Comments on: Compulsory voting: no sweeping intervention can fix our electoral system

By: Guest

Guest — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 22:44:00 +0000

In reply to Mike Stallard. Unhelpful? Sick? No, it's just flat-out anti-British propaganda.

By: Leon Wolfeson

Leon Wolfeson — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 16:43:00 +0000

If you mean it works hard against parties actually properly representing voters…yes, yes, you do indeed don’t need to worry about your low-appeal political parties, since you can force people into polling booths.

Tower Hamlets is notable as an exception, and would be far less noticeable in Australia.

By: sarntcrip

sarntcrip — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 16:30:00 +0000

In reply to Mike Stallard. IT DOESN'T WORK WELLSOME VOTE FOR THE SAKE OF IT OTHERS DON'T BOTHER ON THE BASIS YOU CAN'T CRIMINALISE EVERYONE

By: sarntcrip

sarntcrip — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 16:28:00 +0000

ONLY UNADULTERATED GERMAN STYLER CAN SAVE US

By: Dave Stewart

Dave Stewart — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:25:00 +0000

In reply to Mike Stallard.

Also please correct me if I’m wrong but Austriallan ballot papers have a none of the above option so there is no need to spoil it. You are compelled to vote (but you also get the day off work to do so) and if you don’t like any of the candidates you vote None of the above and if enough people do likewise nominations are re-opened.

Everything I’ve heard about the Australian system sounds great. It’s not a panacea but certainly it will help. Getting rid of FPTP would undoubtedly help a great deal as well.

By: Gary Scott

Gary Scott — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 13:16:00 +0000

When the chips are down people come out and vote. Look at the turnout in the Scottish referendum! Voters do need genuine choice though. Voters perceive that you ‘couldn’t get a fag paper’ between the three parties and the expenses and paedophile scandals have reduced trust in politicians to an all time low. Politicians need to respond without enforcement, addressing the real problem – themselves. If they DON’T do this parties like UKIP will take us down the path of extremism. Remember, if all the non-voters came out in May and voted BNP, they’d form the next government.

By: Mike Stallard

Mike Stallard — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 02:19:00 +0000

In reply to Leon Wolfeson. Compulsory voting really works here in Australia. The fine is reasonable and just enough to get people to the poll. The registration is something which I have not investigated. Here is it simply taken for granted. How unlike Tower Hamlets!

By: Mike Stallard

Mike Stallard — Thu, 15 Jan 2015 02:12:00 +0000

James here are some pointers:
1. Both the Conservative and Labour Parties are saying much the same thing: Big State, high taxes, no reforms much and lots of hand-outs. The debt is certainly not being addressed by the current (Tory) government. Mr Miliband completely forgot to mention it.
2. The EU directives are secret, not reported and nobody knows how important they are. But we assume they are really where most of our law comes from. All parties simply accept them and pass them into law. So why bother to vote for something which is so remote and boring?
3. In schools there is a broad consensus about what must be agreed: diversity, freedom of expression and thought, peace, university for the compliant. Racism, austerity, bullying, war, imperialism, religion: bad. Both political parties accept this, so why bother discussing it when it is all so very obvious? How are people who question all this treated?
4. In an era of peaceful prosperity, where everything is nice in UK, why bother to turn out and vote? Politics is irrelevant as the great man said.
Before dismissing this as unhelpful or even sick, please pause for a moment. Ask yourself if it is true before the delete.

By: Guest

Guest — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 22:18:00 +0000

In reply to LB. Keep on demanding that what you claim happen is what you get to do.

By: Guest

Guest — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 22:18:00 +0000

In reply to LB. Ah yes, mobocracy, utterly in your interest. Paralyse the government to increase the power of your companies. And of course you keep trying to say your off-book debts are the government's. Socialising your debts.