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Post by Steven on Apr 14, 2008 20:41:02 GMT
I was considering voting for Brian Paddick until I read an interview with him in the current issue of Time Out, where he comes across as a bit...unhinged. The interviewer grills him a little bit on his transport policy and he really goes off on one, insisting that she rewinds the tape back to her initial question and tells him if she was being completely unreasonable. She at first refuses, and he in turn refuses to continue the interview until she does so. She then tries to find it and can't, and runs out of time in her interview slot, and her final question is to ask him what he'll do if he loses, to which his reply is "I will be very busy. I'll be running London." I think I'd rather the Mayor had a slightly less unpredictable temperament.
That said, he's still light years ahead of Boris in my estimation, obviously.
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Post by Adrian on Apr 14, 2008 20:52:20 GMT
An internet test told me I was a Ken man, so I'll be voting Ken then Green woman. Was that the one on the New Statesman site? This one: www.newstatesman.com/fantasymayor/ I got Ken also, and will most likely vote for him. I was abhored to find I got one Boris vote, and that was on the environment. Although, if I'm honest, I agreed with every statement on that page, not just one.
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Post by Cherubic on Apr 14, 2008 20:58:55 GMT
No it was a different one. I'll post the link tomorrow. It runs through the issues, and then asks you to attach strength of feeling to your responses, then tells you who to vote for mayor, assembly and council.
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Post by Steven on Apr 14, 2008 21:10:22 GMT
Oh God, I took that test and got three Boris votes. The thing is, I'm sure they were all good policies, but I don't trust Boris to follow through on them at all.
According to the test, I should be voting for Sian Berry. Which is a shame, because as much as I like her policies, I can't help thinking it's a waste of an X, and I feel a huge responsibility to use my vote wisely on this occasion more so than ever. I'd never forgive myself if something I did led in any way to Boris winning.
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Post by frapperia on Apr 14, 2008 21:13:28 GMT
I just did that test and apparently I should also vote for Sian Berry. This is not a big surprise as I am very pro-Green policies, but like Steven, I can't help but think it's a waste of an X, which is a huge pity as I'd love a Green to get up high in politics.
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Post by Rad on Apr 14, 2008 21:16:04 GMT
On the link Adrian posted, I got 6 points in Brian Paddick, 5 in Sian Berry, none in Ken Livingstone, and er, 1 in Boris Johnson.
I am very worried that my Boris point was in immigration. I keep trying to find the hidden racism in this statement (other than perhaps the 'while') 'While immigration has brought innumerable benefits to London and made it a truly cosmopolitan city, I will lobby as Mayor to increase central Government funding for Boroughs that currently receive below the rate of inflation and are facing increasing populations' so that I can pick one of the other statements instead.
Obviously not being a Londoner this is all irrelevant, mind you.
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Post by Cherubic on Apr 14, 2008 21:29:35 GMT
It's not a waste of an X because you can use the second X to vote for one of the candidates who will win.
That's how the system works.
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Post by Steven on Apr 14, 2008 21:37:36 GMT
I'm aware of how the system works, thanks. My concern is that it might not be close enough to necessitate counting the second place votes.
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Post by Cherubic on Apr 14, 2008 21:42:19 GMT
But to win without 2nd preferences counting either candidate has to get over 50% of the voting electorate, so it doesn't matter who you vote for as first preference, because a vote for anyone else is a vote against that candidate.
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Post by pauliepoos on Apr 14, 2008 21:44:52 GMT
The London election seems quite simple compared to the Welsh Assembly one, which is called the D'hondt system.
There's 40 constituency seats based on first past the post, then 20 regional seats based on the second vote which are worked out the following way:
1. Count the number of constituency seats won by each party in that region 2. Add one to each party (avoids dividing by zero) 3. Divide the votes cast in the regional vote by this number 4. The party with the highest number gets the first regional seat 5. The next regional seats are allocated in the same way but after adding the extra seat won in the previous calculation
If I had the chance to vote again, I think I'd say no to the Assembly, despite the free prescriptions and free hospital parking.
In fact can we have Sian Berry AND Brian Paddick to run Wales? Please?
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Post by Steven on Apr 14, 2008 21:56:34 GMT
But to win without 2nd preferences counting either candidate has to get over 50% of the voting electorate, so it doesn't matter who you vote for as first preference, because a vote for anyone else is a vote against that candidate. Fair do's. I cheerfully withdraw my previous statement, in that case.
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Post by Cherubic on Apr 14, 2008 22:01:16 GMT
That's alright. I should learn to phrase my helpful use of geeky insight less condescendingly.
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Post by Steven on Apr 14, 2008 22:09:52 GMT
And I should be less snappish when responding to people, sorry. Aw, we're all becoming better people!
Attempting to return the thread to the matter at hand, Sian Berry's website is either fucked, or just incompatible with my browser. This disappoints me.
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Post by xenomaniac on Apr 14, 2008 22:45:36 GMT
Would someone on here mind explaining the difference between the three candidates policies? I've always felt that as a young (well, 19) person nowadays that you are expected to automatically understand politics without anyone actually explaining the difference between the parties. I always feel any opinion I voice is dismissed because I don't know the history and the policies well enough, but schools don't seem to feel the need to teach any more recent history or use all the bloody tutor period time the government insists on to help young people understand things better. Basically when you first vote you pick a party that you feel closer to, for mostly arbitrary reasons, and stick with it forever. Unless there's something I've missed?
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Post by David Hunter on Apr 15, 2008 0:24:30 GMT
I took the test and got 5 Kens, 3 Brians, 3 Greens and a Boris.
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Post by jetsetwilly on Apr 15, 2008 8:53:29 GMT
I got 5 Sians, 4 Brians, 2 Kens and - erk! - a Boris. However this was on the Olympics, so I can console myself with the thought that it's not actually that important. I would still vote Ken with a Brian second, because I do genuinely believe that Ken in passionate about London and solving its problems. Yes, he's got a huge ego, but don't all politicians? His fight to stop the Tube being privatised, the congestion charge (and the way the money from it has been ploughed into public transport, which is exactly what you should do with a tax on car use) and galvanising the city to support the Olympics are all achievements I would get behind. And anyone who managed to drive both Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair to fury can't be all bad.
Of course, I live on Merseyside, so who cares what I think?
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Post by Steven on Apr 15, 2008 11:30:18 GMT
No it was a different one. I'll post the link tomorrow. It runs through the issues, and then asks you to attach strength of feeling to your responses, then tells you who to vote for mayor, assembly and council. Any sign of that other quiz, Cherubic? I appear to have developed an addiction to things that tell me who I should be voting for. (Obviously will take other things into account when actually voting though, just in case anyone's worried.)
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Post by Adrian on Apr 15, 2008 11:53:45 GMT
Any sign of that other quiz, Cherubic? I appear to have developed an addiction to things that tell me who I should be voting for. (Obviously will take other things into account when actually voting though, just in case anyone's worried.) Yes, me too, although I'm actually using these quizzes to make my decision for me.
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Post by coxy1979 on Apr 15, 2008 14:58:16 GMT
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Post by Rad on Apr 15, 2008 15:01:56 GMT
Well, according to that last one I have most in common with Ken and the Greens equally. It's a good job I don't live in London, I'd be all of a muddle.
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Post by zaffra on Apr 15, 2008 15:30:02 GMT
My best match was someone called Winston McKenzie followed by Brian Paddick (Lib Dem) then Richard Barnbrook (BNP!).
It seems Winston McKenzie is a former boxer 'It's my desire to take it to the wire and see Ken retire' oh, dear! I'm not voting for him.
I think vote match is somewhat limited.
New Statesman site makes Brian Paddick a clear winner for me.
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Post by Becky on Apr 15, 2008 15:30:18 GMT
I can't believe this is one of the questions/statements: Inter-racial marriage should be strongly discouraged.
Is Hitler a candidate?
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Post by Steven on Apr 15, 2008 15:33:12 GMT
Ooh, I like the results on that one much better: an almost even split between Ken Livingstone and Sian Berry, and absolutely no suggestion that I should vote for Boris Johnson.
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Post by David on Apr 15, 2008 15:57:01 GMT
I can't believe this is one of the questions/statements: Inter-racial marriage should be strongly discouraged. Is Hitler a candidate? Well there is at least one candidate on the list who would not agree that inter-racial marriage is valid.
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Post by jetsetwilly on Apr 15, 2008 15:57:48 GMT
I was Ken, then Sian, then someone from the "Left List", which I'm hoping is like left wing and not left luggage. Winston and the BNP chap were equal bottom for me which pleases me greatly.
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