They say you shouldn't discuss religion and politics, but so far this has been a great thread and an example of Charlton Life when it's at it's best. We ought to all remember that if we can, and are trying to dig out others in a classless way (which admittedly has hardly happened so far) will not add to what has been a fantastic, informative, thought provoking and intelligent thread.
OK my point regarding who to vote for. I am especially interested in what Prague has said about Ed Davey, not because I think we ought to vote Liberal Democrat, or because I am all excited by centrist politics, but because of the notion of which person will represent which area.
I don't know when 'parties' started to formalise, it certainly wasn't at the beginning of having a Parliament. However we have grown up with the notion of Conservatives/Labour/Green/Liberal/Nationalists/Unionists/UKIP/Whigs and so on, and the introduction of party whips to keep everybody in line. Occasionally it is remarked that this or that person is a good constituency MP as if that is some kind of consolation prize for not rising within the party.
Anyway, I always thought that different areas threw up a person they would best want to represent them, first and foremost. I wonder if a Conservative MP for a fishing place like Hull would have more common ground with a Labour MP for a fishing place like Grimsby, than being divided by party ideologies. I admit to feeling that it might be a bit odd for a candidate to be landed in my patch (Lewisham East) who grew up, was educated, lives and works in Norwich for example.
I know there is an argument for good people, clever competent people to be MP's and to govern, but I also want to relate to that person too. Heidi Alexandra my MP is from Swindon, was Educated in Durham, but is my MP (and a party Whip). Now of course people ought to move and live and work where they want, but if it is difficult to decide who to vote for for many of us, then considering who has the local patch closest to their heart might be the deciding factor.
Loving the Whigs Seth!
On the last para, My disabled friend I've mentioned before was attempting to become an MP for the Conservatives. He actually got selected to be a prospective parliamentary candidate for a London suburban constituency where he would have had a fair shot at winning. (maybe a 50/50 chance?) But they said he would have to move to the constituency. This was impossible for him. Primarily because his current home is fitted out with all sorts of contraptions. (His bathroom is more like Alton Towers - it's actually quite good fun (not for him but me) to travel from the loo to the washbasin to the bath using his system of pulleys without touching the floor. But there was no way he could justify the expense of having all this specialist kit installed in a different house on the off chance that his bid to become an MP was successful. So he had to turn down the offer which I know was a bitter disappointment for him.
Anyone who is going to deliberately spoil a ballet paper is fecking pathetic. It wont achieve anything other than wasting the time of someone who has to sit there and count them all, and probably hasn't done anything to you personally. And you will actively take the time to go and do it and waste your own time?
Nuts.
Utter rubbish, you obviously don't understand that it is in fact an option, and it is a great way to make a protest vote, after all spoilt votes are counted and announced. There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way. Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
Here's a plea to everyone - exercise your ABC vote: Anything But Conservatives I live in a West Yorkshire constituency where hospital services in two of our local hospitals has been downgraded, cutting the number of staff. The Tory MP Simon Reevell is hardly seen in the constituency office and in the last year only spoken in two debates in parliament. He's a 'part-time' barrister and is known as Mr. "Two-Jobs". Education is slowly but surely being privatised. I see the consequences of it working in a relatively new academy. Schools need to be secure in LA control where services aren't put out to tender to the lowest bidder. Free schools are set up where there's no pressure on places. Rant over. Please ABC.
Can I make a counter-argument.
Anything But Labour
Look at how the entirely Labour-run Welsh NHS is run. Despite spending more money per capita they have far more problems than the Tory/LibDem run English NHS.
Also academies/free schools have absolutely nothing to do with privatisation. Can I suggest you have a reality check and stop swallowing whatever anti-Tory propaganda that gets fed to you.
Don't believe Jeremy Hunt's propaganda, he's already lost 2 court cases to the citizens of. Lewisham.
If only we had a permanent connection to the continent shared by the Brits and French.......
We still have one of course only now it's owned by the French and Belgian governments and...er...a Canadian pension fund. More of the UK's family silver gone :-(
I'm voting Labour for local reasons. Tory policy in our area these days seems to be to ignore the will of the local people. There's a few issues at the moment where despite massive public outcry, the Conservatives have taken decisions which feather their own nests rather than help the people in the local community. The local Labour candidate has pledged to reverse the decisions should they win.
I'm fed up with national government anyway. Everything is all lies and spin, no matter who gets in power so I've decided to look a bit closer to home and make decisions that will have an impact on life in my local area.
Anyone who is going to deliberately spoil a ballet paper is fecking pathetic. It wont achieve anything other than wasting the time of someone who has to sit there and count them all, and probably hasn't done anything to you personally. And you will actively take the time to go and do it and waste your own time?
Nuts.
Utter rubbish, you obviously don't understand that it is in fact an option, and it is a great way to make a protest vote, after all spoilt votes are counted and announced. There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way. Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
Big difference between 'none of the above' and spoiling a voting slip which is what I was referring to.
I cant actually find evidence that 'none of the above' will be included this year. Happy to be proven wrong.
Still don't think it is fair on the people sitting there counting them at midnight, but oh well.
It just feels a bit 'I'm not getting my own way, so I am going to stomp my feet about it'. My 6 year old might deliberately scribble on a picture he is drawing for school if I wont let him play on the Xbox before he finishes his homework. I'm still not letting him play on the Xbox.
It would be interesting if the media outlets this time made a bit of a song and dance about their intention to announce, or highlight, how many spoiled ballot papers are reported in each constituency on election night.
Anyone who is going to deliberately spoil a ballet paper is fecking pathetic. It wont achieve anything other than wasting the time of someone who has to sit there and count them all, and probably hasn't done anything to you personally. And you will actively take the time to go and do it and waste your own time?
Nuts.
Utter rubbish, you obviously don't understand that it is in fact an option, and it is a great way to make a protest vote, after all spoilt votes are counted and announced. There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way. Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
dont think spoiling a ballot paper makes much of a statement
They say you shouldn't discuss religion and politics, but so far this has been a great thread and an example of Charlton Life when it's at it's best. We ought to all remember that if we can, and are trying to dig out others in a classless way (which admittedly has hardly happened so far) will not add to what has been a fantastic, informative, thought provoking and intelligent thread.
OK my point regarding who to vote for. I am especially interested in what Prague has said about Ed Davey, not because I think we ought to vote Liberal Democrat, or because I am all excited by centrist politics, but because of the notion of which person will represent which area.
I don't know when 'parties' started to formalise, it certainly wasn't at the beginning of having a Parliament. However we have grown up with the notion of Conservatives/Labour/Green/Liberal/Nationalists/Unionists/UKIP/Whigs and so on, and the introduction of party whips to keep everybody in line. Occasionally it is remarked that this or that person is a good constituency MP as if that is some kind of consolation prize for not rising within the party.
Anyway, I always thought that different areas threw up a person they would best want to represent them, first and foremost. I wonder if a Conservative MP for a fishing place like Hull would have more common ground with a Labour MP for a fishing place like Grimsby, than being divided by party ideologies. I admit to feeling that it might be a bit odd for a candidate to be landed in my patch (Lewisham East) who grew up, was educated, lives and works in Norwich for example.
I know there is an argument for good people, clever competent people to be MP's and to govern, but I also want to relate to that person too. Heidi Alexandra my MP is from Swindon, was Educated in Durham, but is my MP (and a party Whip). Now of course people ought to move and live and work where they want, but if it is difficult to decide who to vote for for many of us, then considering who has the local patch closest to their heart might be the deciding factor.
id certainly favour(possibly above pure policies)candidate who knew my patch and had some kind of belonging to it ...the major parties "drop in " too many people for my liking ,i think this is one aspect of electoral regulation that could be improved .Although i am not a lewisham east constituent i have Heidi a couple of times and i have been pleasantly impressed
Anyone who is going to deliberately spoil a ballet paper is fecking pathetic. It wont achieve anything other than wasting the time of someone who has to sit there and count them all, and probably hasn't done anything to you personally. And you will actively take the time to go and do it and waste your own time?
Nuts.
Utter rubbish, you obviously don't understand that it is in fact an option, and it is a great way to make a protest vote, after all spoilt votes are counted and announced. There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way. Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
dont think spoiling a ballot paper makes much of a statement
They say you shouldn't discuss religion and politics, but so far this has been a great thread and an example of Charlton Life when it's at it's best. We ought to all remember that if we can, and are trying to dig out others in a classless way (which admittedly has hardly happened so far) will not add to what has been a fantastic, informative, thought provoking and intelligent thread.
OK my point regarding who to vote for. I am especially interested in what Prague has said about Ed Davey, not because I think we ought to vote Liberal Democrat, or because I am all excited by centrist politics, but because of the notion of which person will represent which area.
I don't know when 'parties' started to formalise, it certainly wasn't at the beginning of having a Parliament. However we have grown up with the notion of Conservatives/Labour/Green/Liberal/Nationalists/Unionists/UKIP/Whigs and so on, and the introduction of party whips to keep everybody in line. Occasionally it is remarked that this or that person is a good constituency MP as if that is some kind of consolation prize for not rising within the party.
Anyway, I always thought that different areas threw up a person they would best want to represent them, first and foremost. I wonder if a Conservative MP for a fishing place like Hull would have more common ground with a Labour MP for a fishing place like Grimsby, than being divided by party ideologies. I admit to feeling that it might be a bit odd for a candidate to be landed in my patch (Lewisham East) who grew up, was educated, lives and works in Norwich for example.
I know there is an argument for good people, clever competent people to be MP's and to govern, but I also want to relate to that person too. Heidi Alexandra my MP is from Swindon, was Educated in Durham, but is my MP (and a party Whip). Now of course people ought to move and live and work where they want, but if it is difficult to decide who to vote for for many of us, then considering who has the local patch closest to their heart might be the deciding factor.
id certainly favour(possibly above pure policies)candidate who knew my patch and had some kind of belonging to it ...the major parties "drop in " too many people for my liking ,i think this is one aspect of electoral regulation that could be improved .Although i am not a lewisham east constituent i have Heidi a couple of times and i have been pleasantly impressed
Anyone who is going to deliberately spoil a ballet paper is fecking pathetic. It wont achieve anything other than wasting the time of someone who has to sit there and count them all, and probably hasn't done anything to you personally. And you will actively take the time to go and do it and waste your own time?
Nuts.
Utter rubbish, you obviously don't understand that it is in fact an option, and it is a great way to make a protest vote, after all spoilt votes are counted and announced. There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way. Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
Big difference between 'none of the above' and spoiling a voting slip which is what I was referring to.
I cant actually find evidence that 'none of the above' will be included this year. Happy to be proven wrong.
Still don't think it is fair on the people sitting there counting them at midnight, but oh well.
It just feels a bit 'I'm not getting my own way, so I am going to stomp my feet about it'. My 6 year old might deliberately scribble on a picture he is drawing for school if I wont let him play on the Xbox before he finishes his homework. I'm still not letting him play on the Xbox.
????........you write none of the above on the paper, thus declaring that none of the above are worth voting for because they do not/cannot represent me!!
Anyone who is going to deliberately spoil a ballet paper is fecking pathetic. It wont achieve anything other than wasting the time of someone who has to sit there and count them all, and probably hasn't done anything to you personally. And you will actively take the time to go and do it and waste your own time?
Nuts.
Utter rubbish, you obviously don't understand that it is in fact an option, and it is a great way to make a protest vote, after all spoilt votes are counted and announced. There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way. Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
Big difference between 'none of the above' and spoiling a voting slip which is what I was referring to.
I cant actually find evidence that 'none of the above' will be included this year. Happy to be proven wrong.
Still don't think it is fair on the people sitting there counting them at midnight, but oh well.
It just feels a bit 'I'm not getting my own way, so I am going to stomp my feet about it'. My 6 year old might deliberately scribble on a picture he is drawing for school if I wont let him play on the Xbox before he finishes his homework. I'm still not letting him play on the Xbox.
????........you write none of the above on the paper, thus declaring that none of the above are worth voting for because they do not/cannot represent me!!
Yes - so thats spoiling it. It isn't an option to place a cross against as you said.
You could always tie yourself to the polling station doors wearing a T shirt saying 'If Cameron or Milliband or Clegg or Farage get in, I will get their faces tattooed on my arse'.
I can guarantee you would get more publicity than spoiling a ballot paper.
Rob me and you have 30+ days to form a party save the country from abyss and get that giraffe living in ten downing street Too late mate, he's been shot and his trophy is now adorning my living room wall. Saying that, he'll still do a better job than a few that are veering for the seat at the moment, like!
Anyone who is going to deliberately spoil a ballet paper is fecking pathetic. It wont achieve anything other than wasting the time of someone who has to sit there and count them all, and probably hasn't done anything to you personally. And you will actively take the time to go and do it and waste your own time?
Nuts.
Utter rubbish, you obviously don't understand that it is in fact an option, and it is a great way to make a protest vote, after all spoilt votes are counted and announced. There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way. Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
Big difference between 'none of the above' and spoiling a voting slip which is what I was referring to.
I cant actually find evidence that 'none of the above' will be included this year. Happy to be proven wrong.
Still don't think it is fair on the people sitting there counting them at midnight, but oh well.
It just feels a bit 'I'm not getting my own way, so I am going to stomp my feet about it'. My 6 year old might deliberately scribble on a picture he is drawing for school if I wont let him play on the Xbox before he finishes his homework. I'm still not letting him play on the Xbox.
????........you write none of the above on the paper, thus declaring that none of the above are worth voting for because they do not/cannot represent me!!
Yes - so thats spoiling it. It isn't an option to place a cross against as you said.
You could always tie yourself to the polling station doors wearing a T shirt saying 'If Cameron or Milliband or Clegg or Farage get in, I will get their faces tattooed on my arse'.
I can guarantee you would get more publicity than spoiling a ballot paper.
I'm with @Greenie on this. My Dad and probably yours fought in a war for the right to vote freely. My wife got beaten up in Narodni trida in Prague on 17.11.89 in support of the same ambition. If you spoil your paper it means that you respect such people enough to get up off your ass and get down the polling station, and your opinion is registered in the democratic system.. Bothering the electoral officers? They just stick it on the pile marked "spoilt/invalid" . I think the average electoral officer wants to see as many people as possible turning up.
Anyone who is going to deliberately spoil a ballet paper is fecking pathetic. It wont achieve anything other than wasting the time of someone who has to sit there and count them all, and probably hasn't done anything to you personally. And you will actively take the time to go and do it and waste your own time?
Nuts.
Utter rubbish, you obviously don't understand that it is in fact an option, and it is a great way to make a protest vote, after all spoilt votes are counted and announced. There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way. Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
Big difference between 'none of the above' and spoiling a voting slip which is what I was referring to.
I cant actually find evidence that 'none of the above' will be included this year. Happy to be proven wrong.
Still don't think it is fair on the people sitting there counting them at midnight, but oh well.
It just feels a bit 'I'm not getting my own way, so I am going to stomp my feet about it'. My 6 year old might deliberately scribble on a picture he is drawing for school if I wont let him play on the Xbox before he finishes his homework. I'm still not letting him play on the Xbox.
????........you write none of the above on the paper, thus declaring that none of the above are worth voting for because they do not/cannot represent me!!
Yes - so thats spoiling it. It isn't an option to place a cross against as you said.
You could always tie yourself to the polling station doors wearing a T shirt saying 'If Cameron or Milliband or Clegg or Farage get in, I will get their faces tattooed on my arse'.
I can guarantee you would get more publicity than spoiling a ballot paper.
I'm with @Greenie on this. My Dad and probably yours fought in a war for the right to vote freely. My wife got beaten up in Narodni trida in Prague on 17.11.89 in support of the same ambition. If you spoil your paper it means that you respect such people enough to get up off your ass and get down the polling station, and your opinion is registered in the democratic system.. Bothering the electoral officers? They just stick it on the pile marked "spoilt/invalid" . I think the average electoral officer wants to see as many people as possible turning up.
This is it - I also feel that the right to vote freely is a privilege that was fought for. Totally on board with all of that. But I think spoiling a vote in a scribble etc is wasting that opportunity that you have been given. I just cant see what can be achieved from getting off your arse and heading down there and casting a vote that will have no impact on the final result.
Anyone who is going to deliberately spoil a ballet paper is fecking pathetic. It wont achieve anything other than wasting the time of someone who has to sit there and count them all, and probably hasn't done anything to you personally. And you will actively take the time to go and do it and waste your own time?
Nuts.
Utter rubbish, you obviously don't understand that it is in fact an option, and it is a great way to make a protest vote, after all spoilt votes are counted and announced. There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way. Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
Big difference between 'none of the above' and spoiling a voting slip which is what I was referring to.
I cant actually find evidence that 'none of the above' will be included this year. Happy to be proven wrong.
Still don't think it is fair on the people sitting there counting them at midnight, but oh well.
It just feels a bit 'I'm not getting my own way, so I am going to stomp my feet about it'. My 6 year old might deliberately scribble on a picture he is drawing for school if I wont let him play on the Xbox before he finishes his homework. I'm still not letting him play on the Xbox.
????........you write none of the above on the paper, thus declaring that none of the above are worth voting for because they do not/cannot represent me!!
Yes - so thats spoiling it. It isn't an option to place a cross against as you said.
You could always tie yourself to the polling station doors wearing a T shirt saying 'If Cameron or Milliband or Clegg or Farage get in, I will get their faces tattooed on my arse'.
I can guarantee you would get more publicity than spoiling a ballot paper.
I'm with @Greenie on this. My Dad and probably yours fought in a war for the right to vote freely. My wife got beaten up in Narodni trida in Prague on 17.11.89 in support of the same ambition. If you spoil your paper it means that you respect such people enough to get up off your ass and get down the polling station, and your opinion is registered in the democratic system.. Bothering the electoral officers? They just stick it on the pile marked "spoilt/invalid" . I think the average electoral officer wants to see as many people as possible turning up.
This is it - I also feel that the right to vote freely is a privilege that was fought for. Totally on board with all of that. But I think spoiling a vote in a scribble etc is wasting that opportunity that you have been given. I just cant see what can be achieved from getting off your arse and heading down there and casting a vote that will have no impact on the final result.
Anyone who is going to deliberately spoil a ballet paper is fecking pathetic. It wont achieve anything other than wasting the time of someone who has to sit there and count them all, and probably hasn't done anything to you personally. And you will actively take the time to go and do it and waste your own time?
Nuts.
Utter rubbish, you obviously don't understand that it is in fact an option, and it is a great way to make a protest vote, after all spoilt votes are counted and announced. There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way. Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
Big difference between 'none of the above' and spoiling a voting slip which is what I was referring to.
I cant actually find evidence that 'none of the above' will be included this year. Happy to be proven wrong.
Still don't think it is fair on the people sitting there counting them at midnight, but oh well.
It just feels a bit 'I'm not getting my own way, so I am going to stomp my feet about it'. My 6 year old might deliberately scribble on a picture he is drawing for school if I wont let him play on the Xbox before he finishes his homework. I'm still not letting him play on the Xbox.
????........you write none of the above on the paper, thus declaring that none of the above are worth voting for because they do not/cannot represent me!!
Yes - so thats spoiling it. It isn't an option to place a cross against as you said.
You could always tie yourself to the polling station doors wearing a T shirt saying 'If Cameron or Milliband or Clegg or Farage get in, I will get their faces tattooed on my arse'.
I can guarantee you would get more publicity than spoiling a ballot paper.
I'm with @Greenie on this. My Dad and probably yours fought in a war for the right to vote freely. My wife got beaten up in Narodni trida in Prague on 17.11.89 in support of the same ambition. If you spoil your paper it means that you respect such people enough to get up off your ass and get down the polling station, and your opinion is registered in the democratic system.. Bothering the electoral officers? They just stick it on the pile marked "spoilt/invalid" . I think the average electoral officer wants to see as many people as possible turning up.
This is it - I also feel that the right to vote freely is a privilege that was fought for. Totally on board with all of that. But I think spoiling a vote in a scribble etc is wasting that opportunity that you have been given. I just cant see what can be achieved from getting off your arse and heading down there and casting a vote that will have no impact on the final result.
I give up......
Sometimes people have a different view.
So why are they all so useless? I haven't even asked that.
We should adopt the Aussie system - you have to vote but there is a none of the above option.
Edited to add they don't have a none of the above option after all. You still have to "spoil" your vote if you want to say none of the above.
I reckon we should adopt the Belgian system. You have to vote, but you won't be punished if you don't bother. And the government takes years to form but the country carries on regardless.
As someone who has worked on the count on numerous occasions, I can tell you that few things make a potentially dull job like that more interesting than spoilt papers. It's a great way of registering your opinion whilst making other people very happy. I salute each and every person who spoils their paper.
Anyone who is going to deliberately spoil a ballet paper is fecking pathetic. It wont achieve anything other than wasting the time of someone who has to sit there and count them all, and probably hasn't done anything to you personally. And you will actively take the time to go and do it and waste your own time?
Nuts.
Utter rubbish, you obviously don't understand that it is in fact an option, and it is a great way to make a protest vote, after all spoilt votes are counted and announced. There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way. Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
Big difference between 'none of the above' and spoiling a voting slip which is what I was referring to.
I cant actually find evidence that 'none of the above' will be included this year. Happy to be proven wrong.
Still don't think it is fair on the people sitting there counting them at midnight, but oh well.
It just feels a bit 'I'm not getting my own way, so I am going to stomp my feet about it'. My 6 year old might deliberately scribble on a picture he is drawing for school if I wont let him play on the Xbox before he finishes his homework. I'm still not letting him play on the Xbox.
????........you write none of the above on the paper, thus declaring that none of the above are worth voting for because they do not/cannot represent me!!
Yes - so thats spoiling it. It isn't an option to place a cross against as you said.
You could always tie yourself to the polling station doors wearing a T shirt saying 'If Cameron or Milliband or Clegg or Farage get in, I will get their faces tattooed on my arse'.
I can guarantee you would get more publicity than spoiling a ballot paper.
I'm with @Greenie on this. My Dad and probably yours fought in a war for the right to vote freely. My wife got beaten up in Narodni trida in Prague on 17.11.89 in support of the same ambition. If you spoil your paper it means that you respect such people enough to get up off your ass and get down the polling station, and your opinion is registered in the democratic system.. Bothering the electoral officers? They just stick it on the pile marked "spoilt/invalid" . I think the average electoral officer wants to see as many people as possible turning up.
This is it - I also feel that the right to vote freely is a privilege that was fought for. Totally on board with all of that. But I think spoiling a vote in a scribble etc is wasting that opportunity that you have been given. I just cant see what can be achieved from getting off your arse and heading down there and casting a vote that will have no impact on the final result.
I see it a bit differently Damo. I see that those that fought in the war, fought for freedom. Freedom is the freedom to say that you don't believe that those running in the election represent you or what you want from a ruling party. It is still a vote
We should adopt the Aussie system - you have to vote but there is a none of the above option.
Edited to add they don't have a none of the above option after all. You still have to "spoil" your vote if you want to say none of the above.
I reckon we should adopt the Belgian system. You have to vote, but you won't be punished if you don't bother. And the government takes years to form but the country carries on regardless.
Or the Belgian network system. You have a politician that isn't working out in say, I don't know, somewhere like Liege in Belgium, all of a sudden that politician is drafted into Greenwich. The residents of Greenwich then organise a meeting to question the system and demand more communication with the central ruling dictator of said network, only for that politician to make a few good decisions, steady the ship, leaving the residents confused as to how to spend their time
I think if you value your right to vote but none of the options appeal, it is perfectly valid to spoil your voting slip. You are making a satement and engaging in the process.
We should adopt the Aussie system - you have to vote but there is a none of the above option.
Edited to add they don't have a none of the above option after all. You still have to "spoil" your vote if you want to say none of the above.
I reckon we should adopt the Belgian system. You have to vote, but you won't be punished if you don't bother. And the government takes years to form but the country carries on regardless.
Or the Belgian network system. You have a politician that isn't working out in say, I don't know, somewhere like Liege in Belgium, all of a sudden that politician is drafted into Greenwich. The residents of Greenwich then organise a meeting to question the system and demand more communication with the central ruling dictator of said network, only for that politician to make a few good decisions, steady the ship, leaving the residents confused as to how to spend their time
Its a system that worked for us, and failed for the catholic church
As someone who has worked on the count on numerous occasions, I can tell you that few things make a potentially dull job like that more interesting than spoilt papers. It's a great way of registering your opinion whilst making other people very happy. I salute each and every person who spoils their paper.
Yep, from family and friends who've worked on the counts, an entertainingly spoiled ballot relieves the monotony of the count no end. Personal favourite I had reported back was the one where someone had written right across the length of the ballot paper "They're all a bunch of bastards and I wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire". They're also far better than the ones where you're not sure whether it's a deliberately spoiled ballot or the voter hasn't quite understood how to cast their vote properly, which can end up getting ridiculously scrutinised if the result is close.
Spoiling your ballot is really the only way you can indicate that you don't think the choice of candidates and/or their policies are to your liking, rather than not being arsed to get off the sofa on polling day. And they do count the spoiled ballots, and announce them at the counts. I wonder what would happen if the number of spoiled ballots started to outstrip the votes for one of the mainstream parties in constituencies across the country.
They might announce 100 spoilt papers but you don't know if that was 1 fuck all you politician scum paper and 99 papers that were just filled in incorrectly and could not be counted.
They might announce 100 spoilt papers but you don't know if that was 1 fuck all you politician scum paper and 99 papers that were just filled in incorrectly and could not be counted.
If you soil it rather than spoil it, it will get the message across
Comments
Loving the Whigs Seth!
On the last para, My disabled friend I've mentioned before was attempting to become an MP for the Conservatives. He actually got selected to be a prospective parliamentary candidate for a London suburban constituency where he would have had a fair shot at winning. (maybe a 50/50 chance?) But they said he would have to move to the constituency.
This was impossible for him. Primarily because his current home is fitted out with all sorts of contraptions. (His bathroom is more like Alton Towers - it's actually quite good fun (not for him but me) to travel from the loo to the washbasin to the bath using his system of pulleys without touching the floor.
But there was no way he could justify the expense of having all this specialist kit installed in a different house on the off chance that his bid to become an MP was successful. So he had to turn down the offer which I know was a bitter disappointment for him.
There is no political party that shares my views and indeed many others (the Tories and labour are now both as useless as each other, Camoron or Millibland leading our country? please do me a favour), UKIP or The Greens (both joke parties) so my choices are 1) don't bother voting or 2) Write 'None of the above'. This lets them know, albeit in a small way.
Furthermore in reading some of the disenchanted comments on here if all those that cannot see a difference between the parties or indeed do not agree with them were to spoil, then it might spark some party policy changes that even the thick skinned, feather nesters that inhabit parliament would take notice of.
I'm fed up with national government anyway. Everything is all lies and spin, no matter who gets in power so I've decided to look a bit closer to home and make decisions that will have an impact on life in my local area.
I cant actually find evidence that 'none of the above' will be included this year. Happy to be proven wrong.
Still don't think it is fair on the people sitting there counting them at midnight, but oh well.
It just feels a bit 'I'm not getting my own way, so I am going to stomp my feet about it'. My 6 year old might deliberately scribble on a picture he is drawing for school if I wont let him play on the Xbox before he finishes his homework. I'm still not letting him play on the Xbox.
On your laptop?
You could always tie yourself to the polling station doors wearing a T shirt saying 'If Cameron or Milliband or Clegg or Farage get in, I will get their faces tattooed on my arse'.
I can guarantee you would get more publicity than spoiling a ballot paper.
*Only applies if you a Big Roberta
Edited to add they don't have a none of the above option after all. You still have to "spoil" your vote if you want to say none of the above.
So why are they all so useless? I haven't even asked that.
Spoiling your ballot is really the only way you can indicate that you don't think the choice of candidates and/or their policies are to your liking, rather than not being arsed to get off the sofa on polling day. And they do count the spoiled ballots, and announce them at the counts. I wonder what would happen if the number of spoiled ballots started to outstrip the votes for one of the mainstream parties in constituencies across the country.