Vote for none of the above

[The PIT]

As for the results Labour did badly but not as badly if the Iraq war was still going on or going badly. Or not as badly if they aren't any wmd located in Iraq. Yes it's supposed to be local but people tend to vote on national issues.
Tories are happy despite having a non descript leader while the Libs didn't do much at all also probably due to having a non descript leader. Even less vocal than Ducan Smith.
BNP made some gains in areas such as Burnley but there leader failed to get elected in Oldham. BNP would have made more gains if they had been trouble over Iraq.

[Fat Tone]

I was a little 'emboldened' with (dutch) courage when I wrote that, so it may not have been as considered as it should be.

I do stand by the point that if you don't express an opinion (in the right place) or take a part in the process then you just have to take what you get.

There was a time when the choices were fairly clear and most people stood in one of the 2 or 3 camps available. These days, its less about ideology and more about smaller specific issues - at least thats how it seems in my ward. We could vote for 2 out of 4 candidates and there wasn't a perfect candidate for my views, but at least by voting I could move the odds away from those I definately didn't want to win.

T.

[jonnylane]

Vote Plaid Cymru:



uh, no...

[RedRed]

Our elections were cancelled - against the whishes of all parties (and the Irish Government) except the British Govt and the Ulster Unionists-

Some democracy!

we are now sitting with an empty assembly, governed by 3 part time ministers from Westminster....

Some good Friday agreement

RedRed

[Pace]

Originally posted by The PIT
Everyone has the right too abstain.

Do you mean soiling the paper or just plain not voting?

[Fat Tone]

Originally posted by Pace
Do you mean soiling the paper...

I don't think you'd get away with that at my voting station!

[The PIT]

Soiling the paper might get one thrown out.
Trouble with politics the politicans represent the party these days not the people they've been elected. So if the great Tony Blair says jump they jump.
Tony I didn't take offence by the way. However if you vote for someones polices becuase you feel you got to vote you can't complain over any of their policies or future actions.
If you don't vote becuase theres no one party that you feel comfortable with or there isn't any party really representing your wishes I still feel you can complain as your orginal wishes haven't been met.
Perhaps in Modern electronic voting there will be abstain box on the web page.

[Brian Ellis]

At least, you didn't have chads to contend with (and I don't mean my old avatar).

I have voted only once in my life (I've been disenfranchised since 1963), with a choice between a diehard far-right Conservative, who would have made George W, look like Josef Stalin and a far-left Labourite, who would have made Josef Stalin look like Maggie Thatcher. I, in common with about 10% of that constituency, voted for both so as to make a positive gesture of disapproval of both candidates. I could not sit still and do nothing. I think that hustings produced the record number of spoilt (not soiled ) papers and it did mean that neither candidate was requested to stand again, so it did serve a useful purpose, albeit about 4 years later.