Through the rough patch

[Inspector Knacker]

Funny how people now just seem sullenly resigned to the fact we've lost our A&E, the One Life sat there like the cuckoo in the nest, the town a poorer place for it's loss. Funnier still that no one paid the price politically

[steveL]

I would argue that a 26% turnout is the price that has been paid. If 33,000 people can sign a petition objecting to the loss of services and then find themselves completely ignored, I think it's understandable that so many see little point in voting at all.

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

I for 1 are very unhappy that my ward councillors kept their seats following the loss of A&E and the busses. They didn't get my vote.

It is a pity people don't get to vote for policies rather than people or parties, it might have made a difference then.

[Benefitcheat]

There are two things that would make a difference.

1) Make sure Schools teach politics with no bias to one party or another from the age of 8 years old and then give the vote to 16 year olds in a system where everyone eligible to vote must either register a postal vote or attend a polling station or face a £500 fine for shirking their responsibility.

or

2) Nobody at all turns out to vote in general and local elections forcing a re-think of the whole democratic process.

[Benefitcheat]

If they all have to vote we might not like the result but at least they'd have to think about it and Jeremy Kyle could be replaced by a fruitier question time.

[Donkey Kong]

Would making everybody attend the poling station mean that they had to vote? 

Why wouldn't there be the potential option of registering as attended but not casting a vote?  Obviously most people would feel that they might as well vote when they got there but if somebody particularly didn't want to then they would still have the option of not doing so.

[Julie noted]

I believe it ought to be mandatory to vote, as once you are at the polling station, I believe most people would register a vote...the majority just can't be bothered to get off their backsides! 

However, on the form there should be a space for 'NONE OF THE ABOVE'.
That would indicate, certainly in the case of Hartlepool, that there is a overwhelming dislike/disgust/distrust of the candidates. 

If that is the case, and a town polls more than (say) 70% 'NONE OF THE ABOVE', then there ought to be a govt. department to look into the performance of that town.
I would hazard a guess that there aren't many towns with such a poor turnout as Hartlepool.
The reason in our case is we have such a poor calibre of Cllr. (No, not all of them but most...in my opinion).

Then the poor (and questionable) decisions like the Tall Ships, the interchange, the hospital, the chief execs salary hike, officers on more salary than the Prime Minister etc. etc. would be exposed for what they are...a bloody disgrace! 

[mk1]

Cue:
'I fought and died to give you the freedom of choice now you will bloody well vote or you will go to jail'

[Inspector Knacker]

The right to vote must also include the right not to vote .... people are given the choice, if they choose not to vote, they lose the right to complain at the outcome of their non participation.

[dangerman]

I've found over the years that those who do not vote almost always shout the most, complain the most, and yet when asked why they did not vote always answer.. Waste of Time.

One councillor long departed this life used to have a list of absent voters for his ward,  if someone who was on this list phoned wanting/demanding an issue be dealt with, he would put the phone down on them, saying if you can't be bothered to vote for me then why should I bother.

A good way of dealing with non voters... 'well maybe'

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

Considering the world we live in, where people get fined for things like not registering their car as off road, not returning a tax form when they owe nothing
then making people vote (even for none of the above) is not that much of a hardship.

[Julie noted]

MK1; true to form.
Why don't you actually READ what is written, instead of sniping? 

I didn't mention 'jail'...what I actually proposed was a RIGHT NOT TO VOTE, by appending your name next to 'NONE OF THE ABOVE'.
Which is an attempt to highlight the deficiencies in local Govt.

But hey, carry on.......... whatever.

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

Sorry, what I was meaning was,  people stuck to their Labour vote when the indication was people were unhappy with the way the town was/is being run.  It doesn't add up. What I think would have made a difference If the councillors were labelled by policy not party.

[Inspector Knacker]

Sorry, what I was meaning was,  people stuck to their Labour vote when the indication was people were unhappy with the way the town was/is being run.  It doesn't add up. What I think would have made a difference If the councillors were labelled by policy not party.

The Labour party are masters at the art of falling over without hurting themselves. Whatever happens, they simply blame the Tories and their average supporter Mr and Mrs Dim nod along and reinforce their own ingrained political prejudices. The Labour Party could introduce almost any policy it liked and the followers would carry on voting them in.
As for seperating the policy from party, they can't, .... and that's they problem .... to paraphrase something, the originator escapes me,  ..... YOUR NOT ELECTED TO THINK, AN OBEDIENT COUNCILLOR IS A RESELECTED COUNCILLOR, NOW SHUT UP AND GET INTO LINE.

[Greg X]

"I for 1 are very unhappy that my ward councillors kept their seats following the loss of A&E"

Councillors are completely toothless when it comes to strategic (national) decisions on major NHS projects.
Moving the A&E is part of a national initiative to create regional Major Trauma Centres - councillors are there to vote on public toilet provision (locally) - not on the big stuff. You cannot blame them for this in any way.
They have no say and make no difference.

p.s. Still no public toilets in our (jewel in the crown) marina area. Get yer fingers oot!