British Expats - Will you vote in the UK election?

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British Expats (https://britishexpats.com/forum/)

- The Maple Leaf (https://britishexpats.com/forum/maple-leaf-98/)

- - Will you vote in the UK election? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/maple-leaf-98/will-you-vote-uk-election-659559/)

Steveh27wp

Mar 31st 2010 5:40 am

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Hi Almost Canadian...... of course I will.....it is my right!!

Best wishes, Steve

Journeyman Electrician

Mar 31st 2010 10:41 am

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Pointless unless you intend to return, at the end of the day does it really matter who's in power?

jimf	Apr 5th 2010 10:11 am

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Looks like the announcement is iminent.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8603591.stm

I did register as on overseas voter fwiw. I noticed on the forms that commonwealth and EU citizens who are UK residents can vote in UK general elections. In Canada it seems only Canadian citizens can vote. Why is voting eligibility so restrictive in Canada?

fledermaus

Apr 5th 2010 11:22 am

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

I would like to vote and downloaded the forms. As far as I can make out the ballot papers are sent out a week or so before the election so it is unlikely that the mail will get them back in time. You can go for a proxy vote but that can only be made in the electoral district in which you were last registered and as we don't know anyone there that isn't an option.

So, no vote for us.

JAJ	Apr 5th 2010 11:39 am

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimf (Post 8474509)

I did register as on overseas voter fwiw. I noticed on the forms that commonwealth and EU citizens who are UK residents can vote in UK general elections. In Canada it seems only Canadian citizens can vote. Why is voting eligibility so restrictive in Canada?

What Canada does is normal for sovereign, independent nations.

Oink	Apr 5th 2010 11:49 pm

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAJ (Post 8474647)

What Canada does is normal for sovereign, independent nations.

But doesn't Canada have a governor general and isn't the British Queen the technical head of state?

jimf	Apr 6th 2010 6:15 am

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Quote:

Originally Posted by fledermaus (Post 8474629)

Yes it has to be a proxy vote made by someone in the same electoral district. Now it seems the person I'd put down as a proxy is going to be out of the country on election day! I don't know if I can be bothered to do another form for another proxy now.

JAJ	Apr 6th 2010 1:29 pm

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oink (Post 8475676)

But doesn't Canada have a governor general and isn't the British Queen the technical head of state?

The Queen of Canada is the head of state.

jimf	Apr 6th 2010 4:36 pm

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

I noticed the National tonight had a short feature on the UK election. It mentioned that some academics had produced a report on the experiences of minority goverments worldwide which cited the canadian federal parliament as the prime example of a dysfunctional aggressive parliament. Is the canadian minority government situation one to be avoided at all costs?

The Dean

Apr 6th 2010 9:19 pm

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimf (Post 8477932)

Not sure of the Canadian system, but all PR systems (if that's what they have) run this risk - the UK's first-past-the-post system makes it less likely.

By the way - I'm surprised nobody in the media - especially the Tory-supporting element - have pointed out that, due to uneven population distribution, it takes on average fewer votes to elect a Labour MP than a Tory MP.............

JAJ	Apr 7th 2010 12:03 am

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dean (Post 8478362)

Not sure of the Canadian system, but all PR systems (if that's what they have) run this risk - the UK's first-past-the-post system makes it less likely.

Canada has first past the post, at least for federal elections.

Quote:

By the way - I'm surprised nobody in the media - especially the Tory-supporting element - have pointed out that, due to uneven population distribution, it takes on average fewer votes to elect a Labour MP than a Tory MP.............

And boundary changes are supposed to resolve that, except that they're 10 years behind.

jimf	Apr 7th 2010 3:24 am

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Dean (Post 8478362)

Not sure of the Canadian system, but all PR systems (if that's what they have) run this risk - the UK's first-past-the-post system makes it less likely.

As another poster mentioned Canada is first past the post also. Some PR systems seem to work - I'm assuming the likes of Germany, France, Holland etc where most governments are coalitions so in itself PR isn't necessarily a problem. It seems in Canada the problem is more related to the existence of a regional nationalist party which distorts the process. It looks like the UK could be vulnerable to such behaviour also. I seem to remember in the last years of the Major government ,as the conservative majority declined with resignations and deaths of MPs they were forced to rely on the UU to win votes in the commons.

By the way - I'm surprised nobody in the media - especially the Tory-supporting element - have pointed out that, due to uneven population distribution, it takes on average fewer votes to elect a Labour MP than a Tory MP.............

I think that's mainly due to the distribution of voters - there are more very safe conservative seats than labour ones. I think it's also the case that the constituencies vary in size with conservative ones tending to be a little larger on average. The boundary commission can catch up with population movements in time to even out constituency sizes. I'm not sure what the % is but I'd guess that the conservatives need 4 or 5% more of the popular vote to have parity on numbers of MPs with labour.

jimf	Apr 7th 2010 3:27 am

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAJ (Post 8477630)

The Queen of Canada is the head of state.

It's normal for sovereign independent nations to have foreign non residents as head of state.

JonboyE

Apr 7th 2010 3:31 am

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimf (Post 8477932)

It is not a uniquely Canadian phenomenon. Minority governments are largely dysfunctional. You could argue that it is one of the best features of them.

Oakvillian

Apr 7th 2010 3:57 am

Re: Will you vote in the UK election?

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonboyE (Post 8479056)

It is not a uniquely Canadian phenomenon. Minority governments are largely dysfunctional. You could argue that it is one of the best features of them.

Quite. There's a strong school of thought that much of Canada's lauded stability and economically-less-messed-uppedness is a direct result of having a government that has been unable to pass any contentious legislation. While the three-way alliance of Libs, NDP and Bloc collapsed almost before it began at the end of 2008, it served its purpose in a way - Harper persuaded the GG to prorogue parliament to escape the inevitable confidence motion, and when they came back again there was a bit less ideological crap in the throne speech.

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