The New Labour Torture and War Crimes Party is squealing at the boundary commission changes. I hate their rank hypocrisy. Anyone with the remotest interest in psephology knows that a combination of shire constituencies being historically larger, and recent drift from city centres, gives New Labour an advantage over the vicious Tories. I do not favour First Past the Post at all, but the electorate hates Nick Clegg so much that FPTP has become beloved of the people as the best defence against him. Fairly equal constituency sizes is a necessary feature for FPTP to have even a smidgeon of validity.
New Labour’s argument that they should have less electors per constituency because their geographical areas contain more illegal immigrants and persons too thick to register to vote, is hilarious. We are now to take into account in the democratic process those who do not bother to register, let alone vote? Actually most of those “ghost” people are a hypothetical posit by government statisticians, because they do not fill in the census either. You can surmise their existence in other ways. I posted about Stratford earlier. Did you know that in Stratford and in Tower Hamlets, either there are many people there who officially do not exist, or they produce over half as much more sewerage per person than anyone else? Anyway, I digress.
Anyone can register to vote. the “Transient population” argument does not wash because there is no longer a single annual registration – here in Thanet the register is updated once a month, for example. If you have chosen not to be a part of the political process – which should be a right not to be part – you do not count in it and you should not count in it. You cannot be psychically chalked up as a supporter of Harriet fucking Harman.
The advantage to New Labour over the Conservatives was about 5% at the 2010 election.
Here is how many votes it takes to elect one MP:
DUP Nasty Proddie Bigots 21,027
New Labour War Criminal and Torturer 33,858
Sinn Fein Ex-Murderers 34,388
Tory Vicious Sneering Bastards 34,979
SDLP Rather Nice People 36,990
Alliance Sickly Nice People 42,762
Plaid Cymru Ineffectual Quasi-Nationalists 55,131
SNP Hooray! 81,898
Lib Dem Lying Two Faced Traitor Clegg 119,934
Green Very Nice But Need To Eat More Meat 285,612
Not forgetting, with no MPs
UKIP Like BNP With O Levels infinity 919,471 votes
BNP Hitler Loving Scum infinity 564,321 votes
Ulster Conservatives Like DUP With O Levels infinity 102,361 votes
Respect Green Leotard Tendency infinity 33,251 votes
Can’t wait for details of the Scottish boundary proposals.
I think some kind of intelligence test or a random question about British politics should be incorporated into the electoral registration process and if you don’t make the mark then you don’t get the vote.
When is Alex Salmond likely to hold the independence referendum?
When he said he would – towards the end of the SNP’s term of office – so therefore 2014-2015.
I wish he would hold it now. Last opinion poll showed 39% pro independence, and that will go up in the campaign. Who would lead the anti-campaign? I hear Gordon Brown, George Robertson, John Reid and Malcolm Rifkind are lined up. Walkover!
Actually the MPs themselves are now almost wholly redundant. They could very well be replaced by a large collection of little plastic or cardboard tokens, like those in a Monopoly set. Their only significance is that each MP gives the leader of that MP’s party one more effective vote in the House of Commons. Why not get rid of the MPs altogether, and just give the party leaders X or Y virtual votes in Parliament? Think of the saving in salaries, pensions, and (not least) expenses. We could also turn the House of Commons into a museum, in which capacity it would serve some modestly useful purpose.
Another advantage – and the main reason we shall never see this useful reform come to pass – is that it would remove a lot of obfuscation, letting us see clearly who wields the real power in our country. (Clue: not MPs or “Parliament”).
‘Can’t wait for details of the Scottish boundary proposals.’
Ditto- however now that properly devolved parliaments sit in Belfast & Edinburgh, constituency sizes in both these countries should be increased to a larger size than pertains in England & Wales. In NI under the Stormont regime they only returned 12 MPs to Westminster- they should do so again, and Scotch representation in Westminster should be similarly reduced, to around 40-45 MPs.
Sadly, as our PM is called Cameron, and is apparently a convinced Unionist, that ain’t gonna happen- and the Northern & Western Isles will still exist as distinct constituencies, despite their piddling human populations. What a joke !
Why do not people who have non valid tax discs have their cars seized,
I agree that it should be a walkover, Craig but I worry about the delay. What if, for example and God forbid, something should happen to the First Minister in the interim. Many a slip.
Larry – quite agree and crushed. But wrong thread!
“and crushed”…? Why, what possible benefit would that act of vandalism serve? On the other hand, perhaps homes should be demolished, should the owner neglect to pay council tax.
“Lying Two Faced” “Harriet fucking Harman”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsYlBBUjwvM
Glenn,
it would reduce pollution and consumption of hydrocarbons. I have never owned a car. If you want to own one, have tax, MOT and insurance. Or have it crushed.
Sorry, that should say I have never driven a car. My ex-wife used to have one, to be entirely accurate.
When I worked in local government in inner London in the Eighties the Electoral Registration department operated from a small portakabin in a car park somewhere round the back of the town hall. This reflected the low priority and resources given to registering electors. I have no doubt little will have changed for the better or that there is significant under registration in typical Labour held seats.
Incidently it is “fewer electors per constituency” not “less”!
Old Mark,
Scotch is a drink, the people are Scottish.
Just because some Parliamentary matters are devolved it does not follow that the Scots or Irish voters should have less representation on the other, more important reserved matters.
Incidentaly, the Welsh also have devolution.
I do realise that this blog is the habitat of many people with bi-polar and various mental health issues but the name calling, vituperation, smears and random abuse contained in both the blog and the subsequent comments makes you appear less credible by the day. Why can’t you stick to being a serious commentator?
Old Mark,
There are over 40,000 people living in the Northern isles and about 27,000 people in the Western Isles. Hardly piddling.
It would be quicker, easier, and probably cheaper, to go to Paris from either than to go from one to the other.
OK Eddie, so which mental health issue you suffer from, as you do not seem to be able to keep away from this site either!
“Nice but need to eat more meat.”
http://t.co/OlBChtd
Won’t go down that road, only to say that all animals are sentient beings, have no voice in parliament (unless someone gives them one), and do not bomb and maim (apart from bloody seagulls).
But Craig – someone who’s car is destroyed will only go and get another one. If their car was confiscated and sold at auction, fine – but destroying a car will not reduce consumption, it increases it. There is a resulting demand in the system for exactly the number of cars destroyed, with all the associated resources and pollution for making it and disposing of the old one.
.
I should note that anyone not paying insurance and tax has no business being on the road, and the fewer miles driven the better.
.
Eating meat is probably the most ecologically unsound (and unnecessary) preference one can personally make, as another note. I know your point was somewhat tongue-in-cheek about the Greens, but suggesting people eat more meat is not good advice.
too true Glen, eat more crisps
‘There are over 40,000 people living in the Northern isles and about 27,000 people in the Western Isles.’
Rob Royston- each of these barren, windswept island grouplets returns its own MP to Westminster, in addition to enjoying representation at the devolved Parliament in Edinburgh. Their remoteness, I grant you, probably does warrant a special travel allowance for the sitting member, should they be combined into one Westminster seat, as justice demands that they should.
The Isle of Wight, being part of England, presently just sends a single MP to Westminster, despite having a population of 140,000- more than twice the combined population of the Northern & Western Isles.
Tom Welsh,
I agree with you. Parliament’s a complete waste of money. If we strip it out, I think we’ll find we’re left with the inner sanctums of the Privy Council dishing out the orders and corruption with Dave and Clegg acting as errand boys.
One nationa in the world has over a thousand military bases -and – the UK planes second “bombing fiddle” to which nation…
There is a lot more that needs to be said that we are only scratching on the surface on this blog…
lowkey ft m1 (dead prez) & black the ripper – obama nation part 2
As a life-long supporter of the Public Library/Lapsed NUJ Party (far as I know we only have one member), absolutely loved your helpful list of the other choices available to me. Hilarious. Thank you.
You can do better than ‘vicious sneering bastards’ for the Tory murderers. Maybe that was all that was wrong with them in Maggie’s day but Cameron is as much of a cowardly mass-murdering shit as Bliar. The only thing he has over Bliar is that his speaking manner isn’t quite so revolting. Everyone in the higher levels of the party is complicit in his crimes.
“someone who’s car is destroyed will only go and get another one”
Yes – flog the car and cancel their licence.
Off topic I know but any chance of making better quality pictures from
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2011/08/emperor-maharajah-singh/
available for translation.
Tried the e-mail I sent the Burnes pdf to but it failed.
Ta Paul
Glenn, you should explain why not eating meat is so important. Though I did find Peter Hain’s particular form of vegetarianism amusing (COOT 140). Regardless of whether you eat meat or not please get your MP to support Caroline Lucas’ EDM on not selling arms to dictatorships.
http://t.co/OlBChtd