Annetje

I don't think it's criminal but ......
I wonder why Matt Hancock (Health Secretary) has been sent to this same hospital this afternoon, damage limitation exercise maybe ?

BristolUK

I think that depends on a few factors. I could become a Canadian citizen and vote. But it would cost $630. That's a bit like having to buy a vote and that doesn't seem right. Then there are all the other complications like collecting up all the supporting information and documentation and other costs.
And there's a 12 month wait.

Why isn't being a PR of long standing; husband of Canadian; parent and provider of two Canadian kids in school; payer of Canadian taxes etc good enough?
Never understood this either. How does the 60% of those voting for someone else deserve the one that only 40% vote for? The only vaguely logical answer is that tactical voting is the way to go but that means not voting for someone you want or voting against someone you actually do want and only applies to a few of the electorate anyway.

Almost Canadian

One assumes that this the cost of processing the application just as the parents of a child have to pay a fee to obtain a birth certificate. It's been decided by those clever people in the civil service!

Because it isn't.

Because that is the way it works too. Maybe the electorate should vote for a party that campaigns on something akin to, "...the last election using first past the post..." because, if such a party got in, they would change it, wouldn't they?

dave_j

I'm sorry but the $630 does a little more than provide you with a vote.

It's called democracy, the least worst form of government. It's a form of selection that, at least provides an acceptable basis for peaceful changes of government. In practicing this, those desiring power make a case to the public and quite often, this election may be a case in point, where simplistic arguments are made to break through the mush of conflicting commentary. Some claims will be true, many will be exaggerated and some downright untrue. It's up to the voter to choose what and in most cases who they believe.
If you make the case that a majority of disparate views who, for whatever reason, cannot organise themselves to defeat a block vote minority and this in some way invalidates a government by minority then as you suggest it's up to the majority to compromise their ideals to gain power. It's been clear over decades that minority parties cannot see beyond their petty individual ideals to promote compromise.

Annetje

Makes one wonder why the UK deserved Johnson in the first place, elected only by +/- 180.000 Cons members.

And that's when people say one doesn't vote for the person but for the party, and yet these same people don't want to vote Labour because of Corbyn ...

confused.com

mikelincs

Johnson was faced by an ITV reporter who tried to ask him about the 4yr old who had to wait for 4 hours lying on coats on a hospital FLOOR for 4 hours yesterday, he blustered etc as usual, then asked the reporter if he could see the picture again, he took the phone and was studying the picture, then he pocketed the phone and went to walk away, the reporter had to ask for his phone back.

dave_j

It's an inconvenient truth that Johnson's lifestyle doesn't apparently put people off. The fact that so few conservative members voted to elect him should, if his detractors are to be believed, add to his unsuitability for office.. but that may not be enough.
I strongly argue that both Labour and Lib Dems have made strategic mistakes in their positioning for this election fatally failing to recognise the importance of the need to get Brexit done and out of the way. This election isn't finished yet, like all elections where so few vote, it'll be down to how energised each side feels and like it or not it'll be Brexit, like the Duracell battery, that energises the Election Bunny most.
Personally I think the election is out there to be won. Exciting isn't it.

Annetje

Unpredictable, that's for sure. Not long now ....

Former Lancastrian

After doing some research I believe I am wrong however the Queens Regulations do specify what you cannot do regarding Political activity and between 1976 and 1984 I cannot recall being urged to vote or a polling station set up at any barracks especially those in the British Army On The Rhine bases unless they didn't consider us eligible to vote as members were not living in the UK. It appears there was an election in 1979 and 1983 and I do not recall anyone I was with actually voting.
Perhaps I should have filed a grievance.
Perhaps in those days most members of HM Forces didn't vote as their allegiance was to Liz and not some political party.

DaveLovesDee

But it's not HM who sends the boys off to fight, is it?

Former Lancastrian

No it isn't but it would be interesting to see if one of these days whoever is the Head Of State turn around and tell the PM " No bloody way you are sending our troops to X country"

DaveLovesDee

I agree, but it's about as likely as HM giving her public opinion on Brexit.

So I guess we'll be reading about it in the S*n.

BristolUK

A little more complicated than that.
The processing fee was raised from $100 to $300 in February 2015 and again to $530 later that year, with an additional $100 right-of-citizenship fee
Fees went up and Yes that's the way it works but whether that's the system or there's a different system, my question was why does the electorate deserve the government it gets, not why does it get the government it gets. You've answered a question I didn't ask.
You're right, it does a little more. Very little more in my case, some more for other people, some less for others, perhaps but very little in my case. The biggest thing it does for me is enable a vote so my statement about it costing $630 for me to vote is perfectly correct.
As above again, yes it's democracy it's the system. But that does not mean the electorate deserves the government it gets. It gets the government the system produces. That is not the same as deserving the government it gets.

BristolUK

So going by the previous posts, the Conservatives (members and supporters) got the leader they deserved. After all it is the system used so they deserved it, every one of them, and if they don't like the system they should change it and if they don't change it they deserve what they got.

dave_j

Absolutely.