How do you get a Labour government?

Are you disrespecting me? Are you disrespecting me though?

Don't tell me what to do, are you telling me what to do? Are you stupid? Why don't you shut up though? Shut up, then.

Can I aks you a question?

Oh my God. This has got to be yet another Joe alias. :rolleyes:
 
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Are you disrespecting me? Are you disrespecting me though?

Don't tell me what to do, are you telling me what to do? Are you stupid? Why don't you shut up though? Shut up, then.

Can I aks you a question?

Oh my God. This has got to be yet another Joe alias. :rolleyes:

Don't be silly I only ever post under one name. :rolleyes:
 
So who is going to vote UKIP when it ensures that the Labour party will get in and take us further into Europe? Vote UKIP if you want to stay in Europe.
It's a conundrum isn't it?
 
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I think the problem nowadays in a "developed" country like ours is that we have reached a point where there are no great upheavals that any political leader / party has the foresight or courage to take on (and remain in power).
The industrial revolution, free education available to all, a roof over your head if you want it, the NHS, pensions for all, the reduction of the unions' power - all been through, and done. The Whitehall Civil Service are happy to keep "as you were", and the politicians are happy shuffling chairs around, as long as they keep their nose in the trough. When was the last time you actually got your MP to change anything of substance?
Which is why our roads are crumbling, and resemble patchwork quilts; we are warned every winter about "the lights going out", because our electricity generating and distribution system (built in the 50's, with a 25 yr intended lifespan) is still being patched along, until the replacements (which we started to build, too late) come on line; why when the sewer collapses, they fix that 6ft section only, then come back to fix the next inevitable collapse, a month or a year later. Make do and mend. Bodge it back together.
For all the money the UK supposedly has, where does it all go? Everywhere I look, our infrastructure is well beyond its intended lifespan, and is being maintained on a drip......
 
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@Brigadier.

Yes, I agree completely. The excuse that they trot out is that we don't have any money now. Yet they still manage to set some aside for foreign aid, highly paid civil servants and, of course, MPs.

One thing in which we still lead the world: wastefulness. And the Labour party are past masters at that sort of thing.
 
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.)

I think the point may be missed by some who think that the only purpose of a NOTA option is to vote 'for' something.

The first objective would be the removal of an excuse for people not to vote,as it would render the 'protest by abstention' argument for being lazy void.

This would also mean that poor turnout was not wrongly attributed to being the result of protest and would further legitimise the poll result.
Ie the vote is a truer gauge of intention.

The NOTA option would remove the supposition that is often made about a vote for a minority party or independent being merely a protest , not a 'real' vote 'for' them. NOTA would help ensure that such votes were valued as highly as every other vote, and also reduce support for extremist views being falsely inflated.

As many people do not seem to value their right to vote, which has been hard won by our forbears' efforts at home and abroad, in my ideal world there would be some way of rewarding voters (if punishing non voters is not acceptable ). And I am not sure of the merits of making voting compulsory in a free society. The right not to vote should also be kept.

In my ideal world, perhaps a small tax rebate or some other benefit accrues when you vote.

Can anyone think of a better mechanism for rewarding those that value the democratic process, imperfect though it is?
 
Can anyone think of a better mechanism for rewarding those that value the democratic process, imperfect though it is?

Yes. Make everybody's vote count: introduce proportional representation.
 
You had your chance for PR and refused it.
 
Oh Joe, that old chestnut again. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: PR still doesn't guarantee anything. (apart from more expenses cheats and hypocrites) ;) ;)
 
Can anyone think of a better mechanism for rewarding those that value the democratic process, imperfect though it is?

Yes. Make everybody's vote count: introduce proportional representation.

Merits or otherwise of PR aside, how does it reward the act of casting a vote?

How does it differentiate between the apathetic, the incompetent and the 'protester'?
 
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