AV Help Please

[Sgriob 0]

Trying to catch up with UK politics before my hols. What do you think would be the likely effect of alternative voting? I know how it's supposed to work, I just can't get my brain around the likely impact on the political landscape. Sorry if the subject bores the yfronts off you. Stifle your ennuie if you can and enlighten an approaching numpty, please.

[Pat 0]

Trying to catch up with UK politics before my hols. What do you think would be the likely effect of alternative voting? I know how it's supposed to work, I just can't get my brain around the likely impact on the political landscape. Sorry if the subject bores the yfronts off you. Stifle your ennuie if you can and enlighten an approaching numpty, please.

Maybe I'll get my head round it too, Sgriob. At the moment I just keep thinking that you'll be hard pushed finding one worthy candidate.

[harper 0]

I think it will be a good thing and it might be the one good policy change the Coalition Government will be remembered for. Damned if it will be any thing else.

http://www.electoral...ticle.php?id=55

Mind you, the unravelling is gathering speed. Old Vince Cable is in trouble for speaking off message again. The weird things is, he often speaks off message on policies I don't agree with but I don't find myself agreeing with him either.

[Pat 0]

I think it will be a good thing and it might be the one good policy change the Coalition Government will be remembered for. Damned if it will be any thing else.

http://www.electoral...ticle.php?id=55

Mind you, the unravelling is gathering speed. Old Vince Cable is in trouble for speaking off message again. The weird things is, he often speaks off message on policies I don't agree with but I don't find myself agreeing with him either.

Aye Vince seems rather perturbed by the notion that Cameron's concerns about 'mass' immigration might provoke a response.

Regarding the switch to AV there does seem to be a bit of confusion. Lady Warsi thinks that replacing the first past the post system would boost the BNP's prospects whereas Bill Bragg argues that the current system benefits extremists. 'They need a small number of angry, highly motivated people to win'. He's campaigning for AV seeing it as a crucial step to marginalising the BNP and their ilk.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/av/billy-bragg-av-would-marginalise-extremists-2266943.html

Wee bit of a problem with the poster though and 'No' campaigners have used Billy's image on their posters.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/2011/04/15/bungling-no2av-campaigners-use-picture-of-rival-yes-group-in-election-leaflet-115875-23062001/

[Sgriob 0]

Mind you, the unravelling is gathering speed. Old Vince Cable is in trouble for speaking off message again. The weird things is, he often speaks off message on policies I don't agree with but I don't find myself agreeing with him either.

Over here this moment of inadvertent clarity is known as a "Kinsley gaffe," after an astute commentator (with whom I rarely agree) who said: "A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth."

[harper 0]

Good one.

If you are lucky, you will miss the wedding madness. Honestly, I don't begrudge anyone a happy day but I find Cameron's "let's have a jolly street party while putting thousands of people out of work it beyond contempt, IMV. He'll be rolling out the Pearly Kings and Queens down the Old Kent Road before the rend of the week, while we doff our caps and queue for our jellied eels, Gov'. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr It's like something out of Mary Poppins and why people buy into this is beyond me.

[Pat 0]

Good one.

If you are lucky, you will miss the wedding madness. Honestly, I don't begrudge anyone a happy day but I find Cameron's "let's have a jolly street party while putting thousands of people out of work it beyond contempt, IMV. He'll be rolling out the Pearly Kings and Queens down the Old Kent Road before the rend of the week, while we doff our caps and queue for our jellied eels, Gov'. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr It's like something out of Mary Poppins and why people buy into this is beyond me.

When is it again? Do you think I should give myself a day off?

Regarding the AV, some people are opposed to this in principal because they feel it is just not democratic.

The party with the most votes should win.

[harper 0]

I thought it was akin to proportional representation... God, I'm so bored with the lot of them I'm not paying attention to the detail.

No idea when the royal wedding is, pprobably know when I wake up and find maself tripping over Americam tourists....

[Pat 0]

What a kerfuffle. The tories are ploughing funds into the No campaign. Ed Miliband is pro-AV and Clegg is demented about the mere idea of losing.

I tend to see the point of Antony Green – "the Peter Snow of AV politics" from Australia, who has come to the UK to follow the debate.

He seems to be very disappointed and "amazed" by the "ignorance" he has witnessed.

"He suggests that, if AV is accepted, most people at the next general election will just put one preference down on their ballot papers as they do now and nothing much will change."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/apr/16/av-vote-result-power-moment

Maybe even fewer will vote as they may view the whole process as overly taxing.

Have a read at the comment on The Guardian link - they're hilarious.

Possibly this one could influence many: If it had been first past the post on Strictly Come Dancing then it would have been over in the first episode with Ann Widdiecombe the winner.

[Sgriob 0]

The tories are ploughing funds into the No campaign.

That settles it then. The answer is 'yes.'

[harper 0]

Sorry, my answer is, don't bother.

[Sgriob 0]

Sorry, my answer is, don't bother.

That's how they win, you know. By frustrating, annoying and boring you into indifference.

[harper 0]

Well, they have succeeded on all fronts!

I will probably vote and it will be no. A watered down version of PR is worse than useless and will probably get in the way of any real move towards PR in the future.

[lynnski 0]

Have you not had your wee leaflets through the door yet? If not you can get info here: aboutmyvote.co.uk

[Pat 0]

Have you not had your wee leaflets through the door yet? If not you can get info here: aboutmyvote.co.uk

No lack of information, lynnski, it's making head and tail of it.

[harper 0]

No lack of information, lynnski, it's making head and tail of it.

It's definately making for some interesting alliances...

http://www.ft.com/cm...l#axzz1JtkwawKa

It's a total fiasco, IMV. I think people should boycott the vote until they present a better option.

[Pat 0]

It's definately making for some interesting alliances...

http://www.ft.com/cm...l#axzz1JtkwawKa

It's a total fiasco, IMV. I think people should boycott the vote until they present a better option.

A bit odd Cameron and Lord Reid both with the 'No Campaign'

- along with all the cricketers.

[lynnski 0]

No lack of information, lynnski, it's making head and tail of it.

Seems fairly straightforward to me. If there's no outright winner they keep discarding the candidate with the lowest amount of votes and keep recounting until there's a winner.

[Pat 0]

Seems fairly straightforward to me. If there's no outright winner they keep discarding the candidate with the lowest amount of votes and keep recounting until there's a winner.

Aye, and is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Could be a case of who dares wins.

[lynnski 0]

Aye, and is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Could be a case of who dares wins.

Well that's basically what you have to decide for yourself Pat I am still undecided.

[lynnski 0]

Heh heh heh this has swayed me slightly towards yes

http://imgur.com/a/hgmbQ

[Pat 0]

"The Coalition continues to work well". Haig.

Not going by the look on Chris Huhne's face "If colleagues don't come clean law courts will.."

(BBC News).

[Pat 0]

Johann Hari - his arguments for voting 'Yes' are quite convincing:

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-if-you-get-the-x-factor-youll-get-av-2271058.html

[lynnski 0]

LOL

[lynnski 0]

If you're STILL struggling, surely Dan Snow can help you decide?