Political mudslinging and election leaflets
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You're probably all sick fed up to the back teeth of hearing about politics in the news and getting the general election rammed down your throat. Well so am I which is precisely my reason for this rant. What annoys me the most about it all is the political mudslinging that has been going on since the date of the general election was first announced. Over night all these billboard posters went up with each of the main political parties slagging off the other. Bear in mind that this has all come hot on the heels of the whole MPs expenses debacle. |
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Do they really think that this kind of behaviour is likely to make the voting public cast their votes in their direction? I think not. In my area it was the Conservative party posters that caught my attention (not that I would ever vote for them anyway). The Labour party isn't blameless either as we received a glossy card warning us of the imminent danger of not voting or voting for the Lib Dems and how this would ultimately mean a Tory government. I guess they're assuming that no one around here will be voting for the Conservatives then! |
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Also, in the last few weeks there has hardly been a day go by where some political pamphlet or letter hasn't been dropped through the door. By the way, these have mostly been from Labour and Conservative and some of them have been personally addressed to either myself or my partner. This is probably the worst kind of junk mail ever. More mudslinging and bold promises that will no doubt never amount to anything. They're also assuming that the voting public is to stupid to tune in to a political broadcast or have a look on a website. The cost of each of these direct mailings must be phenomenal and if we imagine for a moment how much the rest of the campaign must be costing the mind truly boggles. Where does the money come from? No, hold that thought. Perhaps best not to dwell on that one. |
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Actually, one particular political party has been rather silent in these parts. We haven't heard a peep from the Lib Dems. No posters and no leaflets through the door. I can't say I agree with all of their policies but they might just get my vote this time round and my decision would be partly influenced by the fact that as far as I can see they haven't resorted to any name calling and also there's the fact that they haven't bombarded with unwanted mail. |
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Besides, they couldn't possibly be any worse than the Conservatives or Labour... could they? |
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Comments from visitors
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mardi gras the candyman can - 5-Nov-10 15:35
And we keep getting into more debt daily because this is a juggernaugt that won't stop.
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Gainsborough lad. - 11-Jun-10 22:34
It's sad to think that we had maybe 5 million or more people who don't work, voting for Labour, knowing that Labour are the best party for them, because if they don't want to get up out of bed for work early in the morning, good old Labour will tax the workers more heavily to make sure that they won't have to work.
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Gainsborough lad. - 11-Jun-10 22:25
No, unemployment is not the main reason that the country is in debt. There is a global financial crisis caused by risky banking practices that were allowed or even encouraged by governments in the US and around the world.
You seem to have missed Kit's point which is that it would be unfair to assume that a person should be given more votes just because they earn more money. The low paid often work harder than the well paid but, under your scheme , the few votes they would qualify for would be meaningless compared with the thousands given to high earners.
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That is the main reason that this country is in massive debt.
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Gainsborough lad. - 11-Jun-10 07:56
If you had your way you would virtually disenfranchise everyone on minimum wage or just above as their votes would be worthless compared to the votes allocated to the highly paid. Bankers, who got us into the current financial mess would, under your scheme, have massive numbers of votes while people who work hard but earn little would have none!
Politicians, many of whom have lucrative directorships on the side, would also then have huge voting power and could collude with their banking friends to keep themselves in power indefinitely.
What about the recently unemployed? Martin, for example, who has posted on other threads served in the Royal Navy for 32 years but now cannot find work. Under your plans he would be denied a vote.
I know many women who, after they married and had children, divided their time between child raising and voluntary work such as meals on wheels. They do useful work that is completely unpaid.
Most workers in care homes for the elderly earn a pittance for work that is physically hard , monotonous and thankless.
All these people, are in your view, of less value than a banker or an advertising executive who earns large sums of money persuading us all to buy useless things that we don't need.
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Ie, if someone has paid £5000-00 in tax in the last tax year, then their vote would be worth 5000 votes, but for someone who hasn't paid any tax in the last year, their vote would be worthless,
This system would ensure that the party with the countrys best intrests would get in power, and not the party who gives away the most benefit to non productive people,
The genuine disabled and retired pensioners would get a fixed amount of votes, this way we wouldn't have what we have now, a bankrupt country.
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Gainsborough lad. - 30-May-10 21:32
Polling stations are open from 7am to 10 pm; most people should be able to find time to get there if they really want to. If they work incredibly long hours with a long commute and can't make time then they have months in which to apply for a postal vote.
Generally speaking Conservative voters get and out vote no matter what the weather or working hours and the party is very good at organising lifts for example for the elderly or disabled. Labour is disadvantaged by many of its potential supporters not being bothered to get to the polling stations.
In my limited experience people who are disinclined to work (as opposed to those who want to but can’t find work) are as unlikely to bother to vote as they are to bother looking for a job.
The system does not favour one of the two major parties over the other. The Lib Dems are, of course, disadvantaged by the first past the post system.
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The people who do work are more likely to vote conservative, but as they were at work that day, they may have not found the time to vote, I say elections in the UK should be on a sunday as in a lot of other european countries,
The way it is at the moment favours the party that looks after the non producing consumers.
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Gainsborough lad. - 21-May-10 22:43
What hypocrites Labour are when they don't get their own way.
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Like Supports Like - 11-May-10 19:43
"Gordon Brown has announced he is resigning as UK prime minister. Mr Brown is on his way to officially tender his resignation to the Queen, and recommend that Conservative leader David Cameron should succeed him." - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8675913.stm
Great... just bleedin' great :-(
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Youthful Griper - 11-May-10 16:53
A man is driving in central London when he gets caught up in a huge traffic jam. A police officer comes towards him and says "sorry for the delay sir, the Prime Minister is in the middle of the road and threatening to set himself on fire because he's fed up with being blamed for the state of the economy. All the drivers are having a whip round for him".
The man says "how much have you got so far?".
The policemans replies "only about twenty gallons so far, but there are several drivers still siphoning out their tanks".
Worth repeating, I think.
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grumpyoldwoman - 11-May-10 16:35
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Rider of the Apocalypse - 11-May-10 15:44
I agree though about UKIP, it would've been nice to see them have more seats and a shame Nigel Farage lost out to Commons Speaker John Bercow in his constituency. It seemed the media focused on the 3 main parties, except for when Farage was involved in the light aircraft crash.
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Youthful Griper - 11-May-10 15:34
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Rider of the Apocalypse - 11-May-10 15:22
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Rider of the Apocalypse - 11-May-10 15:12
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Rider of the Apocalypse - 11-May-10 14:40
The first party past the post wins (326 seats needed for an overall majority - a clear win). Nobody reached or passed the proverbial post. If nobody reaches the finishing line, nobody wins. If nobody wins then it's termed a 'hung parliament' until a deal is struck.
Yes, the Tories got the closest to the finishing line but it certainly isn't a win as they were short by 20 odd seats. If, however, the system worked by giving power to the party with the most seats without having to reach a predetermined amount, then the Tories would've won.
It would appear that Congo is from plant Earth.
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Youthful Griper - 11-May-10 14:25
Runs me down with my finances
Throughout the night
Living in fright
Never move on with Gordon Brown
Every time just like the last
Taxes to make up for the past
To distant lands
Takes both my hands
Never move on with Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown and his black hole
Has certainly taken its toll
Keep him far away
Or you will pay
Never move on with Gordon Brown
Never move on with Gordon Brown
Never move on with Gordon Brown
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