Election Year or Fear!

[ramAnag]

https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/po...-shows-400001/

So would you? Obviously doesn't apply to the reform voters amongst us but for everyone else would you go down the 'anyone but reform route?'

I think you know my answer.

My Grandad used to say it's not about voting for who can be the best for you, but more about who can do the least harm.

Your Grandad had a point. I would vote tactically and, living where I live - which was until last year a very safe Tory seat - I have done for the last forty odd years.

[Andy_Faber]

Well if you took it to that extent you wouldn't vote at all.

Should be compulsory imo

[SithHappens]

Should be compulsory imo

Maybe, although an old work colleague of mine always said to vote you should have to pass an IQ test of sorts.

Although I suspect that was because he thought everyone who disagreed with him was thick.

I don't feel it should be compulsory but feel we should do more to encourage a bigger turnout.

Would online voting increase turnout?

Same Grandad always said if you don't vote you have absolutely no right to complain or moan about those in government.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Swale, on Farage: "Where he will fall apart and its happening now, is when he tries to put forward detailed financial policies and move away from ....."

Correct and this is where extremists always fall down, especially when only pursuing one key policy as their platform. Its just the same as we saw with Corbyn. Gets popular suypport for talking a story, but when it comes to the wider world of actual government, dont have a scoobie on practicalities.

Great in opposition, hopeless when the baton is handed to them for wider action.

[SithHappens]

Was Corbyn even that good in opposition?

But opposition should be easy, the tories aren't doing a great job though, they seem to be stuck between reform and a hard place.

We know reform are doing well, I think the party missing out right now are the lib dems because while I think Davey is a man of good character i think people struggle to take him seriously. In today's fractured political landscape I wonder what a Paddy Ashdown might do today.

That said, compared with today were we spoiled in the 90s? John Major, John Smith and Ashdown as the leaders of the main political parties. I wish we had that today.

[Geoff Parkstone]

.

Maybe, although an old work colleague of mine always said to vote you should have to pass an IQ test of sorts.

Although I suspect that was because he thought everyone who disagreed with him was thick.

I didnt know you and Swale used to work together

I don't feel it should be compulsory but feel we should do more to encourage a bigger turnout.

Would online voting increase turnout?

Im sure online voting is the shape of things to come, but there is a lot to be said for the "in person" approach, not least being that election fraud is much more likely with online voting and can be done on a mass basis. One half way decent hacker could get the Monster Raving Loony candidate elected in Islington North or Clacton with relative simplicity Im sure. Oh wait, they are already in....

Compulsory voting has its appeals but I suspect that would work better in a proportional representation based environment.

Same Grandad always said if you don't vote you have absolutely no right to complain or moan about those in government.

In a way thats true but how many constituencies are rotten? Despite above average swings in each of the last two elections, there are still many people effectively disenfranchised by the "vote for a pig if it has a blue/red rosette on" mentality. Even in the last elections with its huge pro labour swing there was still no point voting for them in my constituency.

[SithHappens]

Maybe, although an old work colleague of mine always said to vote you should have to pass an IQ test of sorts.

Although I suspect that was because he thought everyone who disagreed with him was thick.

I didnt know you and Swale used to work together

I don't feel it should be compulsory but feel we should do more to encourage a bigger turnout.

Would online voting increase turnout?

Im sure online voting is the shape of things to come, but there is a lot to be said for the "in person" approach, not least being that election fraud is much more likely with online voting and can be done on a mass basis. One half way decent hacker could get the Monster Raving Loony candidate elected in Islington North or Clacton with relative simplicity Im sure. Oh wait, they are already in....

Compulsory voting has its appeals but I suspect that would work better in a proportional representation based environment.

Same Grandad always said if you don't vote you have absolutely no right to complain or moan about those in government.

In a way thats true but how many constituencies are rotten? Despite above average swings in each of the last two elections, there are still many people effectively disenfranchised by the "vote for a pig if it has a blue/red rosette on" mentality. Even in the last elections with its huge pro labour swing there was still no point voting for them in my constituency.

With your 'quoting' ability i don't think you'd pass said IQ test.

I'm only joking BTW.

I guess hacking etc is the concern with online voting but I'd think there would be some way to avoid it Who knows though. In covid early figures were found to be wrong when it was discovered they were using an older version of excel to record cases which had a limit on number of rows so online voting might be a stretch.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Liberals / LibDems have been a joke since Rinka was taken out back in the 70's, apart from a brief glimmer of potential relevance that was swiftly pissed away by Clegg, who really should have stayed walking the moors arounf Holmfirth.

[swaledale]

Swale, on Farage: "Where he will fall apart and its happening now, is when he tries to put forward detailed financial policies and move away from ....."

Correct and this is where extremists always fall down, especially when only pursuing one key policy as their platform. Its just the same as we saw with Corbyn. Gets popular suypport for talking a story, but when it comes to the wider world of actual government, dont have a scoobie on practicalities.

Great in opposition, hopeless when the baton is handed to them for wider action.

Spot on!!

[Andy_Faber]

Maybe, although an old work colleague of mine always said to vote you should have to pass an IQ test of sorts.

Although I suspect that was because he thought everyone who disagreed with him was thick.

I didnt know you and Swale used to work together

Beat me to it there GP