Some thoughts on politics

[andrewducker]

First, some local observations. I have to say that I was incredibly disappointed to discover that the majority of the people standing in my local area didn't have a web page up anywhere explaining who they were, what they believe, and why we should vote for them. At a point where people are disgusted by all the political parties coming across as a real person rather than a mouthpiece for the party line is vital. This is particularly true in Scotland, where we use Single Transferrable Vote. While my natural reaction is to place Labour near the bottom of the parties I'm willing to vote for, I'd move an individual candidate who was on the liberal wing of the party up the list - so it's in their interest to make it clear exactly where they stand. Also, STV makes it dramatically easier for independents, or unusual parties, to get elected. I'd have been interested in a Pirate Party candidate, but there weren't any standing in my ward. With a decent voting system (as we have in Scotland) there's no excuse for not voting "Because they're all the same." - you can get involved, organise some friends, and get out there recruiting people.

On a national level the main issue I'm seeing is incredibly low turnout - less than 30% in most places. Most people have no idea who to vote for, because of the aforementioned "They're all the same" argument. From the Boris and Ken show in London to the various Scottish parties warning me not to let each other in, the main driver that's being used is fear. And it's not working, because at this point nobody believes anything any of the major parties say.

bracknellexile suggested I run a poll about the voting, which was tempting. He was wondering what information people got through their door, whether it only had national information or local information, whether it had information on what the candidate(s) personally believed, etc. But after reading on Facebook, LJ and various other sites last night, I know that the answers are horribly disappointing all round. The thought of posting a poll that will then get filled up with more information that makes me miserable, and comments highlighting the awful state of British politics just fills me with too much dread.

Comments

[cheekbones3]

Against a lot of my instincts, I voted on party-lines rather than on individual lines. Since I generally vote for smaller parties, a large focus of my vote is to give a higher profile to those parties rather than worrying about the details of the views of the particular candidate(s).

However, given the option of a Liberal candidate, who due to their lack of power and hence non-dereliction of morals, they were certainly a pleasing choice. And the Greens I'm pretty sure are as close to my views as any party is likely to be right now. Lib Dems relegated to #3 for a national lack of moral fibre and a local costly fuck-up. With a shudder, I even gave Labour #4, but that's just two fingers to the Fat Man.

[andrewducker]

No Liberals for me. I mostly had the mainstream parties. So I went LD->Green->SNP->Lab and then stopped, because beyond that point there were dragons.

[gonzo21.livejournal.com]

I got one leaflet through the door from a conservative, and couldn't find anything about any of the other candidates.

Didn't want to vote Tory. Didn't want to vote for any of the major parties. Didn't know what any of the independents stood for (as far as I knew they might have been fascists). So I didn't vote.

Quite agree about the depressingly awful state of British politics.

[naath.livejournal.com]

We were doing leafleting for the LDs, and Labour did leaflet us, the Tories didn't bother but then we live in a poor part of left-leaning city so not really their stomping ground. The thing that surprised me was the candidate standing for a party so small he was almost an independent who had clearly gone to the bother of putting up the money to stand... but hadn't campaigned to the point where the first I knew he was standing was when I saw the ballot paper. Why bother? I know the Tories want to have a candidate for every seat (even the ones they "know they'll loose"; don't rely on that btw, Dad is a councillor even though he stood in such a seat...) but if you are (nearly) independent surely you are standing because you want to be heard?

[cobrabay.livejournal.com]

There are odd moments of civilised behaviour. I took the scenic route to the polling station last night, as I had been working from home all day and needed a walk, and ran into my councillor, who was standing that night. She perceived I was on my way to vote (I was carrying the poll card in my hand), said "Hello", and we chatted briefly, about the weather and likelihood of getting any gardening done this weekend (my front lawn needs nuking from orbit). I thanked her for her support for the local libraries, and then I carried on my way to the polling station where I voted against her (she's a Tory with a huge majority).

[steer.livejournal.com]

I got no leaflets, no candidates calling... we had three elections where I am: Mayor, Assembly and Local... the only one I really care much about is Mayor but there's no hope of Ken getting in really so it's all a bit of a waste of time as far as I'm concerned.

[joexnz.livejournal.com]

We didn't vote, I say we as its Alan who usually makes me. I have voted of my own accord in the past, but only when I felt it would make a difference. And it hasn't felt that way in a long time

We got leafleted by a few, though I couldn't tell you who. Someone stuck the independents leaflet on the back of the stair door, I took it down. But did read it on the way to bin, I was considering putting it back till I read that £6k for a council workers away day was a waste of rate payers money. Having been on them, I thought was fairly cheap for the return in productivity you get when you feel part of a team. So I hiffed it

I think Im just voting green from now on, they'll never get in, but I can claim the moral high ground with my vote

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking of writing a post about my reaction to this campaign, so I might nick some of my reply...

I have felt completely ungrabbed by this campaign. Living in London, it is only the Mayoral and London Assembly elections, and has been dominated by Virus (thank you Swype!) and Ken. Politics doesn't really seem to feature.

I spent one evening campaigning. The day after Brian Paddock and London Lib Dems manifesto launch, I thought it was campaigning for the candidate for the Assembly, whom I had promised last summer to campaign for. It was actually a leaflet drop for my MP, and the leaflet was rubbish.

I didn't go back.

Local Lib Dems were barely in touch, except to ask me to do stuff I had told them I didn't want to do. They didn't give me any posters to put up, which seemed strange.

I received one leaflet from Lib Dems, one from Labour.

I believe the Lib Dems are going to get stuffed in London...

[alitheapipkin.livejournal.com]

We got nothing through the door at all. The Boy met several of our local candidates when he went to vote at around 9.30 am, the place was deserted by the time I went at about 4.30 pm. I found party web sites with some general info about the local group in them but no specific info about any of the candidates, aside from the Socialist/anti cuts coalition guy whose job was also listed on their site. That website was also the best in terms of having an actual manifesto on it (well, the best of the ones I looked at, I didn't go near the Tory one).

[brixtonbrood.livejournal.com]

We got quite a lot of leaflets, mostly but not all about the mayoral election. We got canvassed once by Labour and then they came back to remind us to vote on the day.

What's annoying is that so many people I've talked to have been dissatisfied with the choice between Boris and Ken, but clearly very few of them have taken advantage of the voting system to pick someone else as a first preference. FPTP bollocks about "wasted votes" has been widely spouted.

[andrewducker]

Yeah, it's boggling, really. I'm sure it will take some time for it to filter through to people though. Give it another election and we might get somewhere.