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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Actually what is confusing is how the roits at Oldham could just "By pass" the election debates, discussions, news etc.. In this country if the was a train derailment caused by a drunk conductor, hitting a stray cat, every pol would expect to provide his/her opion on Amtrak (US National rail system), alcohol consumption, union power (since railway are still strong union shops) and animal rights! and a few other topics. I don't think the press would have left the the riots in Cinncinati pass with out expecting some comments from the candidates.. (in fact, all the candidates would be required to schedule trip and fact finding missions, and policy statements on what ehy would do to resolve the problems!
That is the real question on my mind about the UK election.. (but i cheat at read the economist!)
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old hand
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old hand
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Whew! I think I am less confused. Your house of Lords is like our Senate - they're appointed by the sitting government, although I can't remember if it's for life or for ten years - and everyone likes to talk about making the Senate elected instead of appointed. Instead of national assemblies we have provinces (which I have noticed, from my British friends' mailing addresses, don't seem to exist in the UK). Then, of course, there are provincial governments, which are like a miniature version of the federal one, minus the Senate. That is, whichever party gains the most seats has their leader become premier of the province. And certain subjects are under provincial jurisdiction, while everything else falls to the federal government. Somehow your own political system seems so much more straightforward than someone else's! Anyway, why don't they just form an English Assembly then? (Too simple a solution, I suppose...) 
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addict
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OP
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why don't they just form an English Assembly then?
The English have little to bind them together as a race apart from their superiority over all other nations, so an assembly that does not allow them to lord it over less fortunate nations holds no appeal.
Most English find the Local (County or Borough), Westminster and European goverments more than enough, thank you very much, and don't want another layer.
The situation for the subjugated nations is different of course. They want any excuse to thumb their noses at the overlords.
Rod
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OP
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what is confusing is how the roits at Oldham could just "By pass" the election debates, discussions, news etcand now Leeds  There has been a lot of news on Oldham (and now Leeds) but Helen raises an interesting point about the lack of political electioneering on the subject. William Hague has already burnt his fingers in this election "playing the race card" on the asylum issue, when the others said "You really mean race don't you?". and with some of the more extreme members of his party saying things that Hague wished they hadn't. The parties have all said the same "Tut Tut isn't it dreadful - it shouldn't happen", on the riots, but since they all supposedly have the same policies on race, it is difficult to make an issue of it, apart from bemoaning the lack of money/resources/training given to police/teachers/social workers and whoever. Since Hague is already struggling to convince the voters he can cut taxes and increase spending, adding another line to his spend budget by berating Labour on the issue would be difficult. We do have openly racist (as far as they can be within the law) parties, but thankfully they are a small minority. Rod
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Your house of Lords is like our Senate - they're appointed by the sitting government
Oh, Bean! For a moment you added to my confusion ... until I realised you were speaking of Canada.
Confusion arose because I was thinking US .. whew!
... Here Senate members are elected by people's vote, two to a state whereas Representatives are proportionate to population of state they represent.
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jan 2001
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two to a state
How sensible. Here the numbers of Senate seats are more or less proportional to population of the province, too, so small provinces get screwed in both Chambers of the House! (By the way, I look up the senate - they have to retire at 75.)
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Joined: Apr 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
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>Here Senate members are elected by people's vote, two to a state...
and I am thus amused and bemused by the reaction of Senator Lott et al to losing control of the previously apportioned 50-50 Senate; to wit, the "'coup of one' that subverted the will of the American voters who elected a Republican majority."
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journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Jan 2001
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".. all politics is local."
The Honorable and (sadly) Deceased Tip O'Neill, Speaker of the House.
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OP
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Today is polling day for UK. The anagram of the day on our wall is:
TOSSER BLAIR PETTED MUM
totally apolitical of course. We just don't have the right letters to be rude about the others.
Rod
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Joined: Feb 2001
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".. all politics is local
So the results are mostly in and a night of records, some not so welcome. Labour won with a slightly reduced landslide, a majority of 167 predicted instead of the previous 177. Conservatives (Tories) gained 8 and lost 8, Liberal Democrats up about 7.
(Our anagram now reads "LAB DUMPS WETTER TORIES")
Lowest voter turn out at 58% since 1918. This means that Labour has a majority of 167 with only 24% of the electorate voting for them (42% of the voters). The highest turnout was where an Independent was elected with a 17500 majority, based on the single issue of saving a local hospital.
Hague has effectively resigned as leader of Tories, just as soon as they can find another leader, and they have some serious thinking to do.
Tactical voting seems to have played its part, Labour actually gained a seat from Conservative locally, turning a majorority of 67 into one of 153. This election started (I think) with a record number of marginals, but the Conservatives just haven't managed to prise them loose, which is worse for them as there is usually a reaction against a landslide in the following election.
This is your UK political correspondent signing off for another 4 years or so.
Rod
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