BS: Cllr still Cllr

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: GUEST,Mr Red (a sartorial affectation)
Date: 08 Jun 09 - 06:15 AM

Still a politician though.

**BG**

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Dave Swan
Date: 07 Jun 09 - 07:25 PM

From a Yank who has shared a pint and a song w/the Cllr I say congrats to him, and whatever it is politically, I'm, aginn it!

D

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 07 Jun 09 - 07:14 PM

I'm glad for you personally, Mike, but in mourning about the result.

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: George Papavgeris
Date: 07 Jun 09 - 06:56 PM

Well done Mike! Same place?

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 07 Jun 09 - 05:54 PM

Congrats Mike...would have caught up with this thread earlier, but Hils and Richard got their van towed off the field at the Song & Ale before we did!

Kitty
xx

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: My guru always said
Date: 07 Jun 09 - 05:16 PM

Brill, well done Mike!!
Hil x

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jun 09 - 04:12 PM

Great news Mike! Congrats and BIG HUGS on getting in again. No sculdugery by the opposition this year then?

Love and hugs
Tig
xxx

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Dave Earl
Date: 07 Jun 09 - 06:28 AM

I said in another thread

"I don't do politics I do people"

The re-elected Cllr is "people" as far as I'm concerned.

Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Little Hawk
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 08:52 PM

You should introduce a voting system that works this way: You vote for all the candidates in your riding, BUT you indicate each in your order of preference. You choose #1, #2, #3, #4 and so on. The computers tally up the votes, including everyone's second, third, fourth, etc choices. If no one party gets a clear majority, then the party with the least votes in your riding drops off the count, and the computer again adds up the votes of the remaining parties and keeps at it until one of them wins with a clear majority. That one then wins the riding.

This will far more accurately indicate the will of the people than simply giving the riding to the "first one past the post". The first one past the post will NOT necessarily win a majority of the votes if it's done this way...specially if you have, say, a single rightist Party running against two or three leftist parties or vice versa. In that case the single party to one side will lose...as it should.

In the case of "first past the post" it will win, despite having the backing of a minority of the voters.

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Tug the Cox
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 08:29 PM

From a 'silly song' I did in the Middle Bar Thurs Lunch session a few years ago, which poked fun at some of the regulars, concerning Cllr who at the time was mainly singing miners songs, and other songs about the oppresssed wotking class

'Councillor Mike,well that's a funny story
   Sings radical songs but He's a bloody Tory'

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 08:19 PM

""It's only our bent electoral system that hands absolute landslide power to governments elected by minorities.""


I'm a little bit sceptical about the logic of that claim Kevin.

We have three MAIN parties, all of which poll significant numbers of votes.

Therefore it is CERTAIN that whichever party ends up in government MUST of necessity be a MINORITY government, unless two parties carry between them considerably less than 50 percent of the total, a vanishingly small possibility.

This is true, no matter WHICH method is used to elect them.

Proportional representation tends to lead to hung parliaments, which, in my opinion, are as bad as landslide victories, replacing government by decree with little or no government due to the inability to achieve concensus.

And worse, a hung parliament means automatic coalition which is, from experience, always a Labour/LibDem coalition, with the Lib/Dems rubber stamping Labour policy.

In addition to that PR removes the connection between the populace and their representatives. In effect, you no longer vote for a man who is local, knows about, and cares about local issues.

You now vote for a nebulous entity called a political party, which knows little, and cares less about individual, or local, concerns.

You are going to have to show me how you can overcome those problems, before I would welcome the loss of my local MP, even though my local MP is always a member for Labour, and I am a Tory.

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 07:53 PM

On the other hand, who can vote for David Cameron with any confidence that he has any idea of what he is doing?

And of course most people will not do so, any more than most people ever voted for Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blaor.

It's only our bent electoral system that hands absolute landslide power to governments elected by minorities.

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 07:40 PM

Good man Mike, especially as we share an allegiance.

Mind you, almost all my best friends are socialists, and few of them are all that keen on NEW Labour.

I must admit to a certain smugness in knowing that I vote FOR something, or someone, while most of my friends vote AGAINST my party.

(Puts on battle bowler and waits for inevitable shitstorm)

But seriously, who can honestly vote FOR Gordon Brown, and do so out of a conviction he has any idea what he's doing?

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 04:31 PM

Congrats Mike!

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Cats
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 03:10 PM

He never has hidden the fact that he has many socialist friends and many friends who are active Trade Unionists. In fact he has always celebrated it.

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 01:24 PM

As its you congratulations. A polititian with integrity even if a bit misguided :))

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Gervase
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 11:43 AM

He's probably the only Tory I'd vote for - a thoroughly decent bloke. But, as you say, the endorsement of a bunch of lefties like us would be about as popular as swine flu in certain Tory circles, so Shhh!

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Lox
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 11:00 AM

Why hide the fact that he has socialist frioends?

Any politician who demonstrates to the electorate, regardless of party affiliation, that he is prepared to listen, engage, understand and respect any member of the public regardless of viewpoint or alignment would instantly stand out from the rest as someone with integrity and a true desire to serve the public in a democratic way.

ie - people would love it.

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Cats
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 10:35 AM

In this case disreard the colour of his politics, he is a good and fair councillor and works hard for his constituents. Pity he doesn't belong to Mebyon Kernow....

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 10:06 AM

Good Point Kevin - Personally , I dont give a damn how many people in or out of politics know tht I am definately inclined towards the Socialist viewpoint , though NOT so far as to support Mad Arthur Scargill !!

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Terry McDonald
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 09:54 AM

To be honest, I don't really care what his name is, but I'd be interested in knowing to what county council (or unitary authority) he's been re-elected. Idle curiosity, really.

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 09:36 AM

Might be better advised to lay low. I don't think "has a LOT of Socialist friends" is too likely to go down well with his political cronies. Remember, anything on the net is public, and it isn't only in the Labour Party that politicians like to stab each other in the back.

For that matter "who has a LOT of Socialist friends" probably wouldn't go down too well in New Labour circles either.

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 07:45 AM

I'll let him tell you who he is - IF he wants to be 'Outed' , but he is a Tory who has a LOT of Socialist friends in the Folk Scene . And has a lot more Social Awareness than some New Labour people .
Glad that you are still involved Mike .

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Terry McDonald
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 07:17 AM

So, following on from the 'Assuming my real name' thread, who is 'Cllr' and for what county council is he a member?

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 07:04 AM

Only Tory I might vote for...

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 06:32 AM

Morty, two minds with but a single thought!!!

Cllr, congrats, now put all that research you did in the last year to good use!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Anne Lister
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 06:23 AM

Congratulations, Mike!

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Morticia
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 05:42 AM

I didn't know you had a small majority, MIke.

I'll just get the coat then, shall I?

Subject: RE: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Andy Jackson
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 04:31 AM

The right result. A good man.

Subject: BS: Cllr still Cllr
From: Cats
Date: 06 Jun 09 - 04:06 AM

Congratulations, Cllr.   A small majority but that's all it takes.