Its your vote

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RF
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Its your vote

Post by RF »

Today in Britain we have an experience that is almost unique.

We are having a nationwide referendum - on whether we want to change the voting system.

On offer is the Alternative Vote system, compared with our present voting system of single non-transferable vote, otherwise called ''first past the post.''

Wow. Wowee - our politicians are actually offering us a voting alternative that gives all voters a wider choice, where you can express a second or third choice for your vote on the ballot paper if you want to. And if you don't want to enter a second or third choice, then you don't, your vote for your first and only choice is still valid.

You would think that 99% of all voters would leap to accept such a system wouldn't you? It gives them more say!

Well, no actually. This referendum is only happening because we have a coalition, and the junior member of that coalition forced it on the Conservatives because they think it will give them more parliamentary representation. It is in fact a cosy stitch up. Britain's two big dinosaur parties, Conservative and Labour, don't really want the alternative vote. It gives voters the option of voting for other parties in front of them - in other words it gives voters more say than they would like.

So we have had a very dirty ''no'' campaign conducted by stooges for the two dinosaur parties, telling us that the alternative vote is the incarnation of evil.
Lies and disinformation about the alternative vote have influenced and poisoned public opinion against it. Lies like the third placed candidate winning, and giving ''extremist'' voters a ''second vote.'' The result is that many people who would support the alternative vote if they understood how it worked are now dead against it. I have seen with several people who I have spoken to who said they didn't like the alternative vote that their atitude changes when you quietly explain to them in plain English how it works.

Such is the state of our wonderful democracy.

At least we are getting a vote on the alternative vote. Our politicians are too scared to give us a vote on membership of the European Union.

So today I shall be voting for the alternative vote. It might just give Britain the UKIP Government that will take Britain out of the EU, and in so doing finally finsh the Euro.
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
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Karl Heidenreich
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Re: Its your vote

Post by Karl Heidenreich »

"The great thing about democracy is that it gives every voter a chance to do something stupid."

- Art Spander
An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.
Sir Winston Churchill
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RF
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Re: Its your vote

Post by RF »

For the record the vote went 67.9% against and 32.1% in favour of AV.

However I notice that the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge returned a very different result, they voted for AV. So there is some hope yet.....
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
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Gary
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Re: Its your vote

Post by Gary »

I voted no.
I dont like Clegg and the Lib Dems and they are the driving force behind this.
I'd rather keep the system we have (not that it matters as up here in my native Northumberland, my area has always been a safe conservative seat)
God created the world in 6 days.........and on the 7th day he built the Scharnhorst
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RF
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Re: Its your vote

Post by RF »

Which is exactly why you should have voted for it.

I voted ''yes'' because AV would have started a process of shaking up public voting patterns and make safe seats less safe.

I don't give a stuff about Clegg and the Liberal Democrats. AV is nothing about them, indeed Clegg called it a ''miserable little compromise.'' The Lib Dems I think would have lost out under AV, to the Greens, UKIP and other parties.

The whole point about the ''No'' campaign was that the Tories and to a lesser extent Labour don't want millions of voters putting other, smaller parties in front of them. That is what I mean about a shakeup in public voting patterns.

Looking at the actual results, the yes vote from the university towns of Oxford and Cambridge, Glasgow Kelvin, Edinburgh Central and parts of London suggest that the student vote was much more in favour - namely those people best able to see through the pack of lies put out by the Tories in the ''No'' campaign. So the issue of electoral reform may come back sooner than people think.
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
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