Still Waters Posted March 12, 2013 #1 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Britain could be forced to hold European elections on Sundays as part of a blatant EU bid to erase our long democratic tradition. For 72 years, elections to Westminster have been held on a Thursday, with local elections also being held on the first Thursday in May. Proposals from the European Commission would see the UK having to fall in line behind most of the continent, where elections are held on Sundays. http://www.dailymail...est-Europe.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashotep Posted March 12, 2013 #2 Share Posted March 12, 2013 If I wanted to keep my elections on Thursday I would. Why in the world would the EU care anyway? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A rather obscure Bassoon Posted March 13, 2013 #3 Share Posted March 13, 2013 (edited) We don't want political union with the EUSSR,Cameron should give two fingers to them and to be quite Frank, hardly anyone votes on a Thursday,so even less would turn out on a Sunday. Ashley Fox MEP, Conservative spokesman on EU constitutional affairs, said: ‘There is no need for an elected President of Europe because there is no country called Europe. Only sovereign countries need an elected head of state, whereas the EU is an international organisation.’ Edited March 13, 2013 by shaddow134 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonecrusher Posted March 13, 2013 #4 Share Posted March 13, 2013 (edited) Inspired.Primary school kids are going to grab an extra day at school.Well you know what they say about education leading to a healthy mind.Not too shabby indeed from the Eurocrats unless they decide to ruin the effect by foisting Monopoly money and more immigrants on us. Well it would be if I actially believed in the due process of the voting system.However I don't because what have these politicians done for me?This government and the previous one have sold Remploy down the river.They legistrated that stupid smoking ban.They still fiddle their expenses despite claims to the contrary.So why would I waste two precious minutes of my time to vote for somebody that will screw me in the short and long terms?They even try to fine you if you don't even sign your name on the electroral roll.I have a right to opt out of it which I have done for the last 15 years or so.Even before the troubles at Remploy I couldn't be bothered then but I don't think that was because of any polictical reason.I've opened my eyes since!Even though it's not their own idea I bet our current polictians are actually loving this.It means they can get more gullible plebs to vote for them.The turnout at the polling station will be huge. Edited March 13, 2013 by Medium Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLastLazyGun Posted March 13, 2013 #5 Share Posted March 13, 2013 (edited) Why in the world would the EU care anyway? Because it wants to interfere with every aspects of our lives and make everything uniform across the EU. So if the other 26 Member States have General Elections on Sundays then the British should stop being "different" and start holding theirs on Sundays, too, instead of the traditional Thursdays. Edited March 13, 2013 by TheLastLazyGun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLastLazyGun Posted March 13, 2013 #6 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Cameron should give two fingers to them The Sun, Thursday 1st November 1990 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonecrusher Posted March 13, 2013 #7 Share Posted March 13, 2013 The Sun, Thursday 1st November 1990 Cameron will actually be sending them a peace sign instead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter White Posted March 13, 2013 #8 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Good! Thursday is a pointless day on which nothing of interest ever happens. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter White Posted March 13, 2013 #9 Share Posted March 13, 2013 The Sun, Thursday 1st November 1990 Jesus, look how many words they used to have on their front page! And not a celebrity in sight! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLastLazyGun Posted March 13, 2013 #10 Share Posted March 13, 2013 (edited) Jesus, look how many words they used to have on their front page! And not a celebrity in sight! You can tell how old it is because the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were all the rage back then and they're on the front page. It brings back memories of my childhood. Edited March 13, 2013 by TheLastLazyGun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithisco Posted March 13, 2013 #11 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Thursday was always a very stupid day to hold General or local elections because for your average Joe this was a working day. It did the job of lowering turnouts however with only those able, after a "hard day in the Office" to go out and vote. If you are working a Shift System (possibly 12 hour shifts) then voting will mostly take second place add to that the fact that the Electoral System makes your vote almost worthless anyway then why even bother? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevewinn Posted March 13, 2013 #12 Share Posted March 13, 2013 (edited) Thursday was always a very stupid day to hold General or local elections because for your average Joe this was a working day. It did the job of lowering turnouts however with only those able, after a "hard day in the Office" to go out and vote. If you are working a Shift System (possibly 12 hour shifts) then voting will mostly take second place add to that the fact that the Electoral System makes your vote almost worthless anyway then why even bother? you have a point Keith but since they introduced the banana republic vote, IE postal voting there is no excuse, you get your polling card, weeks in advance, phone the number they send you the form you fill it in - return it - job done. - its made it easy to vote but my take on the issue is postal voting should only be for disabled people. and if people cannot be bothered getting their bum in gear and get to the polling station then more fool them. As for the EU. its easier to hold it on Thursday and cheaper. because we have the local council elections on the Thursday. turnout in the european elections has been falling year on year. i cannot see the trend changing. because the trend is right across the EU. except in the countries where voting is mandatory. Edited March 13, 2013 by stevewinn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Commander Travis Posted March 14, 2013 #13 Share Posted March 14, 2013 I love the paranoia of the Mail. "Britain could be forced to hold European elections on Sundays as part of a blatant EU bid to erase our long democratic tradition." oh no!! by holding them on a different day to our long democratic tradition (and let's be honest, since Women didn't even have the Vote on the same terms as men until 1928, it's not really that long a tradition, and not really very Democrtauic, is it), they're going to Destroy our Democratic Traditions and make us all bow down before the unelected Tyrants of Brussels!! Perhaps it might be more convenient on a Sunday, actually, and more people might be able to do so. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter White Posted March 14, 2013 #14 Share Posted March 14, 2013 See. It's Thursday and nothing has happened. When's Friday going to start? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLastLazyGun Posted March 14, 2013 #15 Share Posted March 14, 2013 (edited) I love the paranoia of the Mail. "Britain could be forced to hold European elections on Sundays as part of a blatant EU bid to erase our long democratic tradition." oh no!! by holding them on a different day to our long democratic tradition (and let's be honest, since Women didn't even have the Vote on the same terms as men until 1928, it's not really that long a tradition, and not really very Democrtauic, is it), they're going to Destroy our Democratic Traditions and make us all bow down before the unelected Tyrants of Brussels!! Perhaps it might be more convenient on a Sunday, actually, and more people might be able to do so. They've been held on Thursdays since 1935. This pointless meddling by Brussels is just that - pointless meddling. What the hell has it got to do with foreign unelected bureaucrats in Belgium what days we hold our elections on? Edited March 14, 2013 by TheLastLazyGun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+OverSword Posted March 14, 2013 #16 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Don't blame brussels, blame corporate cronyism on behalf of your own decision makers. Now no business has to do without employees who would normally leave early or not come in at all to vote. Sounds to me like you're well on your way to becoming more like Americans. Next they will cut you down to 10 vacation days a year but you will be too afraid to take more than 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud the mackem Posted March 14, 2013 #17 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Because it wants to interfere with every aspects of our lives and make everything uniform across the EU. So if the other 26 Member States have General Elections on Sundays then the British should stop being "different" and start holding theirs on Sundays, too, instead of the traditional Thursdays. Why should we British stop being different ?.We are British,thats why we are different.The E.U is trying everything possible to nit pick and screw us up,and IT AINT GONNA HAPPEN, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithisco Posted March 14, 2013 #18 Share Posted March 14, 2013 you have a point Keith but since they introduced the banana republic vote, IE postal voting there is no excuse, you get your polling card, weeks in advance, phone the number they send you the form you fill it in - return it - job done. - its made it easy to vote but my take on the issue is postal voting should only be for disabled people. and if people cannot be bothered getting their bum in gear and get to the polling station then more fool them. As for the EU. its easier to hold it on Thursday and cheaper. because we have the local council elections on the Thursday. turnout in the european elections has been falling year on year. i cannot see the trend changing. because the trend is right across the EU. except in the countries where voting is mandatory. You make a very valid point Steve if there are other Local elections going on at the same time. It would be cheaper to have the votes on a single day. To be honest I just "Scanned" the OP and didn't take note that they are only talking about EU Elections. I would applaud any measure that actually increased turnout (Local elections are historically Low Turnout affairs) but it still comes down to general apathy toward these elections. Not sure how the Postal Vote operates in the UK - it used to be reserved for Special Circumstances only (e.g. those working abroad, posted overseas in the Forces, or disabled) I didn't realise it was now offered to all. I was on holiday in the USA last year for the Presidential Elections, and was surprised to discover that some States actually allowed Voting from 2 to 3 weeks prior to the Official Voting day - at least it gave them the opportunity to vote it they were starting to feel poorly, or just couldn't get time off otherwise. Although I am entitled to vote in UK Elections, my view is that those who actually Live overseas should have that entitlement removed because they no longer pay taxes to the UK Exchequer, or Local Taxes, so they should not have a say in electing those who apportion the taxes on behalf of those paying them. IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Commander Travis Posted March 14, 2013 #19 Share Posted March 14, 2013 (edited) They've been held on Thursdays since 1935. This pointless meddling by Brussels is just that - pointless meddling. What the hell has it got to do with foreign unelected bureaucrats in Belgium what days we hold our elections on? Well, if these are European elections (not, so far as seems to be apparent, national elections), then it doesn't seem unreasonable to have them all on the same day, does it? It only seems to be European elections that they're Meddling with, they don't seem to be plotting to meddle with the time honoured pantomime that is General elections. If they really wanted to conspire against UKIP by ensuring a low turnout, then they'd have Plotted to keep them on an awkward day, I'd have thought. This might make a higher turnout, and the way things are going that might work in UKIP's favour. Edited March 14, 2013 by Lord Vetinari Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithisco Posted March 14, 2013 #20 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Perhaps you should look at the bigger picture. It's the principle of yet again being told what to do by officials in Europe we never elected. We are a sovereign nation and should be able to do whatever we like; elect government on whatever day we want and refuse to give prisoners the vote if we like too. The EU is a totalitarian state, we're made to think we're free when we're not. You (if old enough) never elected any Officials (as opposed to representatives by Universal Suffrage) in the UK either! No.. there is no mechanism for voting directly for the Cronies that make up the European Commission (this was blocked by the UK) - BUT , IF old enough to vote then you certainly voted for the MEP's (Members of the European Parliament), and more importantly, you would have voted for the Council of Ministers (as this is made up of elected MP's), and these are the People who actually bring proposals into Law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithisco Posted March 14, 2013 #21 Share Posted March 14, 2013 (edited) Tehe, I'm more than old enough to vote. Let me know when I can vote for the President of Europe! Let me know when my country can give Europe a middle finger when it demands we change laws to comply with European law! The irony for me is, Hitler got what he wanted in the end...just went the wrong way about it, clearly You cant, as I explained - a direct election to this post was vetoed by the UK (it actually never got to a Veto because it was clear that this Political Instrument would be used by the UK). You have clearly not read my response because UK Ministers, UK MEP's, and UK Govt have got to agree to write any Laws into UK National Law. Are you sure you are old enough to vote (Spike isn't it)? - because your last sentence shows absolute ignorance of Political Process, The Lisbon Treaty, and the Treaty of Acscession. Have you even heard of Godwin's Law??? Edited March 14, 2013 by keithisco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonecrusher Posted March 16, 2013 #22 Share Posted March 16, 2013 (edited) When it comes to voting day on Thursday there's only one or two things that spring to my mind after a hard day of graft.It isn't wasting precious minutes in the claustrophobic confines of a polling booth.It's what's on my dinner plate or how many smokes I need to relieve the tension of my grafting.It'll be a brilliant day if everybody abstained from voting.Can you imagine what that would do to a polictican's head.Having the carpet swept from under their feet after all that rebel- rousing,campaigning and spectulative promises.It'll be a cold day in hell though before that happens.Even if it's only the lower and the lower middle classes that abstained it'll be down to the rest to put somebody in charge.I can absolutely assure you it won't be the Green Party that will be holding the purse- strings. Because we are such a pagan country the churches will be doubling up as Polling Stations anyway.I can't imagine why somebody would go to all that trouble on a supposed day of rest. Btw not only am I an Euro sceptic but a Politico sceptic.You can take that to the bank. Edited March 16, 2013 by Medium Brown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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