Originally Posted by parapauk

So, which party should we vote for WC? Or are you going to do your normal "I don't have an answer" dodge?

Nope. No dodging from me.

I will not attempt to tell anybody else how they should vote, but would encourage them to consider my stance.

Here's my personal opinion. My vote is my sign of approval. My vote is my way of indicating who I would like to represent me politically at whatever level the election is being held for.

I will therefore withold my vote, not in protest, but because I do not consider any of the likely candidates to be worthy of my mandate. This is based upon two key elements.

1) The UK electoral system is no longer 'fit-for-purpose'. The UK system is designed for a constituency to elect an official to represent their interests in parliament. In reality, the elected official proceeds to represent his/her party's interests over and above those of his/her constituents. I find this both 'unconstitutional' and damaging to long term democracy. I understand the counter-argument as to why this is allowed to continue, but do not accept it as either substantial nor justifiable.

2) Given point 1), since I have no choice in deciding which individual will best represent my interests, I have to go with the flow and choose a party. None of the parties available deserve my mandate.

Remember, all the time that we discuss the relative popularity between parties, the cold fact remains that New Labour 'won' the last election with 35% of those who voted, but with a mandate of the voting public of less than 22%. In effect, the 'real' winners of the last election were the non-voters with over 17 million (as opposed to New Labour's 9.5 million and the Conservatives 8.8 million). Of course, we're a quite inhomogeneous group, but we are the very people that politics needs to recapture for UK democracy to be rehabilitated.

No doubt the political class will dismiss my thoughts as immature and a waste of my democratic right. I view that stance as being nothing more than an acceptance of their own selfishness and inability to face up to reality.

I thus encourage others to vote for the person (or the party) that they believe represents their interests. If none represent your interests, don't give away your mandate to the 'least worst option'.

Originally Posted by whitecity

Originally Posted by parapauk

So, which party should we vote for WC? Or are you going to do your normal "I don't have an answer" dodge?

Nope. No dodging from me.

I will not attempt to tell anybody else how they should vote, but would encourage them to consider my stance.

Here's my personal opinion. My vote is my sign of approval. My vote is my way of indicating who I would like to represent me politically at whatever level the election is being held for.

I will therefore withold my vote, not in protest, but because I do not consider any of the likely candidates to be worthy of my mandate. This is based upon two key elements.

1) The UK electoral system is no longer 'fit-for-purpose'. The UK system is designed for a constituency to elect an official to represent their interests in parliament. In reality, the elected official proceeds to represent his/her party's interests over and above those of his/her constituents. I find this both 'unconstitutional' and damaging to long term democracy. I understand the counter-argument as to why this is allowed to continue, but do not accept it as either substantial nor justifiable.

2) Given point 1), since I have no choice in deciding which individual will best represent my interests, I have to go with the flow and choose a party. None of the parties available deserve my mandate.

Remember, all the time that we discuss the relative popularity between parties, the cold fact remains that New Labour 'won' the last election with 35% of those who voted, but with a mandate of the voting public of less than 22%. In effect, the 'real' winners of the last election were the non-voters with over 17 million (as opposed to New Labour's 9.5 million and the Conservatives 8.8 million). Of course, we're a quite inhomogeneous group, but we are the very people that politics needs to recapture for UK democracy to be rehabilitated.

No doubt the political class will dismiss my thoughts as immature and a waste of my democratic right. I view that stance as being nothing more than an acceptance of their own selfishness and inability to face up to reality.

I'd agree with almost all of that, though I'd argue that it is easy to undervalue the good constituency MP, as most of what he or she does for those who seek his or her help won't be seen on the news (and often is so personal it won't be seen anywhere). But if that is the case, why the thread title? It just makes you look like a party hack instead of someone with good points to make. Even Ashie hasn't, as far as I can remember, started any threads along the lines of 'More Tory Lies', etc.

No offence, but listening to political commentary from you is like being taught to masturbate by your mother.

None taken, My Dear..... I was 'self taught' when I went to school.... there were some nice lassies at my school...... As for my 'Political Comentary' or Blah... well it just reflects my cynicisms about our elected Boys and Girls in Parliament... and it's no worse or better than many other commentators on this Forum.

Of course, many are far more articulate than what I am.... Y'see, I'm just a Common Soldier.... retired now of course.... But I shall probably vote for the Limp-Dems.. or for the Boy Dave.

I do not want to see a Labour Party returned to office. They are all pseudo-marxist control freaks as far as I am conencered. Although Mr Brown gave quite a good performance in todays PMQs (Wednesday 10th March), is ths because Brown is under more and more pressure, now that we are weeks away from an election, or is he improving his performance at the expense of Cameron? Who knows!!

I still believe that a returned Mr Brown and Labour to government, will be a disaster for the UK - Because it will just be "More of the Same!" More crap, more laws, more tinkering, more 'Targets' and 'Performance Indicators', more 'Management By Tick Box' hence more bureaucrats.

You Pays your money and takes your choice!!

Originally Posted by whitecity

Originally Posted by parapauk

So, which party should we vote for WC? Or are you going to do your normal "I don't have an answer" dodge?

Nope. No dodging from me.

I will not attempt to tell anybody else how they should vote, but would encourage them to consider my stance.

Here's my personal opinion. My vote is my sign of approval. My vote is my way of indicating who I would like to represent me politically at whatever level the election is being held for.

I will therefore withold my vote, not in protest, but because I do not consider any of the likely candidates to be worthy of my mandate. This is based upon two key elements.

Well, I am sure we shall all look forward to 5 threads on why we want to vote for the tories, 5 for the lib dems, 5 for the greens, 5 for Plaid, 5 for SNP, 5 for Respect, 5 for UKIP.

Damn. I promised myself I wouldn't feed the troll today and just couldn't help myself.

Originally Posted by parapauk

I'd agree with almost all of that, though I'd argue that it is easy to undervalue the good constituency MP, as most of what he or she does for those who seek his or her help won't be seen on the news (and often is so personal it won't be seen anywhere). But if that is the case, why the thread title? It just makes you look like a party hack instead of someone with good points to make.

Thank you for recognising that I am no 'Tory Boy' and that my comments re the performance of the current government are based upon my disappointment with their actual policies and not just mudslinging.

You will notice that I am posting official statistics. I am also posting the statistics in their totality - that's to say, not cherry-picking one good element as HMG is so keen to do. New Labour appears in the thread titles because they are the party at the helm. Insert Conservative in 5 years time, perhaps.

I only appear to be a 'party hack' to you, because you seem to have convinced yourself that only people with an ideological and/or party political bias can find fault in New Labour. I've got news for you. At the last election, for every 'Tory Boy' who didn't vote New Labour, there was another who voted for some other party/ideology/fantasy and yet another 2 of us who didn't vote for New Labour for non-ideological/party political reasons.

Re the "good constituency MP" element. Some certainly do exist. But I feel this 'personal' touch is not the job that I want my national representative to be doing. I want him/her fighting at the national policy level, not fighting to get Auntie Flo higher up the NHS waiting queue. Again, this is a symptom of where the current system is flawed and should be replaced not trumpeted as a wonder.

Originally Posted by parapauk

Even Ashie hasn't, as far as I can remember, started any threads along the lines of 'More Tory Lies', etc.

The thread title is quite simple. The contents are beyond reproach. If the statistics are positive, then I don't omit them. If you don't like the continual drip drip of bad news, I suggest you take it up with the policy makers not the messenger.

Originally Posted by Bazzinho1977

Well, I am sure we shall all look forward to 5 threads on why we want to vote for the tories, 5 for the lib dems, 5 for the greens, 5 for Plaid, 5 for SNP, 5 for Respect, 5 for UKIP.

Given that I am posting official statistics of government performance, or to put it another way, the effects of government policy, then it's a little tricky to do the same for the parties you mention.

Still, I guess that minor point may have slipped you by whilst in auto-rebut mode.

Give it a few years, and you may see similar posts regarding woeful Conservative performance.

Originally Posted by whitecity

Originally Posted by Bazzinho1977

Well, I am sure we shall all look forward to 5 threads on why we want to vote for the tories, 5 for the lib dems, 5 for the greens, 5 for Plaid, 5 for SNP, 5 for Respect, 5 for UKIP.

Given that I am posting official statistics of government performance, or to put it another way, the effects of government policy, then it's a little tricky to do the same for the parties you mention.

Still, I guess that minor point may have slipped you by whilst in auto-rebut mode.

Give it a few years, and you may see similar posts regarding woeful Conservative performance.

So why are none of your five threads, all trying to make the same point, titled "official government statistics to give cause for concern"?

And if you are such a clever commentator, then surely you can suggest what the impact of the proposed policies of the other parties would be for each of those 5 areas of performance? Perhaps 5 threads considering the other parties policies? Should I see those, then I would happily accept that you are not a tory stooge.

5 threads. All of them based upon trying to frighten people out of voting for Labour, and then you try to suggest that you are non-partisan?

I should bloody well coco.

Originally Posted by Bazzinho1977

So why are none of your five threads, all trying to make the same point, titled "official government statistics to give cause for concern"?

...

I should bloody well coco. (edited for brevity)

Perhaps because he's not an anally retentive, tractor production-obsessed linear personality, devoid of imagination as to how to provoke a debate? You tell us, you should coco.

Originally Posted by FORMER_FYRDMAN

Originally Posted by Bazzinho1977

So why are none of your five threads, all trying to make the same point, titled "official government statistics to give cause for concern"?

...

I should bloody well coco. (edited for brevity)

Perhaps because he's not an anally retentive, tractor production-obsessed linear personality, devoid of imagination as to how to provoke a debate? You tell us, you should coco.

Who the hell do you think you are talking to?

I don't know anything about tractors.

Edited to add. Okay - I was being nosy. I hadn't seen any comments from you before (that I had noticed) before this random attack. So - "devoid of imagination as to how to provoke a debate"? May I table the "Engaging Britain" thread as exhibit A for your own ability and imagination?

Honestly - table whatever you want, it really doesn't bother me, certainly not as much as it amuses me that one post got on your tits so much that you've bothered to trawl through 800+ posts for an oblique riposte.