Conservative efforts to discourage voters are working.

Andy165 said:
We have a " version" of democracy in this country. You can get in power with 35% of the electorate. Because another 35 % do not vote. Average turnout is at most 65% which suits those with vested interests. Australia has better electoral rules and turnout.
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I’m not sure that’s where the problem lies.

The problem is 70% of people live in constituencies with large majorities, so only 30% can affect the result.

General Elections are determined by a small number of swing voters in marginal seats
 
I wonder if compulsory voting is a benefit, does it just force the dont knows and don’t cares into sticking a tick on a box just to satisfy the law
 
All the fuss in Georgia over the 'Foreign Agents Bill' is relevant to the 'democracy' we've grown used to...and George Monbiot at The Guardian has a solution:

Democracy is meaningless if a country isn’t run at the behest of its people. But the rule is riddled with loopholes. Those who have done the most to keep them open are those who most loudly assert their patriotism. Noisy “patriots” are always the first to sell us out to offshore capital funded by foreign donors. The Good Law Project has calculated that these groups have shovelled £5.3m into the major political parties since 2022. We have no means of knowing where most of this money came from before it passed through these associations. Last year, MPs sought an amendment to close the loopholes enabling foreign donations. Conservative MPs were whipped, forcing them to vote it down. Whenever there’s a choice between country and party, the Conservatives, those patriotic stalwarts, choose party.

In any case, there’s nothing fair about a system in which a few people, whether born here or not, can buy political influence. In [his] view, the only equitable system is one in which everyone can pay the same small fixed fee for membership of a political party, and no further private funding can be taken. Otherwise, democracy gives way to plutocracy. But this and other essential reforms are nowhere on the political agenda. Far from it. Those who claim to defend our interests against “foreign interference” and “assaults on our sovereignty” are the very people who ensure we remain prey to them.
 
Odds said:
All the fuss in Georgia over the 'Foreign Agents Bill' is relevant to the 'democracy' we've grown used to...and George Monbiot at The Guardian has a solution:

Democracy is meaningless if a country isn’t run at the behest of its people. But the rule is riddled with loopholes. Those who have done the most to keep them open are those who most loudly assert their patriotism. Noisy “patriots” are always the first to sell us out to offshore capital funded by foreign donors. The Good Law Project has calculated that these groups have shovelled £5.3m into the major political parties since 2022. We have no means of knowing where most of this money came from before it passed through these associations. Last year, MPs sought an amendment to close the loopholes enabling foreign donations. Conservative MPs were whipped, forcing them to vote it down. Whenever there’s a choice between country and party, the Conservatives, those patriotic stalwarts, choose party.

In any case, there’s nothing fair about a system in which a few people, whether born here or not, can buy political influence. In [his] view, the only equitable system is one in which everyone can pay the same small fixed fee for membership of a political party, and no further private funding can be taken. Otherwise, democracy gives way to plutocracy. But this and other essential reforms are nowhere on the political agenda. Far from it. Those who claim to defend our interests against “foreign interference” and “assaults on our sovereignty” are the very people who ensure we remain prey to them.
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Boris Johnson’s government was owned by Putin
 
Notch7 said:
I wonder if compulsory voting is a benefit, does it just force the dont knows and don’t cares into sticking a tick on a box just to satisfy the law
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Can a voter ruin his paper deliberately? Or is that illegal too
 
I can exclusively reveal Bod's ballot paper is not going to count for f.all... :LOL:

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Notch7 said:
This isn’t about fraud, it’s a Tory policy to benefit Tories
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Only 10 of the 1462 allegations resulted in a conviction.
Pretty weak.

Tory support is strongest in the over-70s.

Filly can use his bus pass.
 
Notch7 said:
I wonder if compulsory voting is a benefit, does it just force the dont knows and don’t cares into sticking a tick on a box just to satisfy the law
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Compulsory voting (n)

Mind you it may have to come to that if turn outs drop to low

Say if there was only a 40% turn out ( ?) than what ???
 
In many organisations, if not enough people vote, the vote is invalid...

Quorum should apply to elections...
 
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