Current Affairs The General Election

[JammyP]

You will remember of course that AV was thrown out by 68% of the voters in a referendum just 8 years ago. FPTP delivers a strong government which is why we kept it......

I do remember. I voted for it. Pathetic turnout - not enough people cared, and the status quo suits the big parties. Not the only time the electorate have gone ape. Does not mean it was wrong. It is the sort of issue which parliament ought to sort out, if it is to pretend to be a representative institution.

 

[peteblue]

AV, ....just a reminder.....

 

[peteblue]

I do remember. I voted for it. Pathetic turnout - not enough people cared, and the status quo suits the big parties. Not the only time the electorate have gone ape. Does not mean it was wrong. It is the sort of issue which parliament ought to sort out, if it is to pretend to be a representative institution.

Over 13,000,000 said NO, which bit do you not understand.....

 

[JammyP]

The AV system that was proposed in that referendum though wasn’t even close to PR.

It was a step in the right direction. It would have meant in each constituency a candidate had to achieve more than half the votes to be elected, after the votes of the lowest polling candidates were redistributed according to second and third etc. preferences. That is more representative than first past the post.

 

[peteblue]

It was a step in the right direction. It would have meant in each constituency a candidate had to achieve more than half the votes to be elected, after the votes of the lowest polling candidates were redistributed according to second and third etc. preferences. That is more representative than first past the post.

But over 13,000,000 said NO......

 

[JammyP]

Over 13,000,000 said NO, which bit do you not understand.....

I do not understand how they came to that conclusion - save that both Labour and the Conservatives have benefited from the system over the years..

For example, from last week's elections, why should Brexit not have an MP when they polled 5 times as many as the SDLP, who have two?
How do the SNP have four times the seats of the Liberal Democrats with a third as many votes?
Why do Labour need over 50,000 votes per seat when 38,000 will do for the Conservatives?
Why do the Greens need 865,000 votes to get one MP?

Can you see any room for improvement?
Which bit do you not understand, you banana republican WUM?

 

[peteblue]

I do not understand how they came to that conclusion - save that both Labour and the Conservatives have benefited from the system over the years..

For example, from last week's elections, why should Brexit not have an MP when they polled 5 times as many as the SDLP, who have two?
How do the SNP have four times the seats of the Liberal Democrats with a third as many votes?
Why do Labour need over 50,000 votes per seat when 38,000 will do for the Conservatives?
Why do the Greens need 865,000 votes to get one MP?

Can you see any room for improvement?
Which bit do you not understand, you banana republican WUM?

I agree that the SNP should not have as many MP’s for the pitiful vote they pick up, but that’s what 13,000,000 people voted for, nearly 4,000,000 more people voted NO than voted for Blair when he won the 2005 GE...it’s a big number......

 

[JammyP]

I agree that the SNP should not have as many MP’s for the pitiful vote they pick up, but that’s what 13,000,000 people voted for, nearly 4,000,000 more people voted NO than voted for Blair when he won the 2005 GE...it’s a big number......

I suppose the vote also coincided with the Lib Dems getting trounced in local elections the same day, reflecting discontent among their former supporters over coalition policies. Nlck Clegg was a figurehead of the AV campaign, along with Ed Milliband. 200 Labour MPs and members of the House of Lords sided with the Conservatives in the No camp.
Yes a big number. You can fool some of the people some of the time....

 

[Blues Harp]

I mean the Last Labour government that you no doubt voted for 3 times.....

Wrong yet again.. ..you haven't a clue about how I voted...you just presumed. Oh dear.

 

[peteblue]

Wrong yet again.. ..you haven't a clue about how I voted...you just presumed. Oh dear.

I knew you were a closet Tory.....

 

[evilwebby]

Not really - for a start, many public sector pensions come with fairly hefty contributions so a sizeable chunk of the overall cost is funded from that source. Secondly it isn't as if the state has just clicked its fingers and created the liability (in the way that the state pension has been protected); the cost of these employees is all accounted for and of course the state gets something in return for it (decades of service).

This is getting away from the debate about the election, but no... public pensions are not funded. Yes, our public servatns make their contributions, but the way the system is set up that money is not invested in anything. It simply goes towards the total tax reciept and used as the exchequer seets fit.. in exchange for the promise of a future payment which will be funded from the taxpayers of the future. Any system that relies on new participants to pay existing stakeholders is a ponzi.

I am not attacking our civil servants here. They pay into the system on the understanding that they'll get paid out in the future. It's the system that is corrupt and unsustainable.

 

[evilwebby]

Payment of police pensions comes out of the police budgets for each police area.

Well you are highlighting my point. Their budgets are allocated from the overall tax revenue pot which is collected from current taxpayers, not generated from any prior investment.

 

[davids]

( Genuinely ) good for you, but, again, how many people in places like Leigh ( who changed their vote ) do you think are on 52 to 60k a year ?

That soundbite is massively out of touch with the reality of peoples lives in that area. I'd wager 95%+ of the people who changed to voting Tory in Leigh would bite your hand off for the chance of earning £25 / hour.

The figures I quoted were based on my income and a loose average those who worked in manual labour positions in the company I worked for.
Downgrade the amounts if it makes you happier,but the point stands.Miners on pensions voting for the Tories in areas with the most deprivation and the highest food bank usage,turns your stomach.But then it seems to have become an "I'm all right Jack" world considering the election result.

 

[davids]

Left 18 -24 year old. Right over 65’sView attachment 73879

Sums it up,a generation that will be lucky to see the next election,ballsed it up for their grandchildren.Sad times we live in.

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Sums it up,a generation that will be lucky to see the next election,ballsed it up for their grandchildren.Sad times we live in.

Pfft...those oldies thinking they have the democratic right to have a say.