Things Noticeable this week

[Devius]

Originally Posted by palo5

England thinks it will die because it doesn't have one-party government

If they think one-party government is so good, why they hate us cuddly Russians so long?

Actually I think the UK electorate has delivered a great big "FCUK YOU!" to all the major parties....

[billybunter]

Even in my neck of the woods smug bastards have been given a kick in the teeth. Ordinary men and women have had enough of these leeches. I'm off now to claim expenses for cleaning my swimming pool and duck pond.

[bravemouth]

Now it appears like we may end up with a coalition of at least 2 parties,wouldn't we have been better off voting for the party we didn't want?

I know I didn't vote as I said earlier,but I believe this shows the failure of our system the Tories (for good or bad) won,they got more votes,won more seats etc etc but now the party that came third wields the most power and concievably the 2 parties that came 2nd and 3rd could end up in charge!

Add to that the fact not everyone that wanted to vote got to vote and I think its time the election system was brought kicking and screaming into the current century,I mean crosses on a piece of paper counted by hand!!!! seriously

[Devius]

Originally Posted by NIN

Nice comments Bravemouth , makes you wonder why anyone bothers .. they have always done deals behind closed doors as to what will be this weeks issue & now they'll want to cut up power the between themselves .. No surprise. The sooner Europe governs us the better, but would they ever allow that .. . Not A Chance !

Europe have their own problems at the moment - for example it appears the Germans are very pi$$ed off at having to use their cash to bail out Greece...

PS: loved seeing the former Porn (I mean Home...) Secretary getting her comeuppance...

[moreteavicar]

Do you think that "none of the above" should be a box added to the ballot sheet?

It would enable people to protest against the candidates without spoiling their sheets but I suppose there would be a problem when "none of the above" gets more votes than anyone else!!!

[Night Haunter]

Originally Posted by Pinkpapercut

Did anybody see Jacqui Smith's expression during the election results last night? If there's a Wikipedia page for "Face like a Smacked Arse", a screengrab of her hearing she'd lost her seat should be the illustration.

That's what happens when you get caught charging taxpayers for your old man's wanking sessions, love.

It's just a pity that smirking witch Hazel Blears didn't get the same comeuppence as Smith, I would of given my right ball just to see that incessant grin wiped off her smug mug, the woman is a avaricious, pompous, back-stabbing opportunist - let's hope the people of Salford and Eccles have a change of heart at the next General Election and see her for what she really is

[chupachups]

Originally Posted by bravemouth

Now it appears like we may end up with a coalition of at least 2 parties,wouldn't we have been better off voting for the party we didn't want?

I know I didn't vote as I said earlier,but I believe this shows the failure of our system the Tories (for good or bad) won,they got more votes,won more seats etc etc but now the party that came third wields the most power and concievably the 2 parties that came 2nd and 3rd could end up in charge!

its mad isn't it ?

Originally Posted by bravemouth

Add to that the fact not everyone that wanted to vote got to vote

actually I don't have any sympathy with some of these twonks, if people turn up at 21:45 (15 mins before closing time) and expect to have a trouble free experience then they don't deserve a vote as their common sense levels are somewhat low

I did my voting via post, but I knew who I was voting for weeks ago, as the incumbent had been naughty with expenses, sent out lying letters trying to cover their tracks, and was in a marginal constituency, so it was obvious to me who I should vote for

Originally Posted by bravemouth

I think its time the election system was brought kicking and screaming into the current century,I mean crosses on a piece of paper counted by hand!!!! seriously

My mates in brazil are p*ssing themselves at our "1st world" voting system, with bits of paper, and fraudent postal voting, which, by the way, labour brought in with no checks-and-balances, as it seemed to benefit them, well all the proven instances of fraud has benefited labour candidates

Originally Posted by Pinkpapercut

Did anybody see Jacqui Smith's expression during the election results last night? If there's a Wikipedia page for "Face like a Smacked Arse", a screengrab of her hearing she'd lost her seat should be the illustration.

That's what happens when you get caught charging taxpayers for your old man's wanking sessions, love.

isn't it shocking that she might end up with a peerage and go straight to the house of lords, to continue milking the taxpayer

the tory-graph reported a campaign to try and prevent this (where do I sign up ?)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...o-peerage.html

but I am assuming gordon broooon is busying himself drawing up a list of his favourites for "honours" in the dying days of the labour administration - ironic phrase considering that he was directly responsible for "Great Britain" shortly going into administration (like greece)

[squigg58]

Originally Posted by chupachups

actually I don't have any sympathy with some of these twonks, if people turn up at 21:45 (15 mins before closing time) and expect to have a trouble free experience then they don't deserve a vote as their common sense levels are somewhat low

There was a twonk (wonderful word!) on the radio, complaining that he'd been (quote) "stopped from exercising his right to vote" because he'd turned up at the polling station several times during the day only to find a queue. He therefore went back at 9.00pm and found ... a queue. Choosing not to join said queue, he decided to complain to the BBC!

I was on the verge of phoning in to pass on my compliments to the appropriate returning officer for devising a scheme which excluded idiots from the voting system!

[scoundrel]

Turning up at 9.45pm was not particularly clever, granted, it has always been my own custom to vote first thing in the morning. However the opening hours are stated as 7am to 10pm and I think this turning away of registered voters who showed up before the closing hour reflects really badly on the UK. No way should anyone who arrives before the stated closing time be denied their vote. It wouldn't happen in most 3rd World democracies. Those stations should have placed a guard on the end of the queue at 10pm and stayed open until all the people who arrived before 10pm had been processed. Refusing people their right to vote is disgraceful.

This isn't the only scandal. Electoral fraud is a really worrying problem now, what with falsified entries on the electoral role, late voter registration, the fraudulent submission of proxy votes and the virtual non-scrutiny of postal votes. Our voting system is obsolete and wide open to abuse. The shambolic state of the system reminds me of a bloke with a furled up hand flag failing to re-call the horses at the Grand National and of that hotel sliding symbolically over the cliff and into the sea.

[marlon]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

Those stations should have placed a guard on the end of the queue at 10pm and stayed open until all the people who arrived before 10pm had been processed. Refusing people their right to vote is disgraceful.

That is more or less what should have happened. The queue should have been closed and moved into the hall/room and the door closed. The poll should then have remained open util those votes had been taken.

The problem is that training for these occasions is pretty poor. Don't forget ANYONE can apply to be a polling officer/clerk. It is a one off task and so irregular that there are no specially trained employees to do it, instead people are chosen from a list of applicants. Many of those applicants will be local government officers, civil servants etc, but anyone can apply to be on the list. There is a one off payment for the day - income tax is deducted, but not NI - training can range from a booklet (for the assistant clerk) to maybe a short talk by a council official, so there is little wonder that mistakes like this happened.

No excuse, but if it could have affected the result - and that is confirmed by any official investigations - then the results will be declared void and new polls held. Much depends on the size of the majority win.