HELP! I agree with Miliband

I find my self in the uncomfortable position of agreeing with Ed Miliband - a man whom I despise and would never vote for if my life depended on it!

In an article in the Guardian which you can read here, the Mighty Milipede argues that a vote for AV is a change in the right direction. He says :

AV offers an opportunity for political reform, ensuring the voice of the public is heard louder than it has been in the past. And given the standing of politics that is an opportunity we should take. It is a system that combines the direct representation of first-past-the-post with one that will make the votes of more people count.

The fact is that the present system is flawed. True, AV is also flawed but it is a better system and maintains the link between the MP and the constituency which full PR would destroy.

I believe that if we combined it with compulsory voting with a positive abstention as is the way in Australia, then we would have a considerably better system of electing our MPs.

That's a fight for another day, but at least a 'Yes' vote for AV would be a good first step.

HELP! I agree with Miliband

I find my self in the uncomfortable position of agreeing with Ed Miliband - a man whom I despise and would never vote for if my life depended on it!

In an article in the Guardian which you can read here, the Mighty Milipede argues that a vote for AV is a change in the right direction. He says :

AV offers an opportunity for political reform, ensuring the voice of the public is heard louder than it has been in the past. And given the standing of politics that is an opportunity we should take. It is a system that combines the direct representation of first-past-the-post with one that will make the votes of more people count.

The fact is that the present system is flawed. True, AV is also flawed but it is a better system and maintains the link between the MP and the constituency which full PR would destroy.

I believe that if we combined it with compulsory voting with a positive abstention as is the way in Australia, then we would have a considerably better system of electing our MPs.

That's a fight for another day, but at least a 'Yes' vote for AV would be a good first step.

Queen speaks out!

Queen speaks out!

That election result in full!

That election result in full!

Vote counting - an interesting experience

Despite earlier expectations, I am awake! I got to bed at about 5 this morning and my wife woke me up when she got up at 7:30! I love her dearly but - Arggggghhhhhhh!!

Anyway, our local Tory increased his sizeable majority by about 50% but we still had to recount in case the Green Party lost their deposit. In the end they got 5.1% and we got to go home an hour later than the ideal...

One meets a very interesting selection of people at a count. Predominently they are aged 50+ and about 80% are female. Yours truly felt a little out of place but compensated by taking the lead of his little group.

Generally, all went smoothly and we all rubbed along together, but the candidates and their scrutineers were an odd bunch indeed. If you had stood the candidates in a line and picked them by appearance alone without knowing which was which, you would picked the Tory out as the only one who looked like he was dressed to appear in public. The liberal was the rather tired looking middle aged bloke in a crumpled, shiny M&S suit. The Green was, of course, the bloke with the beard and the UKIP man was the man dressed like Doctor Who. That only left the Labour candidate.

Labour's wife and scrutineer decided to give me a hard time. I had already decided I didn't like them. Frankly they just seemed rather unpleasant and oily! She had the irritating habit of talking about us common counting scum as if we weren't there, taking every opportunity to criticise and interfere - just like the rest of her party really.

On a minor, but by no means unimportant point, the Tory took the time to come round after the count and thank every counter individually. One else bothered to even thank us collectively. Manners maketh the man.

I have to say that I was impressed by the organisation that went into it all, although it seems incredible to me that in the 21st century, we still count votes by putting them on little bits of paper then sorting and counting them by hand. Still, no hanging chads here and it did give one voter the chance to add Robert Mugabe to the ballot paper - not that it counted!

So after all that, isn't it great to know that the result is all buggered up, Broon is still at number 10 and we will probably have to do it all again in 6 months...

Aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhhh!!!

Vote counting - an interesting experience

Despite earlier expectations, I am awake! I got to bed at about 5 this morning and my wife woke me up when she got up at 7:30! I love her dearly but - Arggggghhhhhhh!!

Anyway, our local Tory increased his sizeable majority by about 50% but we still had to recount in case the Green Party lost their deposit. In the end they got 5.1% and we got to go home an hour later than the ideal...

One meets a very interesting selection of people at a count. Predominently they are aged 50+ and about 80% are female. Yours truly felt a little out of place but compensated by taking the lead of his little group.

Generally, all went smoothly and we all rubbed along together, but the candidates and their scrutineers were an odd bunch indeed. If you had stood the candidates in a line and picked them by appearance alone without knowing which was which, you would picked the Tory out as the only one who looked like he was dressed to appear in public. The liberal was the rather tired looking middle aged bloke in a crumpled, shiny M&S suit. The Green was, of course, the bloke with the beard and the UKIP man was the man dressed like Doctor Who. That only left the Labour candidate.

Labour's wife and scrutineer decided to give me a hard time. I had already decided I didn't like them. Frankly they just seemed rather unpleasant and oily! She had the irritating habit of talking about us common counting scum as if we weren't there, taking every opportunity to criticise and interfere - just like the rest of her party really.

On a minor, but by no means unimportant point, the Tory took the time to come round after the count and thank every counter individually. One else bothered to even thank us collectively. Manners maketh the man.

I have to say that I was impressed by the organisation that went into it all, although it seems incredible to me that in the 21st century, we still count votes by putting them on little bits of paper then sorting and counting them by hand. Still, no hanging chads here and it did give one voter the chance to add Robert Mugabe to the ballot paper - not that it counted!

So after all that, isn't it great to know that the result is all buggered up, Broon is still at number 10 and we will probably have to do it all again in 6 months...

Aaaarrrrgggghhhhhhhhh!!!

The Party's over.....

....it's time to call it a day.

Yours truly is knackered this morning as he has been up all night counting votes. As you read this I am doubtless sound asleep.

So on a musical theme, here's one I prepared earlier - Jake Thackray summing the whole bloody thing up in less than a minute :



"The bigger the bull, the bigger the Balls" - couldn't have it put it better myself. Could be prophetic perhaps?

Let's hope that Pete Townshend got it totally wrong when he wrote "Meet the new boss, Same as the old boss" - I may comment further later if I can be arsed...

The Party's over.....

....it's time to call it a day.

Yours truly is knackered this morning as he has been up all night counting votes. As you read this I am doubtless sound asleep.

So on a musical theme, here's one I prepared earlier - Jake Thackray summing the whole bloody thing up in less than a minute :



"The bigger the bull, the bigger the Balls" - couldn't have it put it better myself. Could be prophetic perhaps?

Let's hope that Pete Townshend got it totally wrong when he wrote "Meet the new boss, Same as the old boss" - I may comment further later if I can be arsed...

Get off your arse and VOTE!

Frankly, I just can't be bothered with apathy any more!

This General Election is IMPORTANT! If you choose not to exercise your vote - and I will grant you that you have this right - then you abdicate your right to complain.

If you vote and your party loses, then fair enough you can criticise the winner.

If you vote and your party wins, then you can complain that you don't like the way they are doing things.

If you don't vote at all, then shut the fuck up! I don't want to hear it!

SO GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND VOTE!!!

Get off your arse and VOTE!

Frankly, I just can't be bothered with apathy any more!

This General Election is IMPORTANT! If you choose not to exercise your vote - and I will grant you that you have this right - then you abdicate your right to complain.

If you vote and your party loses, then fair enough you can criticise the winner.

If you vote and your party wins, then you can complain that you don't like the way they are doing things.

If you don't vote at all, then shut the fuck up! I don't want to hear it!

SO GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND VOTE!!!

David Cameron's sing-a-long-a-voter

Here's Dave doing a bit of Elton John with his personal appeal to you to elect him on May 6th.



"I guess that's why you vote for the blues
You've had enough of the lies and untruths
They treat you like children
Think that it's funny
Raise all your taxes
And spend all your money
So I guess that's why you vote for the blues"

David Cameron's sing-a-long-a-voter

Here's Dave doing a bit of Elton John with his personal appeal to you to elect him on May 6th.



"I guess that's why you vote for the blues
You've had enough of the lies and untruths
They treat you like children
Think that it's funny
Raise all your taxes
And spend all your money
So I guess that's why you vote for the blues"

Nick Clegg - I Dreamed a Dream

Following hot on the heels of Gordon Brown's new song a couple of days ago, boy wonder Nick Clegg - cashing in on on his exposure in the hit TV series "The ElectX Factor" before it fades away - has released a sparkling new 20 track, double CD in time for the May election fest.

The full track listing is as follows :

1. My Way
2. Whatever You Want
3. All or Nothing
4. Everybody's Talking 'bout Me
5. You've Got a Friend
6. The Times They Are a' Changing
7. The Winner Takes It All
8. Whatever You Want
9. Keep the Customer Satisfied
10. Two Tribes
11. I'm Not Like Everybody Else
12. Good Times, Bad Times
13. Down to the Wire
14. Campaigner
15. Let Me Entertain You
16. It's All Over Now
17. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
18. I Dreamed a Dream
19. The Party's Over
20. End of the Line

A copy free with every LibDem vote on May 6th.

Nick Clegg - I Dreamed a Dream

Following hot on the heels of Gordon Brown's new song a couple of days ago, boy wonder Nick Clegg - cashing in on on his exposure in the hit TV series "The ElectX Factor" before it fades away - has released a sparkling new 20 track, double CD in time for the May election fest.

The full track listing is as follows :

1. My Way
2. Whatever You Want
3. All or Nothing
4. Everybody's Talking 'bout Me
5. You've Got a Friend
6. The Times They Are a' Changing
7. The Winner Takes It All
8. Whatever You Want
9. Keep the Customer Satisfied
10. Two Tribes
11. I'm Not Like Everybody Else
12. Good Times, Bad Times
13. Down to the Wire
14. Campaigner
15. Let Me Entertain You
16. It's All Over Now
17. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
18. I Dreamed a Dream
19. The Party's Over
20. End of the Line

A copy free with every LibDem vote on May 6th.

Timing is everything

At last! I have been highly critical over the last few weeks of the lack of policy statements coming out of the Conservative Party.

When this campaign started at the beginning of the year, I understood why David Cameron was reluctant to put detailed policies on paper. Only an idiot would give his opponents the opportunity to steal their policies and present them as their own - and let's be honest, Labour are experts at doing precisely that.

Even in Thursday night's debate, I felt that Cameron did not nail Brown by coming out with concrete promises and guarantees, and consigning the Labour scaremongerng machine to the dustbin of history.

Well, I'm sorry Dave. I apologize. Your leaflet today leaves me in no doubt that I have greatly underestimated you because here it is at last.

I'm also sorry that I waited until today to vote, because like many others I was swayed by the polish and style of the LibDem performance. But while I think the electoral system is wrong, I'm not going to pay for changing it by giving amnesties to illegal immigrants and joining the Euro.

But there is one thing I am not sorry about - watching the death throes of a man who has done more damage to this nation than Hitler. Better start booking the removal van, Gordon - and good riddance!

I am now beginning to really believe that the Labour nightmare is drawing to a close - and frankly I can't wait to see the destruction of Brown by his own party once the voting is over. Never has it been more richly deserved.

My vote is in the post. Now let's get on with sorting this shambles out...

Timing is everything

At last! I have been highly critical over the last few weeks of the lack of policy statements coming out of the Conservative Party.

When this campaign started at the beginning of the year, I understood why David Cameron was reluctant to put detailed policies on paper. Only an idiot would give his opponents the opportunity to steal their policies and present them as their own - and let's be honest, Labour are experts at doing precisely that.

Even in Thursday night's debate, I felt that Cameron did not nail Brown by coming out with concrete promises and guarantees, and consigning the Labour scaremongerng machine to the dustbin of history.

Well, I'm sorry Dave. I apologize. Your leaflet today leaves me in no doubt that I have greatly underestimated you because here it is at last.

I'm also sorry that I waited until today to vote, because like many others I was swayed by the polish and style of the LibDem performance. But while I think the electoral system is wrong, I'm not going to pay for changing it by giving amnesties to illegal immigrants and joining the Euro.

But there is one thing I am not sorry about - watching the death throes of a man who has done more damage to this nation than Hitler. Better start booking the removal van, Gordon - and good riddance!

I am now beginning to really believe that the Labour nightmare is drawing to a close - and frankly I can't wait to see the destruction of Brown by his own party once the voting is over. Never has it been more richly deserved.

My vote is in the post. Now let's get on with sorting this shambles out...

Gordon Brown - I Dreamed a Dream

Here's Gordon doing Susan Boyle (makes a change from him doing Gillian Duffy - I feel for the woman!)



Thanks to Rory Bremner for the vocals

Gordon Brown - I Dreamed a Dream

Here's Gordon doing Susan Boyle (makes a change from him doing Gillian Duffy - I feel for the woman!)



Thanks to Rory Bremner for the vocals