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blackburn_stevie · ‎29-03-2014

I don't mean to ask if you vote Tory or Labour, it's just that I was recently watching a TV prog about Politics and it was banging on about people voting in one of those two ways and I thought to myself, "Does anybody actually vote for a particular party simply becaue they have always voted for that same party?"

To me, that is weird. What if you have always voted Tory and you discover that the next Tory government will ban cat ownership. If you are a cat person, what do you do?

Before I vote, and this won't work for everyone, I find out what each person running for office will do as a main priority and then vote according to what I want to see happen.

Over to you.

cee-dee · ‎29-03-2014

Really, "Party Politics" is not only "bad" for the country, it's bad for your constituency.

There ought to be a major effort made by all involved in "Politics" to ensure that all candidates have shown that they would be a good constituency MP and realise that a Member of Parliament is supposed to be there to represent the views and wishes of constituents, not their personal points of view.

It's life Jim, but not as WE know it.
Live long and prosper.

blackburn_stevie · ‎29-03-2014

CEE DEE .... So are you saying that you should vote for a Party and then just hope that they do what you want?

cee-dee · ‎29-03-2014

No, the opposite. Vote for a representative who's representing your best interests.

It's life Jim, but not as WE know it.
Live long and prosper.

electric*mayhem*band · ‎29-03-2014

Doesn't seem much point in voting for any of the main three's disciples, since they all appear to be reciting from the same 'Liars' Journal'.

blackburn_stevie · ‎29-03-2014

CEE DEE wrote ..... No, the opposite. Vote for a representative who's representing your best interests.

Isn't that what I said in the OP?

My head hurts now, lol

cee-dee · ‎29-03-2014

No, what you said was a mix of convoluted questions with no real direction.

It's life Jim, but not as WE know it.
Live long and prosper.

5129frederick · ‎29-03-2014

What will be the main priority of each person who is trying to get into power?? My dear learned friend, I would have thought that was obvious concerning any party:

THE ONLY priority will be to FEATHER HIS OWN NEST! I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the day will surely come when being a politician will be looked upon with disdain. They're on a minimum wage of £78,000.00 per year, about three times the average working wage, get a personal allowance for everything under the sun which comes out of YOUR pocket, are answerable to no one - don't get me started about summer recess! and will promise you the moon, but once in power will do whatever suits them personally. They are about as sincere as the patter that comes out of the mouth of a second-hand car salesman, the perfect example being the late Clement Freud. Six weeks before the local elections, he got his sidekick to go through the local birth, marriages and deaths registry and would send cards with the appropriate messages of congratulations or condolences as appropriate, as if he knew them personally, hoping to pull their votes. When people stopped him in the street to thank him for their card, he quickly came up with a "one size fits all" reply: "It's the least I could do." He epitomised your typical MP. If I had a cousin or brother as an MP, I'd keep schtum about it!

mustard-tree · ‎29-03-2014

As Jim Hacker put it

"Being an MP is a vast subsidized ego-trip. It's a job that needs no qualifications, it has no compulsory hours of work, no performance standards, and provides a warm room, a telephone and subsidized meals to a bunch of self-important windbags and busybodies who suddenly find people taking them seriously because they've got the letters 'MP' after their name."

al**bear · ‎30-03-2014

I think most People vote against a Political party

they vote against the Tories or against Labour

5129frederick · ‎30-03-2014

That's it, in one sentence!

merehazle · ‎30-03-2014

@mustard-tree wrote:
As Jim Hacker put it

"Being an MP is a vast subsidized ego-trip. It's a job that needs no qualifications, it has no compulsory hours of work, no performance standards, and provides a warm room, a telephone and subsidized meals to a bunch of self-important windbags and busybodies who suddenly find people taking them seriously because they've got the letters 'MP' after their name."

Yes, well said. And without starting a new thread, we have this EXAMPLE :

Why she is an MP beats me...She is arrogant...-and ignorant with it...She demands respect...But never shows anyone respect herself.

It is all about me me me me with her. And as for the rest of the MPs is there really any difference?

upthecreekyetagain · ‎31-03-2014

@merehazle wrote:
@mustard-tree wrote:
As Jim Hacker put it

"Being an MP is a vast subsidized ego-trip. It's a job that needs no qualifications, it has no compulsory hours of work, no performance standards, and provides a warm room, a telephone and subsidized meals to a bunch of self-important windbags and busybodies who suddenly find people taking them seriously because they've got the letters 'MP' after their name."
Yes, well said. And without starting a new thread, we have this EXAMPLE :

Why she is an MP beats me...She is arrogant...-and ignorant with it...She demands respect...But never shows anyone respect herself.

It is all about me me me me with her. And as for the rest of the MPs is there really any difference?

The answer to that is simple - people vote along party lines rather than doing as CD suggests and using their own judgement as to which candidate would be best for the constituency and the country.

If I had my way I'd make it illegal for party names to be printed on ballot papers.

Deno thread on FHG

guardpig · ‎02-04-2014

My late Mother's opinion on MPs is not repeatable on a public forum. She was born just after the 1st WW, her Father died when she was young and her definition of poverty was having no food and no roof! Her opinion on party politics was that the Conservative party would promise everything and do exactly what suited them but the Labour party would promise you everything, do exactly what suited them AND tell you it was for your own good. She voted Conservative all her life!!!!!!!!!! In recent years the Conservatives seem to have come round to the "for your own good" aspect of the Labour Party.

OH used to call me cynical - until he met our MP.

Will admit though she would have thoroughly enjoyed the recent rise of UKIP and Farage. Not because she would have agreed or voted but because of the entertainment value they offer. In retirement she considered the TUC Congress one of the best comedy programmes on TV.

As somebody said if we all voted for the Man(or woman) we thought would represent us best maybe it would make a difference BUT since they are all selected by their party faithfull it may not. There is no easy answer.

If UKIP carry on as they are doing then we will have the biggest shake up of UK politics since the Labour Party a century ago. Having been involved(by default) on the sidelines of our local branch I certainly wonder about them. LOL. But then having also met some of their more successful(politically) people they appear confident and competent. Good or bad - who knows? I am really hoping that UKIP's loud, brassy voice will at least galvanise some reluctant voters into actually voting - whoever they actually vote for. Most of our governments were elected by under 50% of votes cast by (usually) just over 50% of those entitled to vote. If the Government of the day is going to s*** all over me I would prefer that they were elected by a majority of my fellow citizens which would at least give some credibility to the fall out!

When my son turned 18 he received a birthday card from our sitting MP. Inside it explained the various types of elections, how to vote, how to ensure you were on the electoral role, the resposibilities of the MP, MEP, local Councillors etc. Not a word about voting for him. I thought it was really good idea. When my daughter turned 18 2 years later she received nothing.

merehazle · ‎07-04-2014

blackburn_stevie wrote:

I don't mean to ask if you vote Tory or Labour, it's just that I was recently watching a TV prog about Politics and it was banging on about people voting in one of those two ways and I thought to myself, "Does anybody actually vote for a particular party simply becaue they have always voted for that same party?"
To me, that is weird. What if you have always voted Tory and you discover that the next Tory government will ban cat ownership. If you are a cat person, what do you do?
Before I vote, and this won't work for everyone, I find out what each person running for office will do as a main priority and then vote according to what I want to see happen.

Over to you.