and a very good reason to complain.

As we always say, "use your vote or democracy doesn't work!"
As churchill said, "democracy is the worst system apart from all the others!"
Note how all the politicians are  all the same only when the Tories get a good kicking.
Rejoice!!!!!'

There's nothing better for democracy than a floating voter

Nothing more to make a politicain sit up and take notice than to realise they can lose due to a low turn out

Go figure

someone once told me that if your reason for not voting is because there really is no one you want to vote for (a sentiment I can totally relate to) then you should still go to the polling station, and you should "spoil" your voting slip by just writing "no suitable candidate" on it.

 

the reasoning behind this is that then your inability to vote can not be written off as apathy... 

 

I think the same person (he was an ex trade union militanty bloke) said that if enough people did this then it would force the powers that be to address the issue (dunno how true this is...   I think perhaps in times like these its probably a relief for the current government that so many people didn't vote)

I've heard that before too Ditty  

Aint apathy and "no suitable candidate" one and the same?

Well, if you're apathetic then you just don't care enough about it to bother looking into the candidates and/or going out to vote. If you go along and say there is no suitable candidate it means you have read all the info they put out etc and no one represents your views, but you are showing that you are willing to turn out and vote if there was someone who did represent your views. So maybe they'd think about what they could do to win people over who felt they weren't represented, where there isn't really a lot you can do to motivate people who just can't be bothered. 

 

I do see that it would feel like there was no point to doing it though as you're still not voting for anyone, so you might as well stay at home, but apparently it's important to register your displeasure with the selection of candidates

I've had to edit that twice cos of spelling mistakes This is why I don't write long posts

I spoil my ballot paper virtually every time as the voting system is so unfair.

Even if we had decent candidates they wouldn't stand much of a chance.

 

I didn't vote in the London elections last week because I was away - first time in over 30 years I haven't turned up at a polling station when there was an election.

 

The 'none of the above' ballot spoiler is a legitimate tactic I reckon

So, if lots of people did the "none of the above" spoiled ballot paper thing..   if it was a significant proportion of the total votes..  

 

would that get reported on the news/in the results count?

 

I know internally they must keep a count of spoiled papers (both intentional & unintentional)...   and I assume this information is available to the public...    but would there come a point where it was up there, the results being listed alongside the party votes?

I had two ballot papers, one with one Labour candidate on it and the other with all Con and Dems.

 

I just wrote, "No thanks!" right the way across the second paper. 

well put! 

 

 

 I think they are very different things..     apathy to me, is when you don't really care about the election, don't care about government, think its nothing to do with you, won't effect you...    or when you just can't be bothered to go out & vote.

 

to actually go to vote & spoil your paper in such a way... for me that would be a really really emotive action...     So much harder than going in & ticking a box.

 

I'm really gutted that this is looking like my only course of action come the next election... 

 

Then there is another voice in my head that is telling me that despite not wanting to vote an Ed Milliband led Labour party in, if it was the only way to change the current Coalition government then so be it.

 

Tis hard for me...    my own politic opinions are most definitely in the middle..   The Lib Dems have always been the party that I agreed with...  but they might as well not exist anymore..   

 

awww... that was really polite!!!      I'd have been tempted to be a bit more graphic about it 

I've quite often spoilt my voting paper by writing no suitable candidate on it and as Ditty said, it would be interesting to see the figures for how many people actually do that. 

I'm always polite to the twunts! 

I honestly don't think the political parties think about apathy as opposed to "no suitable candidate" too deeply

I believe all they see is a disintersted electorate and that they aint getting their message across

What's the alternative?  A benevolent dictator?  They don't tend to exist!

I think I'd be tempted to write something a bit more abusive than "No thanks" if my ballot paper only had ConDems on it.

Perhaps - and this is a long shot ... an honest politician?

We use the STV system here in Scotland.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/p...-explained-1-2271069 

I'd call it disillusionment, not apathy. I doubt that the powers that be care much who spoils their ballot papers, and don't believe it makes any difference whatsoever.

I must disagree.  The problem is that floating voters are no more informed (most likely less informed) and politically literate than hard core party loyalists. 

 

They have the most power to turn elections.  Under first past the post, the whims of half a million voters in marginal constituencies can decide an election. 

 

If after four or five years of a government, you haven't quite made your mind up, then you probably aren't particularly interested or knowledgeable about politics yet your whims may well decide the next government.

 

Such voters are key targets for propaganda, half truths and lies.

 

Bollocks though - and you know it 

Not bollocks and YOU, Velvet Donkey,  knows it!  Floating voters are on the whole a little bit um.. dense, in that after five years of government they need a poster, political broadcast, newspaper article to push them in the direction of where their cross should be!

Well I haven't researched it but if you think you know how a floating voter operates fair dues.

I don't understand the concept of floating voters either.
However, the great change in our political system occured when Thatcher found enough useful idiots. We said then that it would take decades to reorder political philosophy.

You assume too much . . .

The key point. Most of us have no influence when voting under first past the post because of the constituency we live in

I hadn't fully understood this until the last general election!

 

I almost feel robbed of my vote living here...   its a Tory stronghold.   There is a part of me that thinks "whats the bloody point in voting then"..  

 

 

 

 

I never really understood it until I studied politics. A friend of mine who was a local councillor always says that the more you see of the politcal system in operation, the more of an anarchist you become.

 

She's right

 

That referendum we had on electoral reform; The LibDems sold their soul for that and then let the Tories choose the worst possible alternative to FPTP to put forward.

Why couldn't we have had the choice of several different systems? It wouldn't have cost any more to do and they could have really engaged people in politics again by actually making them feel that they had a say

We *Spoilt* votes for years here Veggie.There was no-one suitable to vote for tbh but it still meant the votes were *Claimed* by the voter , Given the *1 man 1 vote* campaign that went on for decades to enable us to have the right to vote it was the right thing to do.

Hi Lee  Good for you, I feel the same way. It's a legitimate protest against the (lack of) choice and, for me, a way of recognising the struggle of the suffragettes so women could have the vote