local elections

[Steve Walker]

I still think that you should vote, even if it means that you spoil your ballot.

 

I might well do that (again).

[kleinboet]

I will definitely be voting. I love baiting the councillors. Last election the Tory's said that the LibDems are thwarting all the good motions. If THEY were in power in the council they would do so much! They got what they wanted - and now there are 4 things that the Tory's forced through, that are subject to review as there have been multithousand signature petitions objecting to the changes.

 

I will take great pleasure in telling them why I will NOT be voting for them!!

[Clifftop]

Got to agree with corydoras,dont vote dont moan,if you had the right to vote suddenly taken from you then you would be up in arms complaining about that.

[biggmark]

were voting for council and Scottish Parliment(haha thats a joke),this area is generally thought of as a safe Labour seat,well was until 4yr ago when the Labour sat on there fat ****es and waited for result and got a bigg shock,for the first time i voted for Lib-Dems and they won the council...........and bloody shut my wife`s work,after 20yrs service laid-off within a matter of a cpl months ,so this voting time i sit and wait for the Lib-Dem to come knocking at my door but he hasnt arrived yet(still one day to go to get the barsteward lol)in 16yrs at this address sunday was the first time a candidate knocked on my door and it was my Labour man lol did i have fun reminding him of 4 yr ago lol,hell im getting nasty as i get older lol

[wanzelbin]

Got to agree with corydoras,dont vote dont moan,if you had the right to vote suddenly taken from you then you would be up in arms complaining about that.

 

The right to vote is great if voting achieves something.

 

Whether it's local or national, most members of the public have little or no confidence in the available candidates. And as Chesters says, they only work to their own agendas anyway.

 

Voting is supposed to be a way for the public to have their say. As I don't believe voting for any one party will make the slightest difference, spoilt ballot papers is the way to go - not turning up can be construed as apathy.

 

Just imagine what a statement the general public could make if 60% or so of all ballot papers were spoilt?

[poledark]

My only comment on this....if you don't vote, then don't moan. 60% of the people in this country are TOO DAMNED LAZY to get off their behinds and walk to the voting booths.

 

Oh yes, they will (like Chesters) moan and moan about fat cats, corruption, sleaze and all the other failings of the ones who bother to get themselves elected.

 

I suppose in an ideal world, every one else would vote, all the candidates would do exactly what you want, new hospital for every village, bin men coming round every day...need I continue?

 

(And hopefully all for free )

 

Den

[ayjay]

Just wondering what system of government, (both local and national) those on here who advocate not voting would like to see for this country, and how would we achieve it without elections?

 

..........and let's not forget, local councillors are just ordinary people like you and me who feel that something needs to be done and get off their arses and do it, I do speak from experience, my mother was one for quite a while.

[Elton]

..........and let's not forget, local councillors are just ordinary people like you and me who feel that something needs to be done and get off their arses and do it, I do speak from experience, my mother was one for quite a while.

 

Some of them are. I wouldn't go as far as suggesting that all of them are.

[poledark]

I live next door to a Parish councillor, and I have to say, that if it were not for the 5 or 6 like minded and quite hard working guys, all unpaid, then nothing would get done locally. Who do you think concerns themselves with the mundane little problems that continually crop up? who do you think are the first line of defence when some developer wants to spoil your/my outlook (84ft phone mast)

 

And even my villagers were so apathetic that they had to vote and seconde one to make up the numbers or have the parish council disbanded.

 

Den

[nick]

I think that the biggest problem with local elections is that national party politics dominate them.

 

I would love to see a system in which local people could stand for election as local councillors, and not be allowed to simply repeat national policies parrot fashion. I would go so far as to ban any mention of political parties in council campaigns.

 

Pretty much what we have here in the highlands were there are a lot of Independents, 53of them! Liberal Democrats are 13 , Labour 7 and SNP 6. It still doesn't make the system a good one because most decisions these days are imposed from the top down, either Edinburgh or Westminster, but it makes for a far more active campaign than usual.

 

I certainly believe that we should follow the Australian example and make it a legal obligation to turn out and vote - no problem with spoiling a paper - or even better a box to indicate non acceptance of all the candidates (whats that film - none of the above? superb idea!!)

 

But so long as we are prepared to allow people to not take part in politics we will get the governments and councils that we deserve! I firmly believe that if people were compelled to attend the polls they may actually take a bit more notice of the whole political process.