General Politics Thread

[Granny Danger]

2 minutes ago, Suspect Device said:

As for the voting changes. I had a quick check to see if this was a massive problem in the UK.

 

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/our-views-and-research/our-research/electoral-fraud-data

 

As in the USA it is not a problem, it is a clear determined attempt to discourage people from voting.

 

[Suspect Device]

The only electoral fraud I can think of involved Labour and postal voting. Might have been in Birmingham.

[pandarilla]

As in the USA it is not a problem, it is a clear determined attempt to discourage people from voting.
 

This is it in a nutshell.

The Aaron Sorkin show 'the newsroom' did a great scene debunking this (greenie for anyone looking to it).

There is no electoral problem, other than poor people voting against right wing p***ks.

[welshbairn]

1 hour ago, Suspect Device said:

The only electoral fraud I can think of involved Labour and postal voting. Might have been in Birmingham.

Must happen a lot. I had to do the postal votes for my parents as they couldn't figure out the instructions. Respected their wishes but I could have voted how I wanted. A tiny amount of people would risk misrepresenting themselves at a polling station for the sake of one vote, but postal votes are wide open to fraud, especially for the vulnerable and recent immigrants whose English isn't too hot.

[Granny Danger]

1 hour ago, pandarilla said:

This is it in a nutshell.

The Aaron Sorkin show 'the newsroom' did a great scene debunking this (greenie for anyone looking to it).

There is no electoral problem, other than poor people voting against right wing p***ks.

Newsroom was a brilliant TV programme, one of my favourite ever.

Pity they won’t do an update in the Trump era.

[strichener]

3 hours ago, Suspect Device said:

The only electoral fraud I can think of involved Labour and postal voting. Might have been in Birmingham.

Rotherham I think.

Not the worst thing to happen in Rotherham TBH.

[Silvio Tattiescone]

A friend stood for the SNP in Edinburgh in the 90s. She said the local council was Tory or LibDem (can't remember which) and they went around all the empty council houses collecting polling cards then used them. Her election agent said this was common practice at the time. 

[BFTD]

A friend stood for the SNP in Edinburgh in the 90s. She said the local council was Tory or LibDem (can't remember which) and they went around all the empty council houses collecting polling cards then used them. Her election agent said this was common practice at the time. 

Must admit to being confused as to how this would work, in practice.

[Silvio Tattiescone]

1 hour ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

3 hours ago, NewBornBairn said:

A friend stood for the SNP in Edinburgh in the 90s. She said the local council was Tory or LibDem (can't remember which) and they went around all the empty council houses collecting polling cards then used them. Her election agent said this was common practice at the time. 

Must admit to being confused as to how this would work, in practice.

The Electoral Roll is slow to be updated so people that have moved house/died may well have their cards delivered to their old address. The Polling Cards were used as proof of identity for party workers to cast votes at polling stations. 

[BFTD]

3 minutes ago, NewBornBairn said:

The Electoral Roll is slow to be updated so people that have moved house/died may well have their cards delivered to their old address. The Polling Cards were used as proof of identity for party workers to cast votes at polling stations. 

I'm just picturing party workers - and there would need to be a few, you'd think - retrieving keys from the housing department for their empty properties, spending time going round the empty houses to check for polling cards, then sharing them out between themselves to use at polling stations (considering it might raise eyebrows to turn up with a dozen cards and claim to be all of those people).

Not saying it didn't happen or anything (I'm sure it does), more that it seems desperate and pathetic to stoop to these depths for, what, a few dozen votes? Presumably election fraud comes with a decent punishment, so it hardly seems worthwhile.

Please tell me there'd be a harsh punishment for being caught doing this.

[Granny Danger]

25 minutes ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

I'm just picturing party workers - and there would need to be a few, you'd think - retrieving keys from the housing department for their empty properties, spending time going round the empty houses to check for polling cards, then sharing them out between themselves to use at polling stations (considering it might raise eyebrows to turn up with a dozen cards and claim to be all of those people).

Not saying it didn't happen or anything (I'm sure it does), more that it seems desperate and pathetic to stoop to these depths for, what, a few dozen votes? Presumably election fraud comes with a decent punishment, so it hardly seems worthwhile.

Please tell me there'd be a harsh punishment for being caught doing this.

It’s an urban myth.

[BFTD]

6 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

It’s an urban myth.

You were a councillor, weren't you? Back in the days before <insert ancient historic event>.

[Granny Danger]

I was a paragon of virtue.

[Suspect Device]

15 hours ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

I'm just picturing party workers - and there would need to be a few, you'd think - retrieving keys from the housing department for their empty properties, spending time going round the empty houses to check for polling cards, then sharing them out between themselves to use at polling stations (considering it might raise eyebrows to turn up with a dozen cards and claim to be all of those people).

Not saying it didn't happen or anything (I'm sure it does), more that it seems desperate and pathetic to stoop to these depths for, what, a few dozen votes? Presumably election fraud comes with a decent punishment, so it hardly seems worthwhile.

Please tell me there'd be a harsh punishment for being caught doing this.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1487145/Labour-activists-had-vote-rigging-factory-to-hijack-postal-votes.html

 

[cyderspaceman]

On 14/10/2019 at 22:37, BigFatTabbyDave said:

You were a councillor, weren't you? Back in the days before <insert ancient historic event>.

Brexit referendum?

[NorthernLights]

The planned age verification system for accessing porn has been dropped completely.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-50073102

[Detournement]

The muppet on top of the train in Canning Town wearing cords and a tweed jacket pretty much sums up politics in 2019.

[Detournement]

No inquest for Dawn Sturges.

You can stick that down as an absolute shocker next to the inquiry into the Manchester bomber being held in secret.

[sureiknow]

On 14/10/2019 at 16:07, NewBornBairn said:

A friend stood for the SNP in Edinburgh in the 90s. She said the local council was Tory or LibDem (can't remember which) and they went around all the empty council houses collecting polling cards then used them. Her election agent said this was common practice at the time. 

Yes I was a Postman for years.

I remember Polling Cards being addressed to a lot of empty Buildings. 

Guess I could have used them to Vote with.

Photograph Id is needed, should be mandatory. 

[topcat(The most tip top)]

A friend stood for the SNP in Edinburgh in the 90s. She said the local council was Tory or LibDem (can't remember which) and they went around all the empty council houses collecting polling cards then used them. Her election agent said this was common practice at the time. 

Throughout the 90s Edinburgh had a Labour majority council except after the 1992 election when they needed the two SNP councillors to make up a majority

Back then the SNP and Labour got on with each other so all they asked for was that Norman Irons got to be provost and the city chambers flying a far bigger saltire