please empty your brain below
Loved your election posts, DG. I've lived here for almost 5 years and, as a Commonwealth citizen, am entitled to vote. So I have. In fact, coming from one of the few countries which has compulsory voting, I cannot imagine *not* voting. But some people around me just don't seem to care/bother/think about it. Sigh. Today's post was fascinating.

Eskimo Pie | 06.05.10 - 8:15 a.m. | #

I too, come from a country where it is compulsory to vote - but also one that has proportional representation. I am quite intruigued as to why PR is being misrepresented as making coalition governments almost unavoidable. A look at Australia's governments since World War 2 would show an almost identical split between two parties. PR also means that it can take up to a week to count the votes.

What is more, when governments in Australia change, they change by landslide after the previous government outstays its welcome - just like in the UK, the people who decide who gets in (that grey bit in the middle you talked about yesterday) don't vote for someone - they vote against someone.

Simon | Homepage | 06.05.10 - 8:25 a.m. | #

At least it's simpler than the American system.

Audrey | 06.05.10 - 10:48 a.m. | #

We'll muddle through. The entire British unwritten constitution has been built up out of poorly-thought through compromises in response to events now long forgotten. Any change to our voting system because of short-term political expediency will have been given mythical historical status by the time the next decade is out. The only danger is that someone decides to tidy it all up by actually writing it all down and codifying it, and then we'll be stuck with some appaling piece of bureaucratese and a system that's too rigid to work. Just not the British way

disgruntled | Homepage | 06.05.10 - 11:32 a.m. | #

So who would be the old man that dies, then?

Dave | 06.05.10 - 12:27 p.m. | #

"This is the first time a general election and elections for the London boroughs have been held on the same day."

Briantist | Homepage | 06.05.10 - 12:37 p.m. | #

Not to mention that in Australia we elect our upper house. Coff. Democracy anyone?

There has been some research done on 'Thatcher's babies' by the way - i.e. what effect has growing up under Thatcher had on the way one one views the world.

Antipodean | 06.05.10 - 1:11 p.m. | #

Trouble with electing the upper house is that you either end up with the same sort of bandits in the upper house and run the government and all the legislation passes unsommented on, or you get a different set of bandits and the upper house just doesn't pass legislation, and you end up with events like in 75.

Either way, you end up with politicians running the whole thing. I much prefer a system where unaffiliated people (even if only nominally) get to have a say

Simon | Homepage | 06.05.10 - 2:51 p.m. | #

I wondered who the old man was too. I used to sing that song in duet with Joanne Smithers whilst I was in Mrs Millyard's class, something like 32 years ago. I occasionally try to sing it to Tom. He just thinks I'm funny.

graybo | Homepage | 06.05.10 - 11:21 p.m. | #

DG, you are being over-run by Aussies (myself included)!!

Eskimo Pie | 07.05.10 - 12:14 a.m. | #

@ Simon - oh you mean like a monarchy? Or we could just hold a lottery like in conscription or jury duty?

Antipodean | 07.05.10 - 10:12 a.m. | #











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