howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,875
As far as the Tories and Labour are concerned I am not sure anyone is really in control.
There have always been several fringes within both parties but they have been kept under control in the past by lack of publicity in the media. The papers and TV no longer seem to be quite so staunch with their party loyalties as they were in the past, that together with tweets etc the voice of those fringe groups is being heard more than ever before.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
The days when newspapers heavily influenced their readers is over mainly because less people buy them and get their political education from social media sound bites, not just young people either.
It seems that "Question Time" remains popular with many who like the simple assertions that publicity seeking politicians make to their supporters.
Captain Haddock
- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,070
howard mcsweeney1 wrote: less people buy them
'Fewer'! (Unless you are hinting that newspapers are bought by
lesser mortals?)
e.g. One has less rain but fewer raindrops.
"We are living in very strange times, and they are likely to get a lot stranger before we bottom out"
Dr. Hunter S Thompson
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,920
Without doubt what ever your view on the referendum it showed people they could make a difference
it also got people more interested in politics
the general election continued this flow look at Canterbury
and so many marginal seats
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
Ross Miller
- Location: London Road, Dover
- Registered: 17 Sep 2008
- Posts: 3,705
Until the voting booth fodder realise that no-one is actually listening to them and that despite their interest nothing has actually changed....
"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today." - James Dean
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Laozi
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
Keith Sansum1 wrote:Without doubt what ever your view on the referendum it showed people they could make a difference
it also got people more interested in politics
the general election continued this flow look at Canterbury
and so many marginal seats
Canterbury has only become labour because of the university vote and the mass importation of immigrants into the old Canterbury barracks accommodation.
the Torys seem oblivious to the mass immigrant vote going to labour.
the Tory party could capture the British working class vote if they only changed from craping all over them .
the party that solves housing and mass abuse of workers in the private sector will have a very good shot at number 10.
Guest 1713 likes this
Weird Granny Slater
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 7 Jun 2017
- Posts: 3,065
Erm, unless something has changed very recently, only UK, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens are permitted to vote in UK General Elections, so 'immigrants' (unless, of course, they originate in the Irish Republic or Commonwealth countries) could have had no influence whatsoever on the Canterbury result, or on that of any other UK constituency for that matter.
Back on topic, though. When we are living under one of the most extreme economic systems one could possibly dream up, it's not surprising that the political elite will seek to enforce its own ideology by branding opposition to it 'extreme'. Major may seek to come across as a nice chap who likes nothing better than warm beer and a rural ride, but he is simply doing neoliberalism's ideological dirty work.
'Pass the cow dung, my dropsy's killing me' - Heraclitus
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
[QUOTE="Weird Granny Slater"]Erm, unless something has changed very recently, only UK, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens are permitted to vote in UK General Elections, so 'immigrants' (unless, of course, they originate in the Irish Republic or Commonwealth countries) could have had no influence whatsoever on the Canterbury result, or on that of any other UK constituency for that matter.
indeed Granny if you're into ignoring the reality.
but the reality is immigrants that have gained a British passport, mostly do not vote Tory ,so do in fact influence elections if you inport 200 immigrant families with voting rights into a place like canterbury .
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,875
I thought it was the students in Canterbury rather than immigrants who upset the proverbial apple cart. They decided to exercise their right to vote rather than socialise in the nearest bar or whatever they normally do when studying hard.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Button
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 22 Jul 2016
- Posts: 3,053
Well, there are certainly many more than 200 students resident in Canterbury, although that has been true for as long as I can remember. In truth, no-one knows how the result came about, but it was close: Labour 25,572 followed by Conservative 25,385. The latter also increased their share of the vote, but by nowhere near as much as the former.
(Not my real name.)
Guest 745- Registered: 27 Mar 2012
- Posts: 3,370
Button wrote:Well, there are certainly many more than 200 students resident in Canterbury, although that has been true for as long as I can remember. In truth, no-one knows how the result came about, but it was close: Labour 25,572 followed by Conservative 25,385. The latter also increased their share of the vote, but by nowhere near as much as the former.
the 200 was the families moved into the old army housing in Canterbury, from bedsit land in London.
housing that should have gone to the locals
Guest 1713 likes this
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
I thought it was 200 people not families that were shipped in from my old Borough and most didn't want to come but living long term in bed and breakfast hovels proved too much. It would have been better if the homes went to those on the Canterbury housing list but the bidding war will always be won by London councils who know it costs a lot less to them.
In effect we have social cleansing taking place,
Guest 1881 likes this
Captain Haddock- Location: Marlinspike Hall
- Registered: 8 Oct 2012
- Posts: 8,070
Fact Check -
More than 200 homeless families are to be moved from east London to Kent after their local council outbid authorities in Canterbury for the use of a former barracks.
Canterbury city council said it made a “robust and comprehensive bid” for the
208 homes at Howe barracks, but it lost out to the London borough of Redbridge, “a council with financial resources far in excess of Canterbury”.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/may/25/londoners-sent-to-canterbury-council-bidding-war-housing-borough-redbridge"We are living in very strange times, and they are likely to get a lot stranger before we bottom out"
Dr. Hunter S Thompson