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Post by stodge on Oct 26, 2024 12:19:36 GMT
Without ploughing through all the archives, had anybody done any research on who actually votes in local elections. On average 33% don't vote in any election, another 33% or more sometimes don't vote in local elections. Are those who do vote mainly the politically engaged, are they a particular socio-economic groups. Discounting specific political campaigns on a local issue , do they vote on national or local issues, or do they just vote because they believe they should. Quite a few years ago, when Worthing council was considering moving to all out elections, I did do some research on this, because we had really extensive historical voting records. The received wisdom is that, as you say, the electorate cabe divided into thirds: 1/3 never vote, 1/3 vote in national elections only, 1/3 vote at every opportunity. But looking at the Worthing data, I found that 1/3 vote at every opportunity, and nearly all the rest voted at least once in any four year cycle. When I was politically active back in the day, I used the marked register provided after the election, reconciled that with the canvass returns and concentrated our efforts on contacting those who voted regularly at local elections. I know the information we gathered in the local elections in 1994 was incredibly useful in the next round in 1998 - yes, it's imprecise and people move in and move out of an area so you also need to concentrate on the new arrivals. I would start with those on our canvass returns who had been OUT or DK (the confirmed PROs and ANTIs weren't worth any time) but who had voted and then move to the new arrivals. If we had resources, I'd then go to those who voted at the GE but I wouldn't waste time on confirmed non voters (unless they contacted us directly). |
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Raddy
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Post by Raddy on Oct 26, 2024 16:53:56 GMT
I found that 1/3 vote at every opportunity, and nearly all the rest voted at least once in any four year cycle.
I'm probably one of those
Until about 20 years ago I voted in every election, but then realised voting just encourages them. I still vote in every national election, but only vote in local elections in a negative sense, in response to some numpty councillor or group exceeding their brief by driving their own personal agendas. Councils are full of elected officials who you wouldn't trust flipping burghers, yet because of a tribal connection these people are given power, and as they say power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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Post by finsobruce on Oct 26, 2024 17:14:04 GMT
I found that 1/3 vote at every opportunity, and nearly all the rest voted at least once in any four year cycle. I'm probably one of those Until about 20 years ago I voted in every election, but then realised voting just encourages them. I still vote in every national election, but only vote in local elections in a negative sense, in response to some numpty councillor or group exceeding their brief by driving their own personal agendas. Councils are full of elected officials who you wouldn't trust flipping burghers, yet because of a tribal connection these people are given power, and as they say power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Originally an Anarchist saying i think, although very much associated in the modern era with P J O'Rourke. |
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Post by Adam in Stroud on Oct 26, 2024 17:47:50 GMT
A more mixed week than last, perhaps. By and large, Conservatives are performing best against Labour candidates, though perhaps not so much in London. With Lib Dems it seems more hit and miss - they won Old Dean (congratulations on that) from us, but we have seen results going the other way too. Where Reform intervene, we do struggle more. But their interventions seem to be handing more seats to parties on the left rather than benefiting Reform themselves. Farage’s attempt to poach our councillors is in one way flattering, but it does seem calculated and timed to prevent any boost the Conservatives might get when our new leader is elected. Hard to know how much to read into these local by-elections so early in this Parliament, other than that Labour seem (deliberately or otherwise) to be getting their mid-term blues in early; but I'm starting to sense the continuing institutional strength of the Conservative Party, which means it will always stand a candidate, always be taken as a realistic option (at least in England, and outside of extreme Labour strongholds), always have a chance of being the anti-Labour option. RefUK is going to have to put in some work to displace that if it wants to progress I think. (I'm reminded of a bit in, I think, Paddy Ashdown's memoirs, where he decided the first step to becoming an MP wasn't making inroads on the Tories, it was to squeeze Labour to death in his constituency). Far too early for RefUK to have done any of that structural work, I think - building a membership with lots of local candidates, campaigning between elections, and creating the central party institutions that support it. So current elections can't be taken too far as an indicator of what they might be doing in, say, four years' time. But IMO it can't be done without Farage being willing to let other individuals in the party take control of specific functions and build teams, and thus potentially power bases of their own, within the party. |
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Post by John Chanin on Oct 26, 2024 18:05:43 GMT
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Post by carlton43 on Oct 26, 2024 21:02:26 GMT
I found that 1/3 vote at every opportunity, and nearly all the rest voted at least once in any four year cycle. I'm probably one of those Until about 20 years ago I voted in every election, but then realised voting just encourages them. I still vote in every national election, but only vote in local elections in a negative sense, in response to some numpty councillor or group exceeding their brief by driving their own personal agendas. Councils are full of elected officials who you wouldn't trust flipping burghers, yet because of a tribal connection these people are given power, and as they say power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. "... all power TENDS to corrupt ..." |
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Post by carlton43 on Oct 26, 2024 21:08:59 GMT
I found that 1/3 vote at every opportunity, and nearly all the rest voted at least once in any four year cycle. I'm probably one of those Until about 20 years ago I voted in every election, but then realised voting just encourages them. I still vote in every national election, but only vote in local elections in a negative sense, in response to some numpty councillor or group exceeding their brief by driving their own personal agendas. Councils are full of elected officials who you wouldn't trust flipping burghers, yet because of a tribal connection these people are given power, and as they say power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Originally an Anarchist saying i think, although very much associated in the modern era with P J O'Rourke. I liked the style of 'P J' and some of his more delightful flights of fancy that were often associated with driving fast cars, bottles of alcohol, lethal weapons and nubile young women! For a time I aspired to be 'that man'. |
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Post by Pete Whitehead on Oct 26, 2024 21:12:09 GMT
I found that 1/3 vote at every opportunity, and nearly all the rest voted at least once in any four year cycle. I'm probably one of those Until about 20 years ago I voted in every election, but then realised voting just encourages them. I still vote in every national election, but only vote in local elections in a negative sense, in response to some numpty councillor or group exceeding their brief by driving their own personal agendas. Councils are full of elected officials who you wouldn't trust flipping burghers, yet because of a tribal connection these people are given power, and as they say power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. To be fair they might struggle to get re-elected if they go around flipping the local burghers |
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Raddy
Non-Aligned
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Post by Raddy on Oct 27, 2024 6:59:53 GMT
I found that 1/3 vote at every opportunity, and nearly all the rest voted at least once in any four year cycle. I'm probably one of those Until about 20 years ago I voted in every election, but then realised voting just encourages them. I still vote in every national election, but only vote in local elections in a negative sense, in response to some numpty councillor or group exceeding their brief by driving their own personal agendas. Councils are full of elected officials who you wouldn't trust flipping burghers, yet because of a tribal connection these people are given power, and as they say power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. To be fair they might struggle to get re-elected if they go around flipping the local burghers Oops!!😄 |
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Raddy
Non-Aligned
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Post by Raddy on Oct 27, 2024 7:05:48 GMT
I found that 1/3 vote at every opportunity, and nearly all the rest voted at least once in any four year cycle. I'm probably one of those Until about 20 years ago I voted in every election, but then realised voting just encourages them. I still vote in every national election, but only vote in local elections in a negative sense, in response to some numpty councillor or group exceeding their brief by driving their own personal agendas. Councils are full of elected officials who you wouldn't trust flipping burghers, yet because of a tribal connection these people are given power, and as they say power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. "... all power TENDS to corrupt ..." Having seen the most timid individuals become holier than thou monsters, not so sure about that |
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Post by batman on Oct 27, 2024 9:14:50 GMT
I'm going to a Brazilian rodozio in Putney before the Bricklayer's Arms Cricket Club AGM tonight & it's quite likely I will be having chicken hearts amongst the other meats served to the table  But, I'll eat them, not pore over them. I am indebted to you for the introduction earlier to the term and the concept 'rodizio'. I like the idea of the constant supply, the variety of meats and the hearts. I used to like preparing stuffed hearts. They are robust by nature and thus easy to get wrong and make tough. Birds hearts are very small and one needs a lot of them as with livers for pate and larks tongues! It is more of an offer for a younger person. they didn't have them last night as it happens. When they are available typically you get half a dozen of them in a serving. The sirloin steak was the best bit. On a Sunday you get roast rib of beef from a large tray, English-style, but sadly not last night. |
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Post by Adam in Stroud on Oct 28, 2024 9:59:14 GMT
Very kind of you, John. I look in pretty regularly but for whatever reason I don't seem to have a lot to say at the moment! |
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Post by doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ on Oct 28, 2024 11:15:04 GMT
Very kind of you, John. I look in pretty regularly but for whatever reason I don't seem to have a lot to say at the moment! If only certain other posters shared the same attitude! |
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But, I'll eat them, not pore over them.