Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

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Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Yes
56
90%
No
4
6%
Maybe
1
2%
Dont know
1
2%
 
Total votes: 62

Oldjohnw
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by Oldjohnw »

Cunobelin wrote:
Oldjohnw wrote:
Mick F wrote:I said No, but I reserve the right to change my mind.

I can't remember if I voted for the EU elections last time or not. TBH, I don't think many people care one way or another about the EU parliament and I don't even know which "constituency" we're in.


I'm sure that is true, which is no doubt why people think that the EU is undemocratic even when it is way more sense Nathan the Uk. And why they they, mistakenly, think that the EU makes our laws.


It is simply one of the Great Myths of Brexit.... What I love even more is the claim that we cannot tolerate an "unelected" EU, however he same people ascend in rapture at the thought of the WTO who really are an unelected body



Apologies: the iPad predictive gremlin intervened. Delete "sense Nathan" and read "democratic than".
John
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Mick F
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by Mick F »

[XAP]Bob wrote:
Mick F wrote:I said No, but I reserve the right to change my mind.

I can't remember if I voted for the EU elections last time or not. TBH, I don't think many people care one way or another about the EU parliament and I don't even know which "constituency" we're in.


You’ll be in “south West England”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europea ... ed_Kingdom
I guessed that of course. I could have looked it up as well, but the fact remains that unless they know or look it up, people won't have a clue.

The Southwest is a big place, and no doubt all the other EU constituencies are equally big.
There is much discussion about "Devonwall" ........ having an MP representing an area overlapping Devon and Cornwall recommended by the Boundary Commision. No doubt Devon couldn't care, but Cornwall cares a great deal about this subject.

It's all to do with representation. The large areas of EU constituencies aren't representing people sufficiently, and Devonwall is seen similarly.
Mick F. Cornwall
Psamathe
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by Psamathe »

Mick F wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:
Mick F wrote:I said No, but I reserve the right to change my mind.

I can't remember if I voted for the EU elections last time or not. TBH, I don't think many people care one way or another about the EU parliament and I don't even know which "constituency" we're in.


You’ll be in “south West England”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europea ... ed_Kingdom
I guessed that of course. I could have looked it up as well, but the fact remains that unless they know or look it up, people won't have a clue.

The Southwest is a big place, and no doubt all the other EU constituencies are equally big.
There is much discussion about "Devonwall" ........ having an MP representing an area overlapping Devon and Cornwall recommended by the Boundary Commision. No doubt Devon couldn't care, but Cornwall cares a great deal about this subject.

It's all to do with representation. The large areas of EU constituencies aren't representing people sufficiently, and Devonwall is seen similarly.

I have had dealings with my MEPs on several occasions and have always found it worked well. With bigger regions you tend to get MEPs representing you from several different parties so when you want them to address something you can send the same request to them all and e.g. conservatives will ignore it (because of their personal ideology) but others will take-up the case. For one recent case I raised it was the Labour MEP who took-up the issue and there was a fair amount of correspondence between my MSP and the EU Commission (with updates back to me). In another case again it was a Labour MEP who took up the case and really "ran with it" raising it in the European Parliament and over time mostly "won" (it was not just me that raised he issue).

I've found the MEP system works far better than the UK MP system (but maybe I see it like that because my MP is a 110% safe seat Conservative party puppet). But from personal experience of MEP representation, it works well

Ian
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andrew_s
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by andrew_s »

I always vote.

In the case of the next Westminster elections, whenever that might be, it's likely to be for the Monster Raving Looney Party, such is my opinion of the current crop of incompetents.
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mjr
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by mjr »

Mick F wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:
You’ll be in “south West England”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europea ... ed_Kingdom
I guessed that of course. I could have looked it up as well, but the fact remains that unless they know or look it up, people won't have a clue.

The Southwest is a big place, and no doubt all the other EU constituencies are equally big.
There is much discussion about "Devonwall" ........ having an MP representing an area overlapping Devon and Cornwall recommended by the Boundary Commision. No doubt Devon couldn't care, but Cornwall cares a great deal about this subject.

It's all to do with representation. The large areas of EU constituencies aren't representing people sufficiently, and Devonwall is seen similarly.

The benefit of the EU constituencies being regions is it means I have some chance of an MEP who isn't right wing despite being in a very solid blue borough of a pretty blue region.

And your constituency is shown on your polling card, same as in every elections, or you can put it into sites like writeToThem.com and find out for most levels.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Mick F wrote:
[XAP]Bob wrote:
Mick F wrote:I said No, but I reserve the right to change my mind.

I can't remember if I voted for the EU elections last time or not. TBH, I don't think many people care one way or another about the EU parliament and I don't even know which "constituency" we're in.


You’ll be in “south West England”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europea ... ed_Kingdom
I guessed that of course. I could have looked it up as well, but the fact remains that unless they know or look it up, people won't have a clue.

The Southwest is a big place, and no doubt all the other EU constituencies are equally big.
There is much discussion about "Devonwall" ........ having an MP representing an area overlapping Devon and Cornwall recommended by the Boundary Commision. No doubt Devon couldn't care, but Cornwall cares a great deal about this subject.

It's all to do with representation. The large areas of EU constituencies aren't representing people sufficiently, and Devonwall is seen similarly.


It’s a fair size, but you subsequently get 6 MEPs.

I don’t really think you could consider yourself underrepresented unless you have actually talked to them at some point... disengaged, yes. Under represented, no.
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Mick F
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by Mick F »

Mick F wrote:I said No, but I reserve the right to change my mind.
I've decided to vote ........... but ONLY if one of our candidates here is a Brexit enthusiast.

If not, there's no point in voting and I'll spoil my ballot paper.
Mick F. Cornwall
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Lance Dopestrong
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by Lance Dopestrong »

Oldjohnw wrote:I'm sure that is true, which is no doubt why people think that the EU is undemocratic even when it is way more democratic the Uk. And why they they, mistakenly, think that the EU makes our laws.


Whether the EU is "more" or "less" democratic than the UK domestic system is of little interest to me. I would suggest it's no better or worse, clearly accountable to the electorate in some instances, and not at all in others. After all, the big cheese, the head honcho, the grand tamale, the head of the European Commision themselves is an appointment, not elected to the position by any electorate. But then our own PM is an appoitnment by the majority party.

I don't think there's any right or wrong here, simply different degrees of personal preference. The sooner people realise that and stop bickering then the rest of us can move forward and watch something different on the evening news. Vote for the councillor, MP or MEP who will best represent your interests, not some notional "I'll vote for X party because I like their policy on Y" and saddle yourself with a poor MP who just happens to be a member of a party you like.

I'll see who my candidates are, what they (claim they can) do for me, and cast my vote accordingly. Who they pay their party subs to is an irrelevance.
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atoz
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by atoz »

I always vote in elections, no matter how dispiriting it sometimes can be, since people in the past fought, and in some cases, gave their lives for the right to vote. The media seems intent on agreeing with Farage and his motley crew that it's just about Brexit- in the words of panto, oh no it isn't (anyone for the reply? lol). There are other issues other than Brexit- in particular climate change, which Farage of course has no interest in. Obviously he doesn't live in or near an area that is vulnerable to flooding. He's supposed to be one of the laziest MEPs there is- no surprise there then.
He even claimed in the past that climate change was a scam...doh

But what's the betting he claims for every expense going..which of course won't be cycling expenses- lol.

Corbyn to give him credit tried to get over the argument that there were other issues as well as Brexit, like poverty, austerity, etc but it seems he's been banging his head against a brick wall in the traditional media. And of course as far as Brexit goes he's dammed if he does and dammed if he doesn't. I suspect there's nothing more than some of the PLP would like than to claim it as 2016 all over again and do unto Corbyn what they failed to do last time. Mind you, he's wrongfooted the nay sayers before. I've learnt never to rule this man out.
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RickH
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by RickH »

Mick F wrote:
Mick F wrote:I said No, but I reserve the right to change my mind.
I've decided to vote ........... but ONLY if one of our candidates here is a Brexit enthusiast.

If not, there's no point in voting and I'll spoil my ballot paper.

You don't get to vote for a candidate directly - you vote for a party (except, presumably, for the independent candidates. MEPs are selected for each party in the order they appear on the list. So the first Brexit Party candidate elected would be Ann Widecombe, the first Lib Dem would be Caroline Voaden, etc. If a party gets a second seat then it goes to the second on the list. Seats are allocated until all 6 places are filled.

A list of candidates for the South West is here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48081663

The way the seats are allocated (the D'Hondt system, a type of proportional representation) is explained here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27187434
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mercalia
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by mercalia »

looks like I will be voting liberal as they are the Remain party in London who are predicted to clean up.

Sorry Labour, I dont like 2-faced parties. You should by now be telling the truth to the Brexit-eers that activating Article 50 was a mistake & should be preapring the way for revoking article 50( for the obvious reasons) , but you are still playing politics trying to be all things to all people .
Last edited by mercalia on 20 May 2019, 12:58pm, edited 1 time in total.
Psamathe
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by Psamathe »

Today I got a flyer from our new Parish Council (after the elections last week, inviting everybody to their inaugural meeting). Amazing thing they claim is that turnout for the Parish Council election was 50% ("Over 50% of those eligible to vote did so").

Ian
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mjr
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by mjr »

atoz wrote:I always vote in elections, no matter how dispiriting it sometimes can be, since people in the past fought, and in some cases, gave their lives for the right to vote.

Indeed. I do have some sympathy with those who scribble on ballot papers containing only unacceptable candidates, but not turning out seems a shame.

But those predecessors who fought and risked/suffered death for our freedom wasn't enough to stop 17.whatever million voting to surrender other freedoms in 2016, so maybe the right to vote isn't important to them either? That might be why they're happy to vote for anti-democrat authoritarians like Farage.

atoz wrote:The media seems intent on agreeing with Farage and his motley crew that it's just about Brexit- in the words of panto, oh no it isn't (anyone for the reply? lol). There are other issues other than Brexit- in particular climate change, which Farage of course has no interest in. Obviously he doesn't live in or near an area that is vulnerable to flooding. He's supposed to be one of the laziest MEPs there is- no surprise there then.
He even claimed in the past that climate change was a scam...doh

Amen. It's ridiculous to vote for The Brexit Party for at least two huge reasons: 1. They won't tell you what their policies are until after the vote - it's a complete pig in a poke and probably a bait-and-switch con trick; 2. Brexit is mainly an MP power because it's primarily a national matter, which is why Tusk (ministerial council president) has been leading rather than Juncker (commission president) or Tajani (EP Speaker) - MEPs have minimal effect on this except that the commission president is chosen by the largest party in parliament... but the Brexit Party and its allies are only contesting about half the seats up for election and have refused to nominate a candidate for president!

Some may think that nationalism has been on the rise since the last elections so they might get a majority, but it's worth remembering that the nationalist MEPs don't work together and are currently split between Farage's group, May's allies (which include some nationalists like the Flemish N-VA and the Polish "Law and Justice" and "Right Wing of the Republic"), and another group containing Salvini, as well as a few like Orban who are currently on their own, previously part of the main conservative group (which Cameron took UK Conservatives out of).

atoz wrote:But what's the betting he claims for every expense going..which of course won't be cycling expenses- lol. [...]

I suspect no-one would be willing to take that bet! Farage has a long history of claiming nearly as much as possible, although generally claiming some as his EFDD party's expenses (which are then claimed from the EU anyway) to avoid his personal expenses appearing near the top of the list of UK claimants: 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017 and I'm sure there's more.
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mjr
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by mjr »

Even the Brexit Party doesn't know who's funding it and - unlike most UK parties - it's making no effort to find out: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... rdon-brown - is a vote for the Brexit Party a vote for Putin?
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Mike Sales
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Re: Will You Vote in the EU elections ( if you can) ?

Post by Mike Sales »

mjr wrote:Even the Brexit Party doesn't know who's funding it and - unlike most UK parties - it's making no effort to find out: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... rdon-brown - is a vote for the Brexit Party a vote for Putin?


Putin and Trump are certainly supporters of brexit.
If the unsavoury domestic supporters of brexit don't turn you off their cause, the external ones should make you think.
It's the same the whole world over
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It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
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