Should Politicians be penalised?

Hi All,
Well all I can say is that if my wife ran the household like the government we would be in a right old mess and life would be a lot more of a hassle but then again she has her head screwed on, not like all the gutless wonders for MP’s that get elected then follow the party line instead of following up on the pre election promises they tell everyone they will keep.

Geoff.

Those key ingredients, philosophical and economic, for which it stands. Simplistically you could say that inherently Labour stands for a large statist government and Conservative for the opposite although there is much grey between those two generalisations of course. And you can extend and hone the various ingredients to suit.

So what induces folks to vote for a particular Party?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

As I said, Linc, if it is only about promises, as it clearly is for you, then we cannot advance the debate much. I have NEVER voted on the basis of promises neither do I suspect many others do either.

Firstly Chas, I have NEVER broken a promise I have made, at whatever the cost, sometimes near dire because I had made it, So they should never make them in the first place if they can’t keep them.Secondly we must all be fools when we vote for a specific Party, because we are gullible, and believe they will keep their promises.
Some, but very little, have been kept, I have to agree there.
Not even going to mention that “F” word,!!
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Firstly if you analyse the promises made by the last few governments you will realise that many promises have been implemented much to the ire of those opposing them.
Secondly if your only criteria is the implementation of EVERY promise then you are living in a fool’s paradise.
I have agreed with some of the improvements which are practical but not with those which are pie in the sky.
I have spent many happy periods in France and had a house there for several years and still go there two or three times a year.

Certainly not giving a damn about who gets in, as you wrote, won’t achieve anything.

Ahh Chas, but I USED to give a damn about the promises they stated they would keep if elected, until after many years, I woke up and realised they fail to keep hardly one, if any. Hence me and others, who have suggested other means on this thread have by your account,been suggesting rubbish.
You can’t have your cake and eat it as well.As for emigrating, well you like France, why havn’t you?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

I haven’t side stepped anything – just not sure what your point is other than you hate it all hence my suggestion.
So what do you propose you, me any of us actually DO about it as opposed to ranting about it?
Certainly not giving a damn about who gets in, as you wrote, won’t achieve anything.

WHAT, and meet the rest of your family, NOT, you would make a good Politician Chas, you seem quite good at side stepping questions. I take it your quite prepared to accept anything any Government sling at you without question, I thought you had bigger gonads than that..:p

Jim.
Lincoln .7

Mmmm – I thought not!;) Hey why don’t you emigrate?;);)

No, Not realy, democracy has gone out the window, Just look at it like this Chas, I have, as you are aware, used the services of a Barrister, a number of times, used to charge £250.00 per hour, no doubt would have risen, should I require his services again. So, why would a Barrister, of which there are many, in the Commons, give up their jobs as Barristers, to take on a job where the pay is SUPPOSIDLY lower?. Oh, add all their perks, second homed, duck houses in ponds etc, claiming for 1st class travel, but catching a cheap train ticket, the list is endless, but you get my drift.
I just love the run up to an Election, I can see Cameron, the “Family” man, picking up babies, giving their young mothers a hug, but passing by O.A.Ps, some of them perchance in wheelchairs to get at the babies and mothers.
Lets face it, we have worked all our lives for ourselves and Country, but when of a certain age, they throw us on the scrap heap.
I have never had a speeding ticket, parking fine, committed any sort of Crime etc, makes me want to go on a spree, and get banged up, at least Sky TV, my own room, billiards etc, like “Friends” and just have a good laugh at all the mugs who are funding my new lifestyle on the outside.
Who knows, I may even meet some politician in there…..:D
Jim.
Lincoln .7

Not a close observer of the political process, then, Linc!!;)

Apathy?, personaly I don’t give a flying F……………………………………………..16, who gets in, whoever it is, they will still try and skin you alive, with yet another Tax.
I swear, if they could manage to measure the amount of air we breath, they would tax that also.

Jim.
Lincoln .7

All but die hard party members and a minority of others will ever buy in to a complete “package” will they? So you either don’t vote and accept that you do not participate in the democratic process, such as it is, or you vote for the least worst option.
No system works perfectly and no one will ever be satisfied with the system they have. I have voted in some of the General Elections in the last 50 odd years but not all.
Incidentally referring back to the argument about postal voting making it easier for people the percentage of those voting has fallen from a high of about 80% at the end of the 80s to a nadir of 60% and back to about 65% at the last election.
Apathy rules OK!!

But who do you vote for when no ‘package’ of policies offered appeals? Some of the Tory policies are dreadful, but never again should the Labour party be allowed anywhere near the economy. UKIP is the barely acceptable face of the national front and the liberals are a load of wishy washy nothing. The only party whose policies appeal to me greatly is the one I don’t have an option to vote for, the Scottish National Party.

Moggy

We’ll Linc, as I said in the post above yours, I too have many friends without PCs.
As for apathy – it’s the 30-40% who don’t vote whom the candidates need to woo!

I don’t usually bother to vote but did last time as the candidate knocked my door and asked for it. Never saw hide nor hair of the others or their workers. He is TA Reserve as well so that helped. He was elected but is now fighting cancer, His name? Jack Lopresti.

I think that I am the only one of my age, whoes friends do NOT have a Computer, as regards apathy, I for one would be reluctant to turn out to vote in adverse weather conditions for a person, who if elected, failed to keep the promises he made to get me to vote for him. Been there too many times. But there again, havn’t we all?. But time after time, we still turn out and vote, at the end of the day, do we realy get what we deserve out of those we elected into power?.
Jim.
Lincoln .7

“Turn out” refers to the percentage of the electorate who vote by whatever means. The introduction of postal voting has had little or no effect on the percentage voting in elections of any sort.
Most of my friends are contemporaries so well pensioned and some much older. About 20% have PCs, a few more might get one or use one but the rest would not.

Re 25

You don’t have to ‘turn out’ for a postal vote. It’s a convenience . Like electronic voting will be.

Re 28

If the will is there, the way is there.

Practically every night on my telly I listen to people sucking on fags and slurping cans of lager pleading poverty in connection with this or that or anything in between. What I do not hear from anyone, whether poverty stricken pensioner or affluent politician with his/her snout in the expenses trough is anything to do with an order of priorities.

My income is limited and fixed. My first priority is health. If I can’t get it fixed on the NHS I’ll save and pay for it privately. My next is food and a roof over my head. If I’ve got anything surplus I’ll then have a drink. If I can’t afford to pay cash I won’t borrow – at all.

Most of my friends are either of pensionable age or close to it. They all have pc’s and mobile phones and know how to use them.