mayoral elections

[abdoujaparov]

was that really from memory ... ?

[lost]

Just been and voted and I'm still quite "meh" much more interested in the French elections and what will happen next week if the french want to renegotiate the EU fiscal compact.

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Leeds weren't in the 75 cup final, so you get disqualified from voting for life

(it was Fulham and West Ham, from memory)

[Ed209]

I've missed out on all the election run up, but how the hell has Ken screwed this up again?

Boris was surely there for the taking. The mayor's main responsibility is TFL. Travel cards have gone up 23% in his 4 years, and as of when I moved out of London last summer, the tubes were terrible. Especially the the Jubilee line. There were numerous trade union disputes and strikes. Buses were stuck in the depots during snow because TFL and the councils both claimed it was others responsibility to grit and plough, meaning it didn't get done.

He was an embarrassment during the riots.

In fact the only good thing he's done is the Bike scheme, but that wasn't even his idea (think it was first thought of under Ken)

Add to that, the Tories are taking a hammering today by all accounts. What the hell happened?

Edited May 3, 2012 by Ed209

[Alcatraz]

I've missed out on all the election run up, but how the hell has Ken screwed this up again?

Boris was surely there for the taking. The mayor's main responsibility is TLF. Travel cards have gone up 23% in his 4 years, and as of when I moved out of London last summer, the tubes were terrible. Especially the the Jubilee line. There were numerous trade union disputes and strikes. Buses were stuck in the depots during snow because the bus TFL and the councils both claimed it was others responsibility to grit and plough, meaning it didn't get done.

He was an embarrassment during the riots.

In fact the only good thing he's done is the Bike scheme, but that wasn't even his idea (think it was first thought of under Ken)

Add to that, the Tories are taking a hammering today by all accounts. What the hell happened?

[LondonTom]

I've missed out on all the election run up, but how the hell has Ken screwed this up again?

[Alcatraz]

The Tories and Libs are getting annihilated here in Birmingham. Makes for glorious listening

edit: spoke too soon about the Libs

Edited May 4, 2012 by Alcatraz

[lost]

[eFestivals]

The referendum on an elected mayor for Bristol isn't announced till this arvo.

But meanwhile they've said that turnout was about 25%, and as low as 10% in some wards (tho I've no idea how they know that without counting the votes?).

Assuming that people voted for a mayor, here's betting that Dave Moron will claim it as a just democratic outcome with that low turnout ... and yet, when union votes have a much better turnout than that, they get slagged off and called undemocratic.

Anyway, I've been glad to see that all the other places that had referendums have voted against an elected mayor. That's a good result for democracy.

[benc]

Anyway, I've been glad to see that all the other places that had referendums have voted against an elected mayor. That's a good result for democracy.

[lost]

beeb reporting a polling station in bristol has recorded a turnout of 6%

[eFestivals]

Just seen in one of the tabloids that Dave Moron is planning on imposing mayors on the cities that voted no.

And isn't his consistency admirable? A union vote for a strike should be ignored because the turnout wasn't high enough, and a vote against an elected mayor should be ignored because those who voted voted the wrong way.

Isn't democracy great?

[lharris92]

But meanwhile they've said that turnout was about 25%, and as low as 10% in some wards (tho I've no idea how they know that without counting the votes?).

[lharris92]

maybe people need to feel there's something worth voting for...

the real pressing issues, global warming for example, are just being ignored by the main parties.. stupid twunts

[Paul ™]

Online voting would boost the votes am sure.

[benc]

in Edinburgh a man dressed as penguin receives more votes than the Liberal Democrats

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

in Edinburgh a man dressed as penguin receives more votes than the Liberal Democrats

[pryce]

Online voting would boost the votes am sure.

[eFestivals]

Online voting would boost the votes am sure.

Hmmmm, I'm not entirely sure that making voting an easy thing to do would be a good thing (even with the potential fraud issues put to the side).

I've no wish to deny anyone a vote.

But if voting was made very convenient and easy to do, then I think it's likely that they'd be a greater number who voted who put very little thought into how they voted.

If a person has to put a bit of effort into voting then I'd say it's more likely that they'll have put a bit of effort into what they are voting for - and via that 'we the people' are more likely to end up with the most satisfying policy implementations.

If little effort is required to vote then we might end up with policies that seem appealing when they've had little thought put into them but which might be considered horrific when greater thought is put into the consequences of a policy.

Making voting easy carries with it a risk of making bad policies. I'm not sure the trade-off of greater participation would be worth it.

[lost]

bristol yes to mayor?

[eFestivals]

bristol yes to mayor?

oh, for fucks sake.

[Ed209]

15 Orangutans that look like Boris

[thesecretingredientiscrime]

Boris first by very small, Ken second, Jenny Jones third, Siobhan fourth, Paddick fifth, Webb sixth, BNP (now with less council seats then their acronymn) last.

Lot of suggestion that because of J.J/Siobhan polling that high, a lot of their second votes will edge Ken to the lead.

[Ed209]

One of the best things about last night was the BNP getting obliterated.

While by no means the sole reason for the decline, the BBCs decision to put Griffin on Question Time has been fully vindicated. It was definitely a watershed moment for the party

[lost]

One of the best things about last night was the BNP getting obliterated.

While by no means the sole reason for the decline, the BBCs decision to put Griffin on Question Time has been fully vindicated. It was definitely a watershed moment for the party