Yes. I have.

About to I think.

Not sure it'll be a labour government to blame as of tomorrow

Under the labour governments, I liquidated my enormous and increasing-in-value vinyl collection collection and then spent the proceeds on swiftly depreciating pieces of expensive bicycle. So in that sense I have too.

can someone clear this up for me,
that phillipson lass has won for labour
in which case WTF has "swing" got to do with anything?
i realise i represents a drop overall in support, but she still won?

CaptainFlashheart – Member

Yes. I have.

😀

I think I love New Labour after all !

what a crap system 8)

"i realise i represents a drop overall in support, but she still won?"

Swing indicates how much people are shifting their votes from one party to another. It's less affected by regional effects so you can extrapolate it to the UK share of the vote, and from that to the distribution of seats.

Clutching at straws when you have no actual data!

Yes. I have.

Yeah, well you should have worked harder then, shouldn't you? You've only got yourself to blame you know.

Pfft. Workshy waster….

You've only got yourself to blame you know.

I reckon he probably will blame himself.

Cause if I recall correctly, Flashheart's standard response to people who complain that they are struggling, is : "Well earn more money then".

Emily Maitlis – doing the voting map of the UK

SWING!

jeremy vines crap graphics are winding me up!
i dunno why im watching this, i didnt even vote

i dunno why im watching this, i didnt even vote

In which case you veto any right to comment for the next 5 years….

Gordon will do everything in his power and take the right decisions to avoid any financial problems

Truthfully CPT are you not a little concerned that Osborne is a lightweight he scares me more than Dave …you know where you are with dave and he seems competent. osborne just looks like I do just before riding something way outside my comfort zone.
He does worry me.

lol, i knew someone would say that.
i was going to, but having moved house 4 times in the past 6 months, im having trouble of keeping track of where i am, so the government probably arnt finding it any easier.

subsequently, the paperwork never worked out for me.
another example of the system being overly complex and pointles

i dunno why im watching this, i didnt even vote

In which case you veto any right to comment for the next 5 years….

On this one, I'm with you, Zokes. Well said.

another example of the system being overly complex and pointles[sic]

Complicated or not, there are millions of people on this planet who would give an awful lot either to be able to vote, or to be in a country that's stable enough that it doesn't make that much difference…

Elections for the executive, the free-press etc, keep our administrations in check. Really, it matters less who you vote for, as long as you vote.

and that Stupid woman who is "really very angry" about not being able to vote, should have turned up within the 13 hour window of voting, not out of it.
and if she wasnt able to make it, arranged a postal vote.
surely?
rules is rules.

bored already, off to bed

It might matter in my seat, Cardiff North. Close run thing.

Btw how many seats do Plaid and SNP expect? Seems to me that the difference between Labour+Libdem and Tory is so small in the exit poll that the minor parties could really make a difference.

It might matter in my seat, Cardiff North. Close run thing.

not quite in the same life-or-death situation as Iran, for example though, would it?

Clearly not zokes, I wasn't responding to you!

i dunno why im watching this, i didnt even vote
In which case you veto any right to comment for the next 5 years….
On this one, I'm with you, Zokes. Well said.

I'm a tad confused about this, I must admit. Do people who slate non voters wait around for them to slag off the elected government? Because you know they don't do it, don't you?

People who are interested in politics, vote. Those who aren't, don't. The latter don't suddenly then become interested in politics again after the election you know. I only make the distincion because there does seem to be a regular theme here that gets waved over peoples heads about commenting on the government.

Really, those people who don't vote, don't instantly spend the next five years bitching about the government. It's a very bizarre perspective to take.

People choose for very odd reasons:

One friend said "I'm voting for Nick because he's nice". I pointed out she's not voting for Nick!

My GF says she voted LibDem because she's "frustrated about the cost of housing in our area" [go figure]

I voted on the basis of expenses abuse

Do policies matter at all?

People who are interested in politics, vote. Those who aren't, don't. The latter don't suddenly then become interested in politics again after the election you know.

😕 So how come so many non-voters spend so much time on the political threads then ?

It doesn't seem much point – if you're not interested in politics.

Dunno about the rest of them, I'm just having a laugh baiting people.

Complicated or not, there are millions of people on this planet who would give an awful lot either to be able to vote, or to be in a country that's stable enough that it doesn't make that much difference…

Have to put aside my differences with you tonight, Zokes. I agree with you 100% on this.

People like Olly need to have a think about the sacrifices that so many people made, so that we can today enjoy the freedom to exercise our Democratic Rights.

You should vote, because you CAN.

freedom to exercise our Democratic Rights.

You should vote, because you CAN.

Democracy FAIL.

How so, Samuri?

Obviously, it's up to everyone to vote whoever they want, or to vote or not, but to simply not vote because you can't be bothered, as seems to be the case with young Olly, is just crap really. Everyone should make the effort, even if it's merely to spoil their ballot paper.

Apathy for the UK….

You're taking the politicians line, which is an apathetic one. You're assuming people don't vote because they can't be bothered which is apathetic in my opinion, can people really not think harder than that?

For various reasons, a staggering number of people are not interested in politics. They look at the politicians and the parties they represent and clearly decide that none of them are worthy of their support. Personally, they all look corrupt and untrustworthy to me. I don't believe a word that comes out of any of their mouths. Voting would be a rapid back pedalling on my principles. If voting slips had a box which stated 'I think all the parties are useless, I'd rush out and tick it. That's not a spoiled vote (what a waste of time that would be) which gets ignored, that's a strong stance against all the political activity in Britian and should act as a wake up call to the parties.

Since such an option does not exist because we don't really live in a democracy where people are free to do as they wish, I'll have to do nothing and live with the guilt trip you're trying to lay on me. But don't worry, it's not a biggie.

Your choice. Not voting means you have abstained from the democratic process. So, for you, democracy doesn't exist, no. Therefore you forfeit any right to comment, for being part of a democracy means you must take part in it's process.

'Night.

I did vote, but I'm inclined to support the right of others to choose not to vote, that is their democratic right.

Surely a spoiled vote is the only way to make it clear you're expressing a dissatisfaction with all politicians? Sitting at home on your hands demonstrates nothing.

Your choice. Not voting means you have abstained from the democratic process. So, for you, democracy doesn't exist, no. Therefore you forfeit any right to comment, for being part of a democracy means you must take part in it's process.

lol. That's right. If you can find any time, past, present or future where I complain about the elected government you're welcome to tell me to eat my words, but you never will. I don't vote you see, so it would be hyprocritical.

Thank you Southern Yeti. How can you express your views, by not partaking in the process that has been agreed on by social consensus?

Of course you have the right not to vote, but if you don't, then your onions are invalid.

I'm too tired now, I'm off to bed.

Surely a spoiled vote is the only way to make it clear you're expressing a dissatisfaction with all politicians? Sitting at home on your hands demonstrates nothing.

No, a spoiled vote looks like someone who can't write inside a clearly defined box. And that's exactly how they are treated. Do you think anyone sits there wringing their hands over all the spoiled votes or do you think they just get thrown in the bin?

Thank you Southern Yeti. How can you express your views, by not partaking in the process that has been agreed on by social consensus?

hehe. 39.86% didn't turn out to vote in 2005. That's a significant social concensus I reckon. Never mind.

Samuri you seem to be quite the authority on something you don't care about?

If all the people who don't vote for the reasons you listed above (potentially 40% of the electorate last time around)went out and spoiled their papers their would be signigicant ripples in the political pond.

As it is, you just get added to the mass of knuckle draggers deemed too lazy, apathetic or stoopid to vote….. thumbs up! 🙂

Yeah, but they're in a minority…

Democracy WIN, perhaps? 🙄

As it is, you just get added to the mass of knuckle draggers deemed too lazy, apathetic or stoopid to vote….. thumbs up!

I completely agree. It's a travesty. I'm not lazy, apathetic or stupid and yet I'm linked in with these people by the ridiculous system I live in.

And guess what? I suspect I'm not the only one. Actually I suspect there are millions like me. But by all means you carry on listening to the lies you hear from the politicians mouths about apathetic and lazy members of the public, you're buying it so they're happy.

Do you think anyone sits there wringing their hands over all the spoiled votes or do you think they just get thrown in the bin?

Neither. I think they're counted and included in the turnout, so you can quite clearly see how many are interested enough to vote but can't find anybody to vote for. Not that I think there's a lot wrong with sitting at home – you've contributed just about as much to the electoral process as a voter in Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough has.