That UK Election Thing

[Dr. Zorders 1,269]

 

 

 

 

I'm sure once the Scots achieve independence, the foaming-at-the-mouth members of Al-Qaeda/whoever will find that to be an incredibly meaningful development, and they will make a maximum priority of ensuring that they only use some special dirty bombs which magically stop themselves from spreading their radioactivity as soon as they reach the Scottish border.

 

In the late 70s I went to commission some electrical equipment we had supplied to a U.K. oil refinery. The equipment was certified for use in an area that is likely to contain an explosive gas and it was plugged into an ordinary 13 amp socket. When I queried this I was told that one side of the painted line on the floor was considered hazardous whilst the other side wasn’t. “Does the gas know that”, I asked.

 

Yeah there's lots of fucktards around. The worst are the ones that actually think they're smart. (*motions/gestures vaguely towards his 'ma even though he's not really sure where she is*)

 

Was this refinery in Scotland perchance? Some might say it's about the only fucking thing that's "refined" up there

 

No, it's south of the Scottish border and east of the Welsh border. Ask Lindsey, she knows which one.

 

 

Eh?

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sure once the Scots achieve independence, the foaming-at-the-mouth members of Al-Qaeda/whoever will find that to be an incredibly meaningful development, and they will make a maximum priority of ensuring that they only use some special dirty bombs which magically stop themselves from spreading their radioactivity as soon as they reach the Scottish border.

 

In the late 70s I went to commission some electrical equipment we had supplied to a U.K. oil refinery. The equipment was certified for use in an area that is likely to contain an explosive gas and it was plugged into an ordinary 13 amp socket. When I queried this I was told that one side of the painted line on the floor was considered hazardous whilst the other side wasn’t. “Does the gas know that”, I asked.

 

Yeah there's lots of fucktards around. The worst are the ones that actually think they're smart. (*motions/gestures vaguely towards his 'ma even though he's not really sure where she is*)

 

Was this refinery in Scotland perchance? Some might say it's about the only fucking thing that's "refined" up there

 

No, it's south of the Scottish border and east of the Welsh border. Ask Lindsey, she knows which one.

 

 

Eh?

 

You know Lindsey

[Magere Hein 1,398]

 

 

 

Was this refinery in Scotland perchance? Some might say it's about the only fucking thing that's "refined" up there

No, it's south of the Scottish border and east of the Welsh border. Ask Lindsey, she knows which one.

 

Eh?

 

You know Lindsey

 

So not a linseed oil refinery then.

 

regards,

Hein

[charon 4,939]

 

Fuck, even 16 year olds get the vote up here.

not at the general election

Don't be so sure

[Deathray 2,936]

 

 

Fuck, even 16 year olds get the vote up here.

not at the general election

Don't be so sure

It's too late to change it for this one.

[Windsor 2,149]

I back an absolute monarchy. Seems like the only way not to end up Alex Salmond/Nick Clegg/ Nigel Farage as Deputy Prime Minster...and the only way not to end up with David Cameron/Ed Miliband as Prime Minster.

 

Democracy...what a load of old shit!

[Magere Hein 1,398]

I'm not a big fan of democracy as we know it, but it beats all alternatives that involve absolute power hands down.

 

One can hardly blame democracy for the fact that the people elect the wrong politicians.

 

I do know a few improvements on 'our' systems:

• Do away with elections and appoint MPs by lottery, an appointment one cannot refuse, similar to jury duty.
• Put people who leave government office automatically on trial, to check if they did their job well. Pensions only after acquittal, jail sentences otherwise.

regards,

Hein

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

I'm not a big fan of democracy as we know it, but it beats all alternatives that involve absolute power hands down.

 

One can hardly blame democracy for the fact that the people elect the wrong politicians.

 

I do know a few improvements on 'our' systems:

• Do away with elections and appoint MPs by lottery, an appointment one cannot refuse, similar to jury duty.
• Put people who leave government office automatically on trial, to check if they did their job well. Pensions only after acquittal, jail sentences otherwise.

regards,

Hein

 

 

I'm sick and tired of governments commissioning enquiries only to dismiss the findings because it will lose them the next election. If they commission the enquiry and dismiss it then the cost should come out of party coffers.

[Deathray 2,936]

Abolishing FPTP should be the priority.

[Guest Guest]

I l ive in Scotland so I'll be voting SNP .If anyones interested

[maryportfuncity 10,095]

I'm not a big fan of democracy as we know it, but it beats all alternatives that involve absolute power hands down.

 

One can hardly blame democracy for the fact that the people elect the wrong politicians.

 

I do know a few improvements on 'our' systems:

• Do away with elections and appoint MPs by lottery, an appointment one cannot refuse, similar to jury duty.
• Put people who leave government office automatically on trial, to check if they did their job well. Pensions only after acquittal, jail sentences otherwise.

regards,

Hein

 

 

 

No bullshit, back in the days when I was paid decent money to write jokes, I snagged an agreeable sum of cash for a rant about Hein's first point above. Basically, suggesting that every cabinet had two members selected more or less that way who were there to talk common sense and free to report back to anyone after their stint. It struck me at the time that it was a good practical idea.

[Tempus Fugit 212]

[*]Do away with elections and appoint MPs by lottery, an appointment one cannot refuse, similar to jury duty.

Yes! An idea that I have long been a proponent of but sadly one that has virtually no chance of ever becoming an actuality. Too many vested interests would lose out, so the current undemocratic system will endure for some time to come.

[YoungWillz 19,464]

Australia has the Voluntary Euthanasia Party, lingering and twitching famous people could really take advantage. Enough deadpoolers on here to stand in every constituency? http://www.vep.org.au/

[Magere Hein 1,398]

 

I'm not a big fan of democracy as we know it, but it beats all alternatives that involve absolute power hands down.

 

One can hardly blame democracy for the fact that the people elect the wrong politicians.

 

I do know a few improvements on 'our' systems:

• Do away with elections and appoint MPs by lottery, an appointment one cannot refuse, similar to jury duty.
• Put people who leave government office automatically on trial, to check if they did their job well. Pensions only after acquittal, jail sentences otherwise.

No bullshit, back in the days when I was paid decent money to write jokes, I snagged an agreeable sum of cash for a rant about Hein's first point above. Basically, suggesting that every cabinet had two members selected more or less that way who were there to talk common sense and free to report back to anyone after their stint. It struck me at the time that it was a good practical idea.

 

My suggestion for random selection is limited to representatives, the idea being that they appoint executive personnel who actually know what they're on about, rather than being a member of the right party.

 

My main beef with the current system is that it appoints people to positions of power who want it, which in my opinion disqualifies them.

 

Of course a few safeguards must be put in place to remove from the system the weak-minded, incompetent and insane. That would pretty much mean the current lot.

 

regards,

Hein

[Bibliogryphon 8,847]

Abolishing FPTP should be the priority.

 

We had our chance four years ago and we blew it. I do not think this will be considered again until after the 2025 election unless it was a demand for coalition support.

[maryportfuncity 10,095]

 

 

I'm not a big fan of democracy as we know it, but it beats all alternatives that involve absolute power hands down.

 

One can hardly blame democracy for the fact that the people elect the wrong politicians.

 

I do know a few improvements on 'our' systems:

• Do away with elections and appoint MPs by lottery, an appointment one cannot refuse, similar to jury duty.
• Put people who leave government office automatically on trial, to check if they did their job well. Pensions only after acquittal, jail sentences otherwise.

No bullshit, back in the days when I was paid decent money to write jokes, I snagged an agreeable sum of cash for a rant about Hein's first point above. Basically, suggesting that every cabinet had two members selected more or less that way who were there to talk common sense and free to report back to anyone after their stint. It struck me at the time that it was a good practical idea.

 

My suggestion for random selection is limited to representatives, the idea being that they appoint executive personnel who actually know what they're on about, rather than being a member of the right party.

 

My main beef with the current system is that it appoints people to positions of power who want it, which in my opinion disqualifies them.

 

Of course a few safeguards must be put in place to remove from the system the weak-minded, incompetent and insane. That would pretty much mean the current lot.

 

regards,

Hein

 

 

 

Billy Connolly used to crack a joke that wishing to hold political office should bar you from ever doing so for life. An admirable observation, but one that couldn't survive the fact that people would simply lie about their ambition, and then get elected anyway.

[Deathray 2,936]

 

 

Abolishing FPTP should be the priority.

We had our chance four years ago and we blew it. I do not think this will be considered again until after the 2025 election unless it was a demand for coalition support.

We had a choice in so much as a kind executioner may let a death row inmate choose between the electric chair or the hangmans noose.

[Bibliogryphon 8,847]

 

 

Abolishing FPTP should be the priority.

We had our chance four years ago and we blew it. I do not think this will be considered again until after the 2025 election unless it was a demand for coalition support.

We had a choice in so much as a kind executioner may let a death row inmate choose between the electric chair or the hangmans noose.

 

Single Transferable Vote allows for the link to be maintained between the constituncy and the member otherwise we end up with having a system like we get at European elections where we have a groups of MPs for a defined geographic location. There are arguments about each system but I am not going to replicate the whole Jenkins report here. I think moving to STJ would have been the first step in a journey

[Magere Hein 1,398]

Single Transferable Vote allows for the link to be maintained between the constituncy and the member otherwise we end up with having a system like we get at European elections where we have a groups of MPs for a defined geographic location. There are arguments about each system but I am not going to replicate the whole Jenkins report here. I think moving to STJ would have been the first step in a journey

Here you touch one of the major problems with elections: the result of an election depends as much on its mechanics as on the will of the people it is supposed to express. As far as I'm aware there is no perfect system. For me that's one major reason for random assignment of representatives. Elections of executives (a relatively rare thing in Europe) may be a different matter.

 

Then there's all the trouble with vote rigging, gerrymandering, voter registration...

 

regards,

Hein

[Bibliogryphon 8,847]

 

Single Transferable Vote allows for the link to be maintained between the constituncy and the member otherwise we end up with having a system like we get at European elections where we have a groups of MPs for a defined geographic location. There are arguments about each system but I am not going to replicate the whole Jenkins report here. I think moving to STJ would have been the first step in a journey

Here you touch one of the major problems with elections: the result of an election depends as much on its mechanics as on the will of the people it is supposed to express. As far as I'm aware there is no perfect system. For me that's one major reason for random assignment of representatives. Elections of executives (a relatively rare thing in Europe) may be a different matter.

 

Then there's all the trouble with vote rigging, gerrymandering, voter registration...

 

regards,

Hein

 

Voter registration is the big issue in the UK at the moment. The system has changed and we have lost about 1 million voters mostly students or those in rented accomodation. Not your average Tory voter.

 

[Magere Hein 1,398]

There's no such thing as voter registration in the Netherlands. The people at the municipality who keep the register of residents send, by mail, invitations to a poll to all residents who qualify for the vote. But, as I understand it, there's no such thing in the UK, so there you go.

 

Some ten years ago I had some trouble with those people at the municipality who keep the register of residents. I moved house two months before a general election and as may be expected, they sent my invitation to my old address. That used to be no problem, since the rules allowed any legal ID at the polling station as an alternative for the card they sent. That rule had changed a few years earlier, so that you had to bring the card to get a ballot.

 

A short bike ride taught me that the house I vacated was demolished a few weeks after I left and the card was lost. When I phoned city hall, I was politely told to fuck off. As I had some spare time I went to city hall, where I was told by civil servants of increasing rank, respectively: "Sorry, I can't help", "I'll ask" and "That happens hundreds of times since the change." The last one gave instructions and I left with a bit of stationary that was an ad hoc replacement. Now they have a regular service to replace lost voting cards.

 

regards,

Hein

[the_engineer 1,408]

Time for a change in this country if your right wing support UKIP if your left wing support the greens .

[Bibliogryphon 8,847]

Time for a change in this country if your right wing support UKIP if your left wing support the greens .

That is a recipe for the status quo.

[maryportfuncity 10,095]

 

Time for a change in this country if your right wing support UKIP if your left wing support the greens .

That is a recipe for the status quo.

 

 

 

And country will go Down Down

 

 

Oh, my coat!

[Cat O'Falk 3,290]

 

 

Time for a change in this country if your right wing support UKIP if your left wing support the greens .

That is a recipe for the status quo.

 

 

 

And country will go Down Down

 

 

Oh, my coat!

 

 

Deeper and down.

 

Coat on and looking for hat.