I had lunch with friends on Thursday. I'm a Lady who Lunches, once a month - yes, darlings, I'm that sort of girl. I started this to keep my mother company, over 20 years ago. I was the youngest then and I am still the youngest now, though not by so much nowadays. Anyway, they're all retired, quite high-powered, very public-minded, fairly conservative, whether with a big or small c or both.
On my table of eight, two said they had voted, four said they were not going to vote, one said she was going to spoil her paper and one said she had to vote because two of her aunts had been Suffragettes, she couldn't not vote, but she might spoil her paper too. Mostly, there were two reasons - one, they didn't see any reason for the police commissioner to be an elected post, particularly party political, and it was a waste of money and two, there had been so little information on the subject that they didn't know whom to vote for anyway. Of the two who voted, we had both looked up details online, and I'd also read it in the local paper, though there was just one brief article a couple of weeks ago.
Ro also voted. He said that he'd rather someone he supported got in than not vote and have someone he didn't want. That was my view. Also, I thought of the people in the world who don't have the vote and didn't have a vote in the past, especially women (I'm very unsexist normally, I promise, but disenfranchisement is more likely to happen to women) and so I appreciate the rights I have. Ro agreed with me there.
Anyway, if intelligent and committed people choose not to use their right to vote, that seems quite telling. But maybe it'll work out, who knows? Ro checked the news tonight and apparently here the Independent candidate won. He and I voted for him first and the Sage gave him his second choice, so we're all pleased.
Ro is staying overnight, which is lovely. I've just promised him bacon and eggs for breakfast. He's very pleased.
On my table of eight, two said they had voted, four said they were not going to vote, one said she was going to spoil her paper and one said she had to vote because two of her aunts had been Suffragettes, she couldn't not vote, but she might spoil her paper too. Mostly, there were two reasons - one, they didn't see any reason for the police commissioner to be an elected post, particularly party political, and it was a waste of money and two, there had been so little information on the subject that they didn't know whom to vote for anyway. Of the two who voted, we had both looked up details online, and I'd also read it in the local paper, though there was just one brief article a couple of weeks ago.
Ro also voted. He said that he'd rather someone he supported got in than not vote and have someone he didn't want. That was my view. Also, I thought of the people in the world who don't have the vote and didn't have a vote in the past, especially women (I'm very unsexist normally, I promise, but disenfranchisement is more likely to happen to women) and so I appreciate the rights I have. Ro agreed with me there.
Anyway, if intelligent and committed people choose not to use their right to vote, that seems quite telling. But maybe it'll work out, who knows? Ro checked the news tonight and apparently here the Independent candidate won. He and I voted for him first and the Sage gave him his second choice, so we're all pleased.
Ro is staying overnight, which is lovely. I've just promised him bacon and eggs for breakfast. He's very pleased.
10 comments:
I suspect that we've got the wrong bloke as there were two independents standing in this county (which will have split the vote).
Most other areas of similar composition (Surrey, Dorset, Kent, yours) have all elected the independent.
I just saw the girlie who's won North Yorkshire on the news. Didn't inspire me that she was strong or bright enough to control a room full of senior police and their cronies.
My reasons for voting were very similar to yours and I too went online for candidate information. There were 2 candidates that I really didn't like so I felt I should vote against them.
Now the government are going to waste a bit more money by having an enquiry into the low turn out. The fact that spoiled papers do not count towards the turn out figures makes them look even worse. I think there should be some way for voters to register their protest that would be noted; like the "none of the above" box in that old Richard Prior film.
I confess I didn't vote.
I am suffering from voter's apathy, which pisses me off royally. I believe in the democratic system. But I don't believe in our system at the moment. Candidates don't represent me and I won't do it to choose the lesser evil anymore.
I wouldn't blame anyone for taking that position. You're by no means alone, about 85% of the electorate not having voted on Thursday, or spoilt their papers.
I haven't had time to see the news - I hardly see the reason for an enquiry, we could all just tell them the reason for the low turnout. If there were a 'none of the above' box, we'd all use that as a protest, no government will ever risk it!
I voted independent partly because he was, but I also thought he looked pretty good. If there had been no party affiliations at all, I'd still have gone for him, I think.
I didn't vote, as I had no idea who I was voting for!
I'm just having a "John Prescott didn't get in" party.
We were in Yorkshire last week and a canvasser asked if he could hand me a John Prescott leaflet. I said that as he supported the illegal invasion of Iraq he can stick it up his arse.
Excuse my language Z.
Far Kennel, I'll drink to that, Rog. And what's wrong with your language? Seems to suit the occasion excellently.
We talked about it at book group. All the others were planning to spoil their papers because they know the local candidates and aren't impressed with any of them.
We did have "none of the above" on our ballots, which we utilized vigorously in some cases.
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