Author Topic: Today's (5th May) elections (Read 4598 times)

Hope · « **on:** May 05, 2016, 08:11:49 AM »

Just wondering what your election 'pack' conists of. I shall be removing the Police and Crime Commissioner slate from mine and returning it to the officials as I regard the concept a bureaucratic irrelevance and I don't even what the turn-out figures to include me for that election.

Obviously, I'll be voting for the welsh Government. Just trying to work out how best to relegate Labour to oppposition without letting in the likes of UKIP who seem to be drawing more on disenchanted Labour voters than voters from any other party here in Wales.

L.A. · « **Reply #1 on:** May 05, 2016, 08:23:42 AM »

I think we only have a vote on Police Commissioner this time - and no one I know can tell me exactly what the Commissioner does - except draw a salary.

Harrowby Hall · « **Reply #2 on:** May 05, 2016, 08:36:47 AM »

Quote from: L.A. on May 05, 2016, 08:23:42 AM

I think we only have a vote on Police Commissioner this time - and no one I know can tell me exactly what the Commissioner does - except draw a salary.

Indeed. We, too, only have the Police Commissioner.

Another stupid act by Cameron to go alongside putting party before nation after the Scottish referendum. Not to mention the Brexit referendum. His own grandchildren will blush with embarrassment when they study modern history at school.

His sole qualification for Tory party leadership was that his name wasn't Kenneth Clarke.

ekim · « **Reply #3 on:** May 05, 2016, 09:21:43 AM »

Quote from: Hope on May 05, 2016, 08:11:49 AM

I shall be removing the Police and Crime Commissioner slate from mine and returning it to the officials as I regard the concept a bureaucratic irrelevance and I don't even what the turn-out figures to include me for that election.

We have a candidate for Police Commissioner whose policy is to abolish the post.

john · « **Reply #4 on:** May 05, 2016, 09:30:20 AM »

"We have a candidate for Police Commissioner whose policy is to abolish the post."

Now him I'd vote for!

Hope · « **Reply #5 on:** May 05, 2016, 11:45:21 AM »

Quote from: john on May 05, 2016, 09:30:20 AM

"We have a candidate for Police Commissioner whose policy is to abolish the post."

Now him I'd vote for!

Likewise.

floo · « **Reply #6 on:** May 05, 2016, 11:57:20 AM »

We have postal votes so sent ours back last week. It was hard to make a choice, especially where the Police Commissioner was concerned.

jakswan · « **Reply #7 on:** May 05, 2016, 02:58:47 PM »

We have a party called Abolish the Welsh Assembly, lets get rid of the gravy train!

ProfessorDavey · « **Reply #8 on:** May 05, 2016, 03:43:56 PM »

We have both a district council election for our ward - happens pretty well every year, plus the Police and Crime Commissioner.

I think the latter is a complete waste of time and space and for the only time every deliberately refused to vote the first time there was an election for the post a few years ago. Just to convince myself I wasn't being just lazy I took a detour on my cycle back from the station to pass directly in front of the polling station but didn't go in.

Last time around turnout was about 15% which makes the election a farce - turnout was actually boosted in one place because their was a parish council by-election on the same day and I'd image parish council by-elections typically have about the lowest turnout of any normal election.

Bizarrely the Lib-Dem candidate for my local council election is also the Lib-Dem candidate for the Police and Crime Commissioner election which all seems a bit odd really, as were he to be elected to both he'd be a district councillor, a county councillor and the Police and Crime Commissioner.

L.A. · « **Reply #9 on:** May 05, 2016, 09:43:14 PM »

Quote from: john on May 05, 2016, 09:30:20 AM

"We have a candidate for Police Commissioner whose policy is to abolish the post."

Now him I'd vote for!

I suppose next time around, it might be good idea to put yourself forward as Police Commissioner pledging to reduce the Commissioners salary by 50% - that way you could get quite a lot of money for doing bugger-all and STILL save the taxpayer money!

A truly win-win situation.

Hope · « **Reply #10 on:** May 06, 2016, 08:38:09 AM »

So, with many results now in, we seem to have an interesting picture in Scotland - Labour currently 3rd behind the SNP and the Tories; Wales - Labour likely to remain the largest party in Cardiff Bay but Plaid, Tories and UKIP fighting out the minor places - and the Lib Dems likely to be a one-seat party. It has been interesting to see the political map (constituency) of Wales - red in the south east, south west and north east, with blue in the west and some of the north; the rest being green and yellow, but only a few seats despite the physical size of these colour swatches.

It has also been interesting to see how UKIP in Wales appears to have won their list seats - by taking large swings from Labour.

Hope · « **Reply #11 on:** May 06, 2016, 08:48:00 AM »

Quote from: L.A. on May 05, 2016, 09:43:14 PM

I suppose next time around, it might be good idea to put yourself forward as Police Commissioner pledging to reduce the Commissioners salary by 50% - that way you could get quite a lot of money for doing bugger-all and STILL save the taxpayer money!

A truly win-win situation.

The problem as that the deposit one has to pay to stand for PCC is £5K, whilst the equivalent for an MP is £500. Not sure what it is for MSPs and AMs, let alone MLAs.

L.A. · « **Reply #12 on:** May 06, 2016, 08:58:30 AM »

I see that you have just acquired your very own troop of clowns in Wales.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-wales-36207410

Hope · « **Reply #13 on:** May 06, 2016, 09:03:55 AM »

Quote from: L.A. on May 06, 2016, 08:58:30 AM

I see that you have just acquired your very own troop of clowns in Wales.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-wales-36207410

Its worth noting that there are no UKIP constituency AMs. That will be disappointing for Farage. However, it currently 5 too many UKIP AMs for my liking. Mind you, I'm not really sure what the party will do/stand for once the referendum next month has taken place, regardless of the outcome. It seems to be more divided on issues other than Brexit than the Tory and Labour parties put together!!

L.A. · « **Reply #14 on:** May 06, 2016, 09:23:33 AM »

Quote from: Hope on May 06, 2016, 09:03:55 AM

Its worth noting that there are no UKIP constituency AMs. That will be disappointing for Farage. However, it currently 5 too many UKIP AMs for my liking. Mind you, I'm not really sure what the party will do/stand for once the referendum next month has taken place, regardless of the outcome. It seems to be more divided on issues other than Brexit than the Tory and Labour parties put together!!

It would be nice to think that they would all self-destruct in the event of a REMAIN vote..

Hope · « **Reply #15 on:** May 06, 2016, 09:29:51 AM »

Quote from: L.A. on May 06, 2016, 09:23:33 AM

It would be nice to think that they would all self-destruct in the event of a REMAIN vote..

I think that Labour and the Tories will simply carry on with normal life, because they both have realistic policies that are completely independent of the BREXIT/BREMAIN decision.

jakswan · « **Reply #16 on:** May 06, 2016, 09:36:16 AM »

Looks like SNP have lost control of Scotland with Labour now not even the official opposition. Just goes to show your best bet is to spin your policies to sound left in Scotland, if you actually pitch a left-wing policy it will fail.

Sturgeon will have to get into bed with someone to form the government.

jakswan · « **Reply #17 on:** May 06, 2016, 09:37:10 AM »

Quote from: Hope on May 06, 2016, 09:29:51 AM

I think that Labour and the Tories will simply carry on with normal life, because they both have realistic policies that are completely independent of the BREXIT/BREMAIN decision.

If we don't vote out they'll campaign for another referendum.

Nearly Sane · « **Reply #18 on:** May 06, 2016, 10:06:31 AM »

Quote from: jakswan on May 06, 2016, 09:36:16 AM

Looks like SNP have lost control of Scotland with Labour now not even the official opposition. Just goes to show your best bet is to spin your policies to sound left in Scotland, if you actually pitch a left-wing policy it will fail.

Sturgeon will have to get into bed with someone to form the government.

More likely to run a minority govt as they did 2007 2011. They are 2 seats short of majority and will generally get support from Greens wjo are somewhat further to the left than Labour. Your analysis in terms of the reasons for Labour's demise is simplistic - they are not currently seen as left wing - just incompetent

jakswan · « **Reply #19 on:** May 06, 2016, 10:30:39 AM »

Quote from: Nearly Sane on May 06, 2016, 10:06:31 AM

More likely to run a minority govt as they did 2007 2011. They are 2 seats short of majority and will generally get support from Greens wjo are somewhat further to the left than Labour. Your analysis in terms of the reasons for Labour's demise is simplistic - they are not currently seen as left wing - just incompetent

So you are dismissing my simplistic analysis with your simplistic analysis.

Hope · « **Reply #20 on:** May 06, 2016, 01:34:37 PM »

Since UKIP seem to have picked up a sizeable number of Labour voters here in Wales, could we see a Labour/UKIP coalition in Cardiff Bay?

Hope · « **Reply #21 on:** May 06, 2016, 02:33:25 PM »

Quote from: jakswan on May 06, 2016, 09:36:16 AM

Looks like SNP have lost control of Scotland with Labour now not even the official opposition. Just goes to show your best bet is to spin your policies to sound left in Scotland, if you actually pitch a left-wing policy it will fail.

Sturgeon will have to get into bed with someone to form the government.

Wasn't the last Scottish (SNP) Government a minority one?

Ricky Spanish · « **Reply #22 on:** May 06, 2016, 03:01:11 PM »

"The SNP will retain its grip on government, after having claimed 59 of the 73 constituency seats up for grabs - up six on their 2011 result.

Overall, the SNP will occupy 63 of the 129 seats at Holyrood, with the Conservatives becoming the second-largest party on 31. Labour took 24, the Greens six, and the Lib Dems five."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-36215186#

Ricky Spanish · « **Reply #23 on:** May 06, 2016, 03:08:09 PM »

Also - look how blue the border counties are on the map. I was struggling to understand why the Selfservatives managed to do so well up here, then it dawned on me. They have rebranded themselves as The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.

Traditionally Scottish Labour called themselves a Party for the Unionist but as they turned more blue than red they kinda lost their way!!

Hope · « **Reply #24 on:** May 06, 2016, 03:09:30 PM »

Quote from: Thrud the Barbarian on May 06, 2016, 03:01:11 PM

Overall, the SNP will occupy 63 of the 129 seats at Holyrood, with the Conservatives becoming the second-largest party on 31. Labour took 24, the Greens six, and the Lib Dems five." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-36215186#

Did the Greens have any seats in the last Scottish Parliament?

News:

Author Topic: Today's (5th May) elections (Read 4598 times)

floo