Elections and politics

I agree re Police Commissioner it was the same here. I wouldn't have known who I was voting for. When we do get to vote in local elections I only vote for those who bother to communicate and seem to be working for the community rather than a party and don't bother at all if they don't.

To me the world is similar to how it has been for quite a few years now, I do have children and have worried about what sort of world will be left behind when I die. I've been cynical about politicians for as long as I can remember, I've seen to many broken promises and twisted promises, you know where they try and make out what they've done is what they promised only it so twisted out of shape that no sane person would recognise it.

I don't think a new government will change things that drastically, I bet the changes to things like PIP will still take place with whoever is in government when it comes in denying any responsibility for the hardship caused

What really bugs me about these people is the total lack of morality and integrity that they claim to have in relation to other issues and this was something that was laid bare for all to see during Covid 

I think that the only letter we got from the PM here in Manchester was about lockdown here in the U.K. and it was at that point that I realised that our world would never be the same again - I recall getting that letter in the post and my heart sank, realising at that point the situation around the world and with huge concern for my extended family in Ireland, as aside from the fact that I live alone here in the U.K. my thoughts turned to future generations - we have been through sheer hell in the past 4 years since 2020 right around the world - I don’t have children myself, but starting with the actual babies of today, I’ve often wondered about what kind of world they will inherit, given the enormity of the potential consequences for them growing up as we move forward, as our world is changing but not in a good way - people like us can clearly see what is going on around the world and we can only do our best to try to guide those around us to make the correct choices as we navigate the post-Covid world 

I think I might have had one of those questionaires, I did fill it in, not with the answers they would of wanted, but I think it got thrown away before I could post it. Anything that comes from CCHQ tends to get laughed at before going to the recycling. I don't think any of the other's bothered.

We had Police and Crime Commisioner elections here, no council ones, I dont' see the point of PCC's, what are they supposed to do, well I know what it is they say they do or are going to do, but how? Do the police not know what sort of crime is happening in their area? Ours was for the whole of North Wales, none from round here, they all seemed to be more urban than rural and crime is different in rural to urban areas. None of them even bothered to leaflet us or make any contact at all, how does this add to any accountability? All but 1 were members of various political parties and I thought the police were supposed to be independent of politics or party politics at least. I mean we know they're not really, they do as the government of the day tell them, but shouldn't they at least keep up the charade?

I know a guy who was so frustrated with the inaccesibilty of his M.P. that he entered the race, paid the fee and ran as an independent candidate, just so he could ask the MP his question...

unless its because i never vote so they just assume ill keep up the trend of not bothering lol

I don't live in a city and just presumed the whole country had it. However you didn't miss anything as it appears all they wanted to know is who you will vote for. At least that means less trees felled to send them out.

i didnt get that...
i never get that type of thing, i guess the north west isnt important enough..

do you live in london or oxford or one of those other famous english places? they only seem to ever do surveys in those places and it gets totally wrong idea of the nations views because of that

I am wondering if everyone in England or the whole of the UK get a recent letter from the Prime Minister. It had a questionnaire, so thinking I could make suggestions I started reading it, but then realised it was multiple choice with nowhere to put our own ideas and seemed to be aimed at finding out if we would be voting for him. Needless to say I didn't complete it.

Yep, it's a scam and always was, only greedy people couldn't or wouldn't see it. We not only pay more for our services but we get less of them too. I wouldn't want to see things go back to how they were in the 1970's with overmightly unions holding the country to ransom, but workers need more rights than they have currently and to be better able to use the ones they have, but for many people tribunals are unaffordable.

TheCatWoman said:

. Why on earth privatisation was thught to be such a good idea is beyond me. All it seems to have creared is private monopolies instead of public ones

There was public ownership.

Privatization means the wealth is now in private hands instead, with the double bonus that the Government can be less accountable and pay less, whilst the taxpayer pays ever more as time passes. 

A scam, in other words. 

I agree ISperg, nobody seems to be accountable, bosses of loss making firms get huge bonus's apparently the wealthy need lots of money and bonus's to make them work hard, whilst the rest of us can go hang.

Its not just politicians who can get away with no accountability, but big business too, look at the mess privatised water companies have made and now they want the tax payer to bail them out. Why on earth privatisation was thught to be such a good idea is beyond me. All it seems to have creared is private monopolies instead of public ones.

The big thing missing is "accountability".

If you are in government and launch say a ventilator challenge project at a cost of £440m (of public money) which involves the cream of british industry for about 4 months then abruptly cancel it, then perhaps there should be some public investigation into that particular decision, and your suitabilty in the role of decision maker?

If you decided to sell off the nations Gold reserves, at teh bottom of the market, then perhaps you should not retire in luxury...

If you get us into a war based on lies that you know to be lies, then perhaps a public trial rather than accolades shoudl come your way TONY BLAIR.

The list could go on.

If you or I botch our work really badly we have to account for our actions, and often face punishment, them politicians can do almost anything...

Accountabilty. 

As the Tories have had a majority and a coalition with the LibDems before that, Scotish and Welsh MP have been in a minority. Some Scotish and Welsh MP's are from unionist parties whilst others like Plaid Cymru and the SNP are nationalist, but seem to have very little impact on the overall outcomes of votes.

I think everyone feels disenfranchised under the current system of First Past the Post, I've never felt represented at a national level, admitedly thats probably because I tend not to vote for either of the main parties, but an MP is supposed to represent all their constituents not just the ones who voted for them. I wrote to our MP about an issue, I didn't get a reply but I had my detail's passed onto Conservative Central Office, who send me filling for the recycling bin.

I think PR would be a better system, FPTP makes politics to adversarial which I don't think works for people or projects, one lot get in and undo everything the previous lot did, just in time for the cycle to start again. I really think we need a greater consensus in our political thinking, actually I think many of the public do have a consensus, but our politicians don't.

I'd like to know how lack of goverment oversight leads to such massive delays, over spends and cancellations to so many infrastructure projects? Other countries manage to get project delievered on time and within budget.

I'd like to see less party politics, who is your MP answerable to, you or thier party? I think it's very difficult for them to be represent the wishes of their consstituents or those of their party and often they are at odds, If an MP wishes to progess up the slippery pole of government then they have to have a good record of voting with their party, more time on telly etc means more recognition and people are more likely to vote for someone they recognise. Some MP's are happy to stay as back benchers, representing the area they are elected too.

Then there's the way MP's are chosen, you have to be fairly well off to get as far as being a candidate, you will need to do a lot of behind the scenes schmoozing, getting to know the right people and do a fair bit of travelling. You also risk someone being parachuted in over the heads of you and your local constituency party, different parties selection procedures are different. I dont' think there's enough variety of people in parliament, to many seem to be lawyers and not enough seem to have done ordinary jobs, like worked in a supermarket or a call centre.

Personally I think the whole system's rotten to the core.

Yes I vote and while I tend to vote green I do try to assess on a case by case basis/dont have any particular allegiance. Right now I think the most autism friendly policies they can take up are to stop defunding public services!

I do agree the England needs its own government and Parliament seperate from Westminister, which is not representative of the English people - living in England 22 years and being Irish myself, I’ve seen how the English people have been totally betrayed 

yeah england needs its own local ruling power as we dont have one... we are the only one that doesnt have one, we have the joint british one that stands for britain not england... england needs a seperate office of power as westminster isnt that as scotland and wales can have a say on westminster and so that means wales and scotland have a say on english development while england has no say on wales or scotland. this essentially makes england a victim of discrimination and dictatorship more than any other part of the union and to fix this we need our own seperate ruling power seperate from the joint british union seat of westminster. in which scotland or wales have absolutely no say what so ever over anything in england.

i like to vote independent.

because if we stop voting for parties and start voting for individuals, then this football divisive politic style will die and people will be elected individually based on who they are and not based on their party... no longer will you have a useless local leader that ignores you because they know they will keep office anyway because you always vote their party all the time locally so they can ignore all the locals concerns and not need to listen to us because of party politics guarunteeing them their job....

lets face it, both parties have failed... the people cheering labour will hate labour and then be cheering tories on to win against them later, its a endless circle. ignorant hatred and politics based on parties instead of policies.

It doesn't matter who you vote for, the government always wins...