Talk Morgan Forums Community The Malvern Arms I voted Green

Conversely here the Green Party candidate spent days walking the area, knocking on doors and explaining why she should be elected. Nothing from the Liberals, apparently they didn't have the funds, a single Labour leaflet, and in the last few days a letter from the Tory candidate suggesting we vote for her as the Green candidate was expecting to win. Guess who won!!

I’m surprised at the pessimism here, it’s all too easy to find fault in our politicians, but I and the majority of those of my era have enjoyed a more comfortable and safer life than any generations gone before. I currently pay what I consider an unfair amount of tax and despair at the way it’s wasted, when you raise your gaze beyond your own environment however, you can’t help but see, we’re still better off than many.
The true answer is probably, if you think you can do better, then you take the job. I would but I’m more use to everyone if I continue generating tax, money makes the world go round and even the best politicians can’t act without it.

We got a lib dem leaflet & a lovely letter on very expensive paper from our MP T Coffey from the Houses of Parliament telling us we needed photo ID (I guess we paid for that) . It even included a lovely colour photo of her. No tory leaflet, no door knockers.

The letter is in the recycle and the lib dems elected.

I agree Ewan .... we have an industry built round trashing this country ... Media, Chattering Classes and the Opposition (currently Labour but no different when it's not) ... screeching hyperbole about how terrible everything is in the UK and promoting a rosy, selective view of how much better everyone else does things ... just Party Politics to run down the other side but that harms the country as collateral reputational damage.

I've said before we need more genuine access to grass-roots news from other countries (Europe in particular) ... once you get past the selective reporting of just their cherry-picked successes and see a more holistic view of what's going on across the board then many of the things we're encouraged to see as purely British struggles are, in fact, common across the board.

Still find it hard to place my vote behind someone who represents what I want rather than voting against people who definitely don't 😄

K

Interesting but the group "Any Policy" is in the group "All Policies" which then negates your right to complain!

I struggle to see the value of party politics in local administration.

PaulF ..... I agree ... having worked for a Council for a while it wasn't a good system with National party politics being played out at local level when what was needed was broad co-operation to provide local services on the ground ... personally I'd like to see all Independents with talent working together to provide the best for local residents.

Historicaly it was Labour who brought 'Party' into local politics .... back when Councillors were unpaid, by default Councils were made up of local worthies and businessmen who could afford the time off to attend to Council business .... by and large a pretty conservative bunch .... the Labour Party started providing funds for working people to undertake being a Councillor ... however that made them 'Party' controlled. A worthy intention of giving working people more say in Council decisions with the unintended consequence of polarising what should be co-operative decisions along Party lines.

K

Having spent at least 2 of the last 9 months in Dublin Ireland (4 separate trips) staying with the father in Law, I can without question confirm that other European countries are suffering the same issues as the UK, some more extreme eg housing shortages, others not quite so acute eg inflation and food shortages, but without question common areas across the board. Obviously, different political, economic or social issues are at the forefront of the public conscience., but there is nothing like walking into a common supermarket chain like eg Tesco for all to be revealed. Whilst Ireland may have a budget surplus, basics like free education and health care are not available to all and fundamental like lead still being present in the water in some Dublin suburbs and sewerage releases into the Liffy and Dublin Bay are not uncommon. Although the Guinness is great and the 'craic' is mighty. there is nothing more comforting than heading back to the UK.

I agree, however isn't it a case of voting against the current goverment ( no mater what colour ) rather than voting for local issues which are the ones that matter locally but how often do the elected officials go against the party line in defence of local issues.

Yep you are right, that would cheer me up anytime. Very entertaining.