Kix

Eastleigh in Hampshire has a bi-election today and I was scouring the list of candidates.

Thought it would be fun if I put up a pole. (sic)

Edited to add, How the hell do i post a poll?

Anyway, these are the candidates:-

I'm backing Ray Hall

COLIN BEX - Wessex regionalists
DAVID BISHOP - Elvis Loves Pets Party
JIM DUGGAN - Peace Party
RAY HALL - Beer, Baccy and Crumpet Party
HOWLING LAUD HOPE - Monster Raving Loony William Hill Party
MARIA HUTCHINGS - Conservative
DIANE JAMES - UK Independence Party
DR IAIN MACLENNAN - National Health Action Party
KEVIN MILBURN - Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship"
JOHN O'FARRELL - Labour
DARREN PROCTER - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
DANNY STUPPLE - Independent
MIKE THORNTON - Liberal Democrats
MICHAEL WALTERS - The English Democrats - "Putting England First!"

littlejimmy

Beer, Baccy and Crumpet Party all the way.

the_red_sheep

I'd say at least 80% of the people on this list should be taken outside, given a good slap and told to stop wasting their time and money pricking about and making a mockery of the electoral system. Go find some disadvantaged children and buy them a warm meal and a new pair of shoes.

co durham boy

Is that ironic because i've got that figure up to 100% ?

britexpat76

Go Ray.

the_red_sheep

I was feeling generous as I have soft spot for the 'Elvis Loves Pets Party'

Really, shit like this makes my wonder whether the GCC has it right and the UK would be better off being run by a succession of inbred, megalomaniac, billionaires rather than the sort of people who want to be politicians.

shiva

Why? The joy of democracy is precisely this. If you start saying who can stand then its non longer democracy and who knows who will eventually be telling you who to vote for.

co durham boy

I'm afraid the whole world is run by Inbred megalomaniac billionaires mate . The politicians are only playing with the deck of cards they're given by their masters .

the_red_sheep

All joking aside I'm all for democracy, obviously, but isn't the whole political process devalued when the process is used for 'comedy' purposes by eccentric weirdos? I think so.

Simply solved by a more rigorous, and open and transparent screening system, or by increasing the deposit and %age of votes required to have it returned.

What value are most of these 'candidates' adding to the political debate and process? Or, are they creating an unwanted distraction and drain on resources in a time of austerity and general disillusionment with the political system?

the_red_sheep

True, and we are electing the politicians as our masters. More fool us really.

shiva

Who gets to choose and who do you exclude? They was a time when a woman couldn't stand and not that much longer ago you had to be landed gentry to stand. I get your point but the process of choosing and laying those choices down in law could have awful long term consequences.

shiva

The real problem lies in the fact that anyone sane and the sort we actually want doesn't stand for election. I have this argument with my father in law every time I'm in the uk and he's banging on about how the council are useless( they actually do seem to be).
Every time he moans I tell him to stand for the council it's a democracy in which he is free to do so, so why not take advantage of it. At the very least it will shake things up and probably effect change without even being elected.

After half my life nearly in a dictatorship when I do eventually return home woe betide my local government officials if I deem them to be useless twats. I fully intend to stand just to piss them off and exercise some of that democratic magic

al dente

I want to eat a crumpet (and no, i haven't confused threads).

the_red_sheep

Make it like jury duty. You meet a few base criteria (being able to walk and breath at the same time, no criminal record etc) and your name gets pulled out of the hat and you’re an MP for the next 5 years. Would end career politicians and party politics, two scourges against actually getting anything done in a democratic way. And, yes I know I’m over simplifying this, that the practicalities would be challenging, but…

My huge irritation with local and national politicians is that they completely forget that their elected purpose is to represent the views and opinions of their constituents, not to bang the drum for their own views or the few who shout loudest. In this day and age they should be much more active in engaging, using social media, the internet etc, in doing this, rather than relying on people turning up to an hour long, once a week surgery.

britexpat76