Election '24.

[Withnail]

Party	2019 Votes	2019 Share	Pred Votes
CON	28,550	57.8%	36.9%
LAB	15,217	30.8%	45.3%
LIB	3,344	6.8%	3.3%
Green	2,250	4.6%	4.1%
Reform	0	0.0%	9.8%
OTH	0	0.0%	0.6%
CON Majority	13,333	27.0%	8.3% LAB Maj

See overview of other seats in West Midlands.

Stafford predicted to overturn three election cycles to become a Labour seat...

Still not a local candidate for either of the top two?

Could be the kind of seat that Reform might do well in?

Anybody seen Theo anywhere?

Anybody seen anyone else anywhere?

Is it time to overturn the ban on overt Electioneering?

What is to become of us?

 

[Withnail]

Why do people just drag up ages old threads rather than posting new ones?

So, we have seven to choose from, one from Edinburgh.

Lucky us.

 

[Lucy]

The Labour candidate is out a lot. I've also only had a Labour leaflet (mainly because I delivered it!).

 

[Cue]

Not heard of the heritage party till now, but seems like they’re another group of right-wing loons

 

[Jonah]

From Carol Vorderman's Instagram.

 

[Lucy]

Not heard of the heritage party till now, but seems like they’re another group of right-wing loons

Something to do with that group trying to make the National Trust right wing I think.

 

[Gramaisc]

Something to do with that group trying to make the National Trust right wing I think.

Right-wing, nationalist and unionist (which is a rather contradictory stance), anti-EU, anti-vax - all that kind of stuff.

"Freedom, Family, Nation" - or "Know your place and stay there", if they were more honest.

They've contested eight by-elections and managed more than 1% of the vote in only two of them.

 

[tek-monkey]

If we had a fair voting system I may chance my arm, but I'll be voting for the lesser of two evils. Really feels like I'm choosing my favourite bit of sweetcorn from a poo though, Starmer feels too Blair for my liking but I'd rather shit glass than another 5 years of tories.

A colleague in Stoke had a Conservative flyer the other day that was red, I'm hearing this is common.

 

[Gramaisc]

If we had a fair voting system I may chance my arm, but I'll be voting for the lesser of two evils.

Where I am, we had voting for county councils, MEPs and a mayor last Friday.

Nationally, the last council seats were finally established last night, but the MEP stuff is still going on.

In the region I am in, we have five MEPs to choose from a selection of twenty five contestants. It's now fairly clear who four of them will be, but, even after seventeen counts, as the preferences of voters whose prime selection has been eliminated are redistributed to the survivors, nobody has yet passed 'the quota', which would mean that they are elected.

It's complicated, but the idea of 'voting to keep someone out' doesn't really apply.

I'm not sure, though, that the introduction of voting slips the size of wall-hangings and the need to carefully indicate your preferences in order are something that the general UK electorate is ready for.

 

[tek-monkey]

Unfortunately you may be right, we'd fight such a system tooth and nail. We seem happy to be bent over and shafted whilst telling ourself at least we got to vote for some lube even if it did have sand in it.

 

[Gramaisc]

Unfortunately you may be right, we'd fight such a system tooth and nail. We seem happy to be bent over and shafted whilst telling ourself at least we got to vote for some lube even if it did have sand in it.

People were offered 'Alternative Vote' and rejected even that tiny step, by a 68/32 margin.

That is likely to be portrayed as a vote for keeping FPTP for ever.


There have been two attempts in Ireland to remove the STV system, in favour of the FPTP arrangements, by means of constitutional referendums, in 1959 and 1968. Both were rejected and the second by 61/39 margin. It may be a long time before there is a third effort, if ever. The chaos to the east is easier to see nowadays...

 

[Jonah]

I think that the ‘Alternative Vote’ was never properly explained when that referendum took place.

 

[Gramaisc]

I think that the ‘Alternative Vote’ was never properly explained when that referendum took place.

Neither the government nor the opposition were very keen on it passing. Really only the Liberals were in favour, and then only half-heartedly so, as it wasn't much in terms of progress. I know people who voted against it, in the hope that a more realistic system would then be proposed, as if there was the slightest chance of that.

The cynical might wonder if it was intended to fail, in the manner of the Australian monarchy referendum?

 

[Noah]

A colleague in Stoke had a Conservative flyer the other day that was red, I'm hearing this is common.

Reverting to traditional colours? Up to the early 20th century Liberal colours were blue and Conservative red. When the Labour Party appeared on the scene they had to choose green & white. Think the change came before the First World War, but I am not sure.

 

[Roadrunner64]

Where I am, we had voting for county councils, MEPs and a mayor last Friday.

Nationally, the last council seats were finally established last night, but the MEP stuff is still going on.

In the region I am in, we have five MEPs to choose from a selection of twenty five contestants. It's now fairly clear who four of them will be, but, even after seventeen counts, as the preferences of voters whose prime selection has been eliminated are redistributed to the survivors, nobody has yet passed 'the quota', which would mean that they are elected.

It's complicated, but the idea of 'voting to keep someone out' doesn't really apply.

I'm not sure, though, that the introduction of voting slips the size of wall-hangings and the need to carefully indicate your preferences in order are something that the general UK electorate is ready for.

Independent’Ming’ Flanagan just got elected on the 19th count….4 more yet to be elected yet!

 

[Gramaisc]

Independent’Ming’ Flanagan just got elected on the 19th count….4 more yet to be elected yet!

It's probably only the fifth that is still 'flexible' - we shall see.

Ming is, possibly surprisingly to outsiders, quite popular and has been for some time.

The whole nicknames thing is quite important here.

What's in a name? Memorable monikers of Elections 2024

There is a long-standing tradition in Irish politics for candidates with nicknames on the ballot paper to be elected to public office.

www.rte.ie

 

[Roadrunner64]

It's probably only the fifth that is still 'flexible' - we shall see.

Ming is, possibly surprisingly to outsiders, quite popular and has been for some time.

The whole nicknames thing is quite important here.

What's in a name? Memorable monikers of Elections 2024

There is a long-standing tradition in Irish politics for candidates with nicknames on the ballot paper to be elected to public office.

www.rte.ie

We had 2 councillors named Claire Murray both elected for the first time in Offaly. They had to draw lots to see who was named first on the ballot paper

 

[Cue]

If we had a fair voting system I may chance my arm, but I'll be voting for the lesser of two evils. Really feels like I'm choosing my favourite bit of sweetcorn from a poo though, Starmer feels too Blair for my liking but I'd rather shit glass than another 5 years of tories.

A colleague in Stoke had a Conservative flyer the other day that was red, I'm hearing this is common.

Lib Dem would be my only other option really… Greens are too anti-science and NIMBY now (it doesn’t matter if it’s just councillors, the party is doing nothing to stop them),

 

[Mudgie]

The cynical might wonder if it was intended to fail, in the manner of the Australian monarchy referendum?

In the manner of David Cameron having the Brexit referendum, avoiding the Tories losing votes to UKIP and intending it to fail.

 

[tek-monkey]

I know people who voted against it, in the hope that a more realistic system would then be proposed, as if there was the slightest chance of that.

Ah yes, the old it's not perfect so lets not accept it until we get whats perfect argument. Whoever started this was a genius, getting people to vote directly against what they actually want by hinting maybe something better might come. Whoever voted this way was gullible at best.

Unfortuately I remember this well, I had many a disagreement with my parents over it. All I kept hearing* was "But some people get 2 votes, thats not fair", only if you feckin won you idiot and then why do you care?

* And an early warning of how the brexit campaign would run?