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By: 8th May 2015 at 08:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-And may yet get a majority. I see accommodation with Scotland and boundary changes, p****sed on by the late unlamented Clegg, on the horizon. And of course although enough Scots voted SNP to take the seats that's a long way from assuming there is now a majority for independence.
By: 8th May 2015 at 11:53 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Ajockalypse now...
The Scottish Natsionalist Party will be bathing in fountains of IRN BRU and munching on deep fried Mars Bars long into the weekend...
By: 8th May 2015 at 13:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-But I like pizza.
Seriously though, the 'underclass' you refer to, Trolly (though that word disappeared from the tabloid lexicon when they realised it) are to the right of centre in England. I suspect Cameron's surprise victory had more to do with them putting down the pizza..
Turkeys voting for Christmas, maybe, but a look at the demographics is interesting.
By: 8th May 2015 at 13:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Well Cameron did it, lots of moans from benifit streets who were to busy eating PIZZZAAaaaaaaa to go out and vote.
Absurd but unsurprising that the UK doesn't have compulsory voting. Democracy in the UK (or in most other places, to be fair) has never really been about allowing ordinary people to run the country, but rather manufacturing the consent necessary for the real powerbrokers to continue pursuing their narrow interests as they always have. For most nations today, democracy is simply a checkbox to be ticked to qualify as a modern state, not an ideological commitment. Same is true here -- our system of compulsory voting is merely a vestige of a more idealistic and egalitarian age.
By: 8th May 2015 at 14:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-It makes you wonder about the present system when
The SDP get 56 seats with 1,454,436 total votes taken.
and the Lib Dems take 8 with 2,399,866 total votes taken.
But the likes of the Greens take 1 with 1,154,562 total votes taken.
And UKIP take 1 with 3,875,409 total votes taken.
The SDP and The Lib Dems could have caused chaos and held the country to ransom with voting numbers that between them were less than that UKIP took.
Talk about the SNP vote being totally disproportinate in what they nearly achieved and the amount of voters, the country was nearly held to ransom by a minority party.
One wonders if changes will be a foot to prevent this happening again, especially as we have no say in a lot of the Scottish policies and laws now.
By: 8th May 2015 at 14:27 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Yes, there will be significant power devolved to Scotland, including tax raising powers. At the same time, we will see English votes for English policies, and that will sort out the low majority issue.
I doubt there will be electoral reform. No-one voted for it last parliament, and there will be no appetite for it now - except amongst those who lost.
By: 8th May 2015 at 14:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-It makes you wonder about the present system whenThe SDP get 56 seats with 1,454,436 total votes taken.
and the Lib Dems take 8 with 2,399,866 total votes taken.But the likes of the Greens take 1 with 1,154,562 total votes taken.
And UKIP take 1 with 3,875,409 total votes taken.
Actually the case of Scotland and the SNP demonstrates precisely why a geographic system of representation is (still) necessary to capture and recognise such localised sentiments. But at the same time, it's clear that in the modern world -- where many issues transcend local boundaries -- non-geographic representation is needed as well. A modern democratic system designed from the ground up would indeed differ significantly from the systems that are in place in most nations today. One can debate the philosophical merits of various proposals, but the basic reason why we will not see such reform is that the presently entrenched powers and interests in the various nations would not benefit from it -- they will protect their existing power and perogatives, as power everywhere always has and always will.
By: 8th May 2015 at 14:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Yes, there will be significant power devolved to Scotland, including tax raising powers. At the same time, we will see English votes for English policies, and that will sort out the low majority issue.I doubt there will be electoral reform. No-one voted for it last parliament, and there will be no appetite for it now - except amongst those who lost.
I agree, that wil always be the losers gripe, although I am quite sure the boundary changes which Clegg refused will be actioned. They are genuinely, long over due.
By: 8th May 2015 at 15:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-English votes for English policies is very difficult to achieve within our current constitution. It is not going to be a quick fix.
There is a link to a Guardian report on this issue below. I know many may not accept on principle anything written there, but it does give an indication of the problems facing such legislation.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/24/english-votes-english-laws-absurdity-separatist
From the Telegraph, as you would expect a more positive spin but it still outlines the main issues and the main snag- how do you decide which policies genuinely affect only England?
By: 8th May 2015 at 16:05 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I agree - Vernon Bogdanor talks a lot of sense.
By: 8th May 2015 at 16:54 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-....."how do you decide which policies affect only England...?"
The squeals arising from Irish, Scots and Welsh Nationalists will very quickly tell you.
By: 8th May 2015 at 17:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Yes, I understand your point and can see it would be quite entertaining from the outside looking in, but in all seriousness that isn't a practical way to form effective legislation for England or UK&NI
By: 8th May 2015 at 17:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I'm for a new referendum to settle it once and for all. Just because a majority of Scots voted for SNP candidates mainly against Labour does not mean that suddenly there's been a large swing for independence. Let's put it to the test. I don't much care whichever way the vote goes.
By: 8th May 2015 at 18:12 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Hi All,
Anybody know what the turn out was like ?
Geoff.
By: 8th May 2015 at 18:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-I'm for a new referendum to settle it once and for all.
As am I. But this time we should all get to vote.
Moggy
By: 8th May 2015 at 18:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Hi All,
Anybody know what the turn out was like ?
It was like 66%
By: 8th May 2015 at 18:22 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Hi All,
Moggy,
Many thanks :eagerness: You don't happen to recall the last turn out figures do you as 66% seems a poor turn out to me or is that about average ?
Geoff.
By: 8th May 2015 at 19:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-It's always there or thereabouts Geoff.
Moggy - that's a damn good idea so we all get the chance to kick them out of the Union!!;)
By: 8th May 2015 at 19:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-It's the Scots and the referendum issues that get me, if you hold a referendum and lose accept it, what annoys me are the calls for further referendums until you get one that agrees with your point of view.... They've had their chance and said no, so that should be.
By: 8th May 2015 at 19:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
-Mmmm - reminiscent of another bunch of wishful thinkers in Brussels!
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By: Trolly Aux - 8th May 2015 at 07:50
Well Cameron did it, lots of moans from benifit streets who were to busy eating PIZZZAAaaaaaaa to go out and vote.