How do you get a Labour government?

[EddieM]

To answer the original question. .. err vote labour. Personally I haven't voted for about 20 years cos I haven't liked the look of any of them, I do accept though that my refraining from voting precludes me from protesting about the incumbents. Frankly they're all the same.

 

[EFLImpudence]

I do accept though that my refraining from voting precludes me from protesting about the incumbents.

No it doesn't.
It's called abstaining; done because the choice is lamentable.

MPs do it all the time when 'allowed' or absent and not ordered to vote as their party wishes.
Yet they are still entitled to views on everything.

 

[jockscott]

I do accept though that my refraining from voting precludes me from protesting about the incumbents.

No it doesn't.
It's called abstaining; done because the choice is lamentable.

MPs do it all the time when 'allowed' or absent and not ordered to vote as their party wishes.
Yet they are still entitled to views on everything.

It's high time MP's were allowed a free vote, on every bill put before parliament. That way, we the electorate could theoretically, have our interests looked after (instead of MP's serving their own interests)

 

[Micilin]

I do accept though that my refraining from voting precludes me from protesting about the incumbents.

No it doesn't.
It's called abstaining; done because the choice is lamentable.

MPs do it all the time when 'allowed' or absent and not ordered to vote as their party wishes.
Yet they are still entitled to views on everything.

Not the same thing really.

Question to non voters. Would you vote if there was a box saying 'None of the above' or 'Register protest vote' ?

 

[AronSearle]

I do accept though that my refraining from voting precludes me from protesting about the incumbents.

No it doesn't.
It's called abstaining; done because the choice is lamentable.

MPs do it all the time when 'allowed' or absent and not ordered to vote as their party wishes.
Yet they are still entitled to views on everything.

It's high time MP's were allowed a free vote, on every bill put before parliament. That way, we the electorate could theoretically, have our interests looked after (instead of MP's serving their own interests)

That will happen when people start voting for other people, and not voting for parties.

I bet most people don't even know the name of the MP they voted for, then they whine like little girls when those MP's toe the party line instead of stand on local issues.

Would you vote if there was a box saying 'None of the above' or 'Register protest vote' ?

Childish and petulant is all I can think of when people don't vote through protest.

Don't like the options, then stand yourself, or support someone else to.

Protest nonvoting achieves nothing, and is just pseudo intellectual bullshit.

 

[JBR]

I would have thought that if the majority decided not to vote in a general election, it would simply increase the value of the votes offered by those who are willing to vote. The non-voters would simply be shooting themselves in their foot!

Taken to extremes, that would mean the future of the country is in the hands of only a few people, and that could hardly be described as being a democracy.

No, I believe that we should all vote for what we think best. If, next time, the majority of people vote Labour back in again, that is what we would have to accept and live with the consequences.

 

[EddieM]

I do accept though that my refraining from voting precludes me from protesting about the incumbents.

No it doesn't.
It's called abstaining; done because the choice is lamentable.

MPs do it all the time when 'allowed' or absent and not ordered to vote as their party wishes.
Yet they are still entitled to views on everything.

Not the same thing really.

Question to non voters. Would you vote if there was a box saying 'None of the above' or 'Register protest vote' ?

I would be happy for voting to be made compulsory if there was a non of the above button. Anyway I didn't get a vote in the last GE as there was no opposition and therefore no ballot papers issued in our constituency.

 

[AronSearle]

Not entirely true , Aron. Given a highly unlikely hypothetical scenario of a majority of the electorate lodging a protest vote

So just intellectual mazturbation then, as I said, and not anything to do with the real world.

wouldn't it make sense to register a protest vote, rather than a vote for a party that you do not support.

If I am standing for election, why should I give a fig about the opinions of people that can't choose between the choices available to them.

And how does voting "none of the above" work, Somebody is going to be elected, there is a lot you can do beforehand to influence the voting options (including standing for yourself), but when the day comes, someone is going to be chosen, voting "none of the above" is pointless, your political message won't even be received until after the fact. Voting none of the above is like yelling at someone to get out of the way of the bus, when they have already been turned to paste.

Idiot, childish, petulant.

I will never see it as anything more than that, it affects nothing but your own sense of satisfaction of "sticking it to the man".

You go you!

Meanwhile the rest of us adults contribute to the democratic system by voting, petitioning, standing for election, writing to MP's, creating pressure groups to encourage mass petitioning of MP's.

That's how you change things, that's how people changed things in this country.

Nobody ever changed laws regarding discrimination, unjust working practices, police corruption or any other issues you can think of by “not voting”.

What a retarded concept.

 

[EddieM]

The main purpose of NOTB is to positively register that you don't want any of the candidates representing you in parliament or on the council, one of the primary aims is to prevent protest votes for extreme parties such as the BNP. It is a way of capturing valuable information as to the real mood of the electorate rather than the totally skewed method that we have at present.

 

[joe-90]

Yes. Aron is stupid. Most of the posters in here are. That's what GD is famous for.

 

[Micilin]

We seem to be talking at cross purposes here.
Just to clarify, I was talking about registering a protest vote, i.e voting, but voting for a non-electable entity. As I believe was Aron and Micillin.
You and Eddie were discussing not voting at all.

A real difference, if the majority voted a protest vote.

I think so , LC.

Not voting at all - we can't tell if it is apathy, a protest or physically not being able to

Spoiled vote - we can't tell if it is a deliberate protest or someone who can't fill the ballot paper in properly

'Protest Option' - we can tell how many of those who voted wanted to register a protest.


So to my mind, apart from being more accurate, it removes one excuse of the lazy and gives the genuine 'protest thru abstaining' a voice.

Is there are good argument against such an option or is it just the fear that we may end up with something like:

Reds- 10%
Blues- 10%
Yellows- 10%
Rest 10%

Protest- 60%

 

[Deluks]

Vote Labour, you get 'Tory Lite' There's not enough between them to really make a real difference.

 

[Micilin]

Turnout figures for the UK here :

http://www.ukpolitical.info/Turnout45.htm

Of course, in NI the motto was 'vote early , and vote often'

I wonder how much of the non voting/spoiled vote would have been by intentional voters if circumstances allowed?

Are we happy with a 65% turnout?

Year UK England Wales Scotland N.Ireland
2010 65.1 65.5 64.7 63.8 57.6
2005 61.4 61.3 62.6 60.8 62.9
2001 59.4 59.2 61.6 58.2 68
1997 71.4 71.4 73.5 71.3 67.1
1992 77.7 78 79.7 75.5 69.8
1987 75.3 75.4 78.9 75.1 67
1983 72.7 72.5 76.1 72.7 72.9
1979 76 75.9 79.4 76.8 67.7
1974 Oct 72.8 72.6 76.6 74.8 67.7
1974 Feb 78.8 79 80 79 69.9
1970 72 71.4 77.4 74.1 76.6
1966 75.8 75.9 79 76 66.1
1964 77.1 77 80.1 77.6 71.7
1959 78.7 78.9 82.6 78.1 65.9
1955 76.8 76.9 79.6 75.1 74.1
1951 82.6 82.7 84.4 81.2 79.9
1950 83.9 84.4 84.8 80.9 77.4
1945 72.8 73.4 75.7 69 67.4

 

[Micilin]

And a bit more on simliar attempts here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/None_of_the_above#United_Kingdom_2

 

[JBR]

We seem to be talking at cross purposes here.
Just to clarify, I was talking about registering a protest vote, i.e voting, but voting for a non-electable entity. As I believe was Aron and Micillin.
You and Eddie were discussing not voting at all.

A real difference, if the majority voted a protest vote.

But what would it achieve, other than allowing you to get something off your chest?

Whoever was elected wouldn't care whether there are more protest votes than the number he/she obtained. They would be elected into office and that's all they care about.

I think you are assuming that politicians have a conscience!

(Edit: Sorry Aron, I've just read your post which says pretty much the same thing.)