Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Options

politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » More of those who actually vote in local and general elections

SystemSystem Posts: 11,005
edited April 2017 in General

imagepoliticalbetting.com » Blog Archive » More of those who actually vote in local and general elections went for REMAIN not LEAVE

Prof John Curtice

Read the full story here


«13

Comments

  • Options
    SquareRootSquareRoot Posts: 7,095
    first
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    Second like LePen.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961
    I could have sworn I posted a comment nabbing the first.. :(
  • Options
    PulpstarPulpstar Posts: 75,899
    This sounds a correct enough analysis to me, one I put about shorlty after the EURef.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,624
    As a premise I can buy it, though I wonder how significant it might be. Certainly I know a few leavers who never voted before the referendum and never will again, so they say.
  • Options
    glwglw Posts: 9,549
    RobD said:

    I could have sworn I posted a comment nabbing the first.. :(

    Perhaps you were forcibly volunteered to give up first and knocked unconscious in the process?
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961
    glw said:

    RobD said:

    I could have sworn I posted a comment nabbing the first.. :(

    Perhaps you were forcibly volunteered to give up first and knocked unconscious in the process?
    Where's my $800?
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,200
    LEAVE 52%
    REMAIN 48%

    :innocent:
  • Options
    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341
    edited April 2017
    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,789
    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961
    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,624
    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    They voted, so how could they be disenfranchised? Some other right was lost?
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,624
    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    Stop stealing my thoughts, Rob!
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    If they are on the electoral register then they are enfranchised!
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961
    kle4 said:

    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    Stop stealing my thoughts, Rob!
    Perhaps my geographical proximity to you (maybe about 10 miles or so!) is boosting the telepathic link :p
  • Options
    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341
    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,200
    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    The last five GEs were:

    2015 66.4%
    2010 65.1%
    2005 61.4%
    2001 59.4%
    1997 71.3%

    EURef 2016 = 72.2%
  • Options
    AnorakAnorak Posts: 6,621

    LEAVE 52%
    REMAIN 48%

    :innocent:

    I think we can perhaps retire that post. It's looking very worn around the edges from overuse.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    Safe seats are only safe because a lot of individuals vote for the same party.
  • Options
    kyf_100kyf_100 Posts: 3,933
    Voting is also a habit, the politically "disengaged" discovered last year that for once, their vote actually counted. They may be more inclined to vote, perhaps even as a bloc, once they realise they have the power to change things.
  • Options
    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341
    edited April 2017
    Disnefranchised insofar as they perceive their votes to be totally worthless. They do not feel that there are any representatives available to them on the ballot paper, just a set of people who will not represent them.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961
    chestnut said:

    Disnefranchised insofar as they perceive their votes to be totally worthless. They do not feel that there are any representatives available to them on the ballot paper, just a set of people who will not represent them.

    Ah yes, that's a fair point!
  • Options
    AnorakAnorak Posts: 6,621
    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    I suspect that "felt disenfranchised" was meant to be a metaphor for feeling ignored and having no influence.

    Still bollocks, mind you.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,789
    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,624
    edited April 2017
    kyf_100 said:

    Voting is also a habit, the politically "disengaged" discovered last year that for once, their vote actually counted. They may be more inclined to vote, perhaps even as a bloc, once they realise they have the power to change things.

    Except their voices were counted together in a great whole,whereas there might only be a few in a local seat, not enough to change even the small elections in locals. Plus they have to vote for the 'all of the same' politicians rather than express a feeling.

    I don't know what the average turnout at locals is, from my area I'm guessing around 35-40% in a good year, so they cannot even get the generally engaged to vote in the damn things. What chance the barely to not engaged?
  • Options
    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341
    Anorak said:

    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    I suspect that "felt disenfranchised" was meant to be a metaphor for feeling ignored and having no influence.

    Still bollocks, mind you.
    If it's bollocks, why is the view widely held?

    "They're all the same".
  • Options
    CharlesCharles Posts: 35,758
    I guess is a variant on "why the LibDems will trounce all comers in the upcoming locals" thread?
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,789

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    The last five GEs were:

    2015 66.4%
    2010 65.1%
    2005 61.4%
    2001 59.4%
    1997 71.3%

    EURef 2016 = 72.2%
    From 1979-92, turnout was 72-78%.
  • Options
    AnorakAnorak Posts: 6,621
    chestnut said:

    Anorak said:

    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    I suspect that "felt disenfranchised" was meant to be a metaphor for feeling ignored and having no influence.

    Still bollocks, mind you.
    If it's bollocks, why is the view widely held?

    "They're all the same".
    It's "widely held" that the Syrian gas attack was actually perpetrated by either the rebels or Israel as a false flag. Still bollocks.
  • Options
    TheWhiteRabbitTheWhiteRabbit Posts: 12,387
    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    The last five GEs were:

    2015 66.4%
    2010 65.1%
    2005 61.4%
    2001 59.4%
    1997 71.3%

    EURef 2016 = 72.2%
    From 1979-92, turnout was 72-78%.
    66% is OK but a repeat of 59% would be an embarassment.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    chestnut said:

    Anorak said:

    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    I suspect that "felt disenfranchised" was meant to be a metaphor for feeling ignored and having no influence.

    Still bollocks, mind you.
    If it's bollocks, why is the view widely held?

    "They're all the same".
    Yeah, nothing to choose between Momentum and the Hannanites is there?
  • Options
    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341
    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
  • Options
    kyf_100kyf_100 Posts: 3,933
    kle4 said:

    kyf_100 said:

    Voting is also a habit, the politically "disengaged" discovered last year that for once, their vote actually counted. They may be more inclined to vote, perhaps even as a bloc, once they realise they have the power to change things.

    Except their voices were counted together in a great whole,whereas there might only be a few in a local seat, not enough to change even the small elections in locals. Plus they have to vote for the 'all of the same' politicians rather than express a feeling.

    I don't know what the average turnout at locals is, from my area I'm guessing around 35-40% in a good year, so they cannot even get the generally engaged to vote in the damn things. What chance the barely to not engaged?
    You are of course right, I think what would change things is a genuinely disruptive party, somewhere along the lines of red Ukip but without the associated baggage - anti elites, anti westminster, and so on. Labour votes in the hinterlands are waiting to be hoovered up by a populist, anti metropolitan elite party - Ukip ain't it, but Ukip 2.0 might well be.
  • Options
    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341

    chestnut said:

    Anorak said:

    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    I suspect that "felt disenfranchised" was meant to be a metaphor for feeling ignored and having no influence.

    Still bollocks, mind you.
    If it's bollocks, why is the view widely held?

    "They're all the same".
    Yeah, nothing to choose between Momentum and the Hannanites is there?
    Aside from extreme political anoraks, do you think any normal human beings are even conscious of these groups?

    They see manifestos that push what appear to be barely differentiated key policy areas.
  • Options
    kyf_100kyf_100 Posts: 3,933
    SeanT said:

    Public slave markets have returned to Africa. Arabs buying blacks, just like the good old days.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/10/libya-public-slave-auctions-un-migration

    Do I get 10% off if I show my white privilege card?
  • Options
    geoffwgeoffw Posts: 8,134
    Here's a persuasive article by Matthew Lynn on why “We need a Brexit that’s hard for us and soft for them”.
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/04/09/need-brexit-hard-us-soft/
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,011
    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,624
    chestnut said:

    Anorak said:

    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    I suspect that "felt disenfranchised" was meant to be a metaphor for feeling ignored and having no influence.

    Still bollocks, mind you.
    If it's bollocks, why is the view widely held?

    "They're all the same".
    Lots of things that are widely believed are wrong. I genuinely believe our politicians do try to engage non-voters, to support them, even if we view it cynically its a chance to turn them into voters, potential supporters, but the general attitude of 'they don't care' is so simplistic and ignores any effort anyone might make to engage that I cannot believe it. It's a comfort blanket for many who don't care to engage at all, they reassure themselves it makes no difference, or that they are superior somehow for not buying into all that garbage. Even if they are all the same, even if they are ignored, unless you want a revolution to overthrow the system, what good does not voting do, not picking a least worst option, since you're encouraging them to ignore you since you don't reward them even if they try.

    Bottom line, I think we get politicians that we deserve, and while I'll hold politicians' failure at their door, I don't view it in isolation when, from what I've seen of local politicians, a great many try very hard to speak and act for their constituents, and get a lot of contempt for it from some of those they try to assist and reach out to the most. I don't weep for the politicians - they volunteered for it, and there are attendant privileges and benefits to compensate, but our engagement problem is not from lack of trying from many.
  • Options
    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 39,954
    edited April 2017
    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    The referendum wouldn't have happened without a Labour to SNP move, so it's all a bit chicken and egg.
  • Options
    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341
    Anorak said:

    chestnut said:

    Anorak said:

    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    I suspect that "felt disenfranchised" was meant to be a metaphor for feeling ignored and having no influence.

    Still bollocks, mind you.
    If it's bollocks, why is the view widely held?

    "They're all the same".
    It's "widely held" that the Syrian gas attack was actually perpetrated by either the rebels or Israel as a false flag. Still bollocks.
    The idea that the general public have a view on rebels and Israeli false flags is most amusing as well as being loopy loo.

  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,624
    kyf_100 said:

    kle4 said:

    kyf_100 said:

    Voting is also a habit, the politically "disengaged" discovered last year that for once, their vote actually counted. They may be more inclined to vote, perhaps even as a bloc, once they realise they have the power to change things.

    Except their voices were counted together in a great whole,whereas there might only be a few in a local seat, not enough to change even the small elections in locals. Plus they have to vote for the 'all of the same' politicians rather than express a feeling.

    I don't know what the average turnout at locals is, from my area I'm guessing around 35-40% in a good year, so they cannot even get the generally engaged to vote in the damn things. What chance the barely to not engaged?
    You are of course right, I think what would change things is a genuinely disruptive party, somewhere along the lines of red Ukip but without the associated baggage - anti elites, anti westminster, and so on. Labour votes in the hinterlands are waiting to be hoovered up by a populist, anti metropolitan elite party - Ukip ain't it, but Ukip 2.0 might well be.
    Arron Banks' The Patriotic Alliance?
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,789
    edited April 2017
    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    Not so fast, but SLAB were plainly on borrowed time. But, look at some other places.

    In 1964, seats like all the new town/London overspill seats were solid for Labour, as were the mining seats.

    By contrast, Manchester Withington, Liverpool Wavertree, Leeds NE, Bristol West, Sheffield Hallam, Brighton Pavillion, Streatham, Birmingham Handsworth and Edgbaston, Glasgow Hillhead and Cathcart, Edinburgh West, Cambridge were solidly Conservative.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    chestnut said:

    chestnut said:

    Anorak said:

    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    I suspect that "felt disenfranchised" was meant to be a metaphor for feeling ignored and having no influence.

    Still bollocks, mind you.
    If it's bollocks, why is the view widely held?

    "They're all the same".
    Yeah, nothing to choose between Momentum and the Hannanites is there?
    Aside from extreme political anoraks, do you think any normal human beings are even conscious of these groups?

    They see manifestos that push what appear to be barely differentiated key policy areas.
    The vast majority of Leave voters, were like Remain voters, regular voters. There was only 10% of the population who voted in the referendum that did not vote in the GE.

    10% of the population is not going to achieve much, even if they had one common policy. In practice their desires are often contradictory even within one voter. Vote for lower taxes, more spending and a balanced budget for example.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    kle4 said:

    kyf_100 said:

    kle4 said:

    kyf_100 said:

    Voting is also a habit, the politically "disengaged" discovered last year that for once, their vote actually counted. They may be more inclined to vote, perhaps even as a bloc, once they realise they have the power to change things.

    Except their voices were counted together in a great whole,whereas there might only be a few in a local seat, not enough to change even the small elections in locals. Plus they have to vote for the 'all of the same' politicians rather than express a feeling.

    I don't know what the average turnout at locals is, from my area I'm guessing around 35-40% in a good year, so they cannot even get the generally engaged to vote in the damn things. What chance the barely to not engaged?
    You are of course right, I think what would change things is a genuinely disruptive party, somewhere along the lines of red Ukip but without the associated baggage - anti elites, anti westminster, and so on. Labour votes in the hinterlands are waiting to be hoovered up by a populist, anti metropolitan elite party - Ukip ain't it, but Ukip 2.0 might well be.
    Arron Banks' The Patriotic Alliance?
    To go the same way as Veritas...
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,200
    Anorak said:

    LEAVE 52%
    REMAIN 48%

    :innocent:

    I think we can perhaps retire that post. It's looking very worn around the edges from overuse.
    Sore Loserman!
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,789
    edited April 2017

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,880

    Anorak said:

    LEAVE 52%
    REMAIN 48%

    :innocent:

    I think we can perhaps retire that post. It's looking very worn around the edges from overuse.
    Sore Loserman!
    Go back to your trains, and prepare for government!
  • Options
    kyf_100kyf_100 Posts: 3,933
    kle4 said:

    kyf_100 said:

    kle4 said:

    kyf_100 said:

    Voting is also a habit, the politically "disengaged" discovered last year that for once, their vote actually counted. They may be more inclined to vote, perhaps even as a bloc, once they realise they have the power to change things.

    Except their voices were counted together in a great whole,whereas there might only be a few in a local seat, not enough to change even the small elections in locals. Plus they have to vote for the 'all of the same' politicians rather than express a feeling.

    I don't know what the average turnout at locals is, from my area I'm guessing around 35-40% in a good year, so they cannot even get the generally engaged to vote in the damn things. What chance the barely to not engaged?
    You are of course right, I think what would change things is a genuinely disruptive party, somewhere along the lines of red Ukip but without the associated baggage - anti elites, anti westminster, and so on. Labour votes in the hinterlands are waiting to be hoovered up by a populist, anti metropolitan elite party - Ukip ain't it, but Ukip 2.0 might well be.
    Arron Banks' The Patriotic Alliance?
    I hope not - far too tainted by Ukip 1.0 - I see it coming from a celebrity to be honest, A Beppe Grillo style figure, no-one with prior political involvement. I'm not sure who in the UK that would be but you have to imagine in these febrile times a political party founded by a George Carlin or a Louis CK doing well. Britain doesn't have an obvious, direct analogy but the populist vote is there for the taking by someone with the right public image and utter disdain for the establishment.

    I don't necessarily think it would be a "right wing" movement at all, either.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,624
    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history.
    Even if there were, which there isn't, tides come and go, those swimming against it at one point would be swimming with it at another.
  • Options
    Tim_BTim_B Posts: 7,669
    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    Nothing washes whiter than the Tide of history....
  • Options
    SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976
    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.
  • Options
    AnorakAnorak Posts: 6,621
    edited April 2017
    chestnut said:

    Anorak said:

    chestnut said:

    Anorak said:

    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    I suspect that "felt disenfranchised" was meant to be a metaphor for feeling ignored and having no influence.

    Still bollocks, mind you.
    If it's bollocks, why is the view widely held?

    "They're all the same".
    It's "widely held" that the Syrian gas attack was actually perpetrated by either the rebels or Israel as a false flag. Still bollocks.
    The idea that the general public have a view on rebels and Israeli false flags is most amusing as well as being loopy loo.
    Now you're conflating "general public" with "widely held". Tch.

    It's widely held within the climatological community that global warming is happening and is problematic. It's also widely held within the UKIP membership that global warming is bollocks.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961

    Anorak said:

    LEAVE 52%
    REMAIN 48%

    :innocent:

    I think we can perhaps retire that post. It's looking very worn around the edges from overuse.
    Sore Loserman!
    You know what we haven't had recently... austerity debates. :p
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,880
    The US are claiming that their one airstrike took out 20% of Syria's operational aircraft:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-39561102

    Russia claim they hit only 6 MIG-23s.

    Even if the Russian claim is true, and not the larger American numbers, it is a significant blow to Syria's already-reduced air assets.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    kyf_100 said:

    kle4 said:

    kyf_100 said:

    kle4 said:

    kyf_100 said:

    Voting is also a habit, the politically "disengaged" discovered last year that for once, their vote actually counted. They may be more inclined to vote, perhaps even as a bloc, once they realise they have the power to change things.

    Except their voices were counted together in a great whole,whereas there might only be a few in a local seat, not enough to change even the small elections in locals. Plus they have to vote for the 'all of the same' politicians rather than express a feeling.

    I don't know what the average turnout at locals is, from my area I'm guessing around 35-40% in a good year, so they cannot even get the generally engaged to vote in the damn things. What chance the barely to not engaged?
    You are of course right, I think what would change things is a genuinely disruptive party, somewhere along the lines of red Ukip but without the associated baggage - anti elites, anti westminster, and so on. Labour votes in the hinterlands are waiting to be hoovered up by a populist, anti metropolitan elite party - Ukip ain't it, but Ukip 2.0 might well be.
    Arron Banks' The Patriotic Alliance?
    I hope not - far too tainted by Ukip 1.0 - I see it coming from a celebrity to be honest, A Beppe Grillo style figure, no-one with prior political involvement. I'm not sure who in the UK that would be but you have to imagine in these febrile times a political party founded by a George Carlin or a Louis CK doing well. Britain doesn't have an obvious, direct analogy but the populist vote is there for the taking by someone with the right public image and utter disdain for the establishment.

    I don't necessarily think it would be a "right wing" movement at all, either.
    Populist movements either become establishment in power, or shrivel like slugs when even a slight contact with the salt of power touches them. That is the paradox of Populism, it only thrives when out of power. Look at Trump. He has given up on most of his policies, embraced Obamacare and Mid East wars, and now just waddles his fat arse around the golf course.
  • Options
    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341

    chestnut said:

    chestnut said:

    Anorak said:

    RobD said:

    chestnut said:

    "A major issue is that leave was highly successful in securing the support of those who are most politically disengaged. These are those who say they have no strong party identification and little or no interest at all in politics."

    Disengaged or disenfranchised?

    What do you mean by disenfranchised? Surely if they could vote in the referendum, they could vote in a local/general election?
    I suspect that "felt disenfranchised" was meant to be a metaphor for feeling ignored and having no influence.

    Still bollocks, mind you.
    If it's bollocks, why is the view widely held?

    "They're all the same".
    Yeah, nothing to choose between Momentum and the Hannanites is there?
    Aside from extreme political anoraks, do you think any normal human beings are even conscious of these groups?

    They see manifestos that push what appear to be barely differentiated key policy areas.
    The vast majority of Leave voters, were like Remain voters, regular voters. There was only 10% of the population who voted in the referendum that did not vote in the GE.

    10% of the population is not going to achieve much, even if they had one common policy. In practice their desires are often contradictory even within one voter. Vote for lower taxes, more spending and a balanced budget for example.
    The proportion of regular non voters who actually voted must have been 20-25%? About 3m people?

    On topic, it demonstrates that a reasonable proportion of people who don't vote can be motivated to vote given the right circumstance and topic.

    Take Scotland

    2010 Turnout 63.8% (2.4m votes)
    2014 Turnout 84.6% (3.6m votes)
    2015 Turnout 71.1% (2.9m votes)
    2016 Turnout 67.2% (2.7m votes)

  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,880
    kyf_100 said:

    kle4 said:

    kyf_100 said:

    kle4 said:

    kyf_100 said:

    Voting is also a habit, the politically "disengaged" discovered last year that for once, their vote actually counted. They may be more inclined to vote, perhaps even as a bloc, once they realise they have the power to change things.

    Except their voices were counted together in a great whole,whereas there might only be a few in a local seat, not enough to change even the small elections in locals. Plus they have to vote for the 'all of the same' politicians rather than express a feeling.

    I don't know what the average turnout at locals is, from my area I'm guessing around 35-40% in a good year, so they cannot even get the generally engaged to vote in the damn things. What chance the barely to not engaged?
    You are of course right, I think what would change things is a genuinely disruptive party, somewhere along the lines of red Ukip but without the associated baggage - anti elites, anti westminster, and so on. Labour votes in the hinterlands are waiting to be hoovered up by a populist, anti metropolitan elite party - Ukip ain't it, but Ukip 2.0 might well be.
    Arron Banks' The Patriotic Alliance?
    I hope not - far too tainted by Ukip 1.0 - I see it coming from a celebrity to be honest, A Beppe Grillo style figure, no-one with prior political involvement. I'm not sure who in the UK that would be but you have to imagine in these febrile times a political party founded by a George Carlin or a Louis CK doing well. Britain doesn't have an obvious, direct analogy but the populist vote is there for the taking by someone with the right public image and utter disdain for the establishment.

    I don't necessarily think it would be a "right wing" movement at all, either.
    Joanna Lumley should stand. She could make the announcement on a bridge:
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/07_04_17_garden_bridge_report.pdf

    Has our very own Charles commented on this report yet? ;)
  • Options
    MTimTMTimT Posts: 7,034
    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    Which is why the Hillary won the popular vote meme is nonsense. There wasn't a popular vote, there was a series of state votes for seats in the Electoral College.
  • Options
    FF43FF43 Posts: 15,691
    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    Agreed. I would say, more simply, that the Leave vote was informed by several false premises. As those premises unwind, we will either hit stalemate because what people wanted isn't realistic or things will go back to the way they were before. This doesn't apply to the Yes vote for Indyref because we elected to keep the status quo.
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,200

    Anorak said:

    LEAVE 52%
    REMAIN 48%

    :innocent:

    I think we can perhaps retire that post. It's looking very worn around the edges from overuse.
    Sore Loserman!
    Go back to your trains, and prepare for government!
    Um, haven't done too much on the rail front in the last couple of weeks, only the Sandwich to Minster curve two Mondays ago, and the direct train from Rainham (Kent) to Kemsley on the Sheerness branch just this Friday :)
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
  • Options
    nielhnielh Posts: 1,307
    The ability to capture the 'normally non voting leave voters' depends on one party being able to depict Brexit as being under threat in some way and to then capitalise on this politically.

    UKIP have not been able to do this, mainly because Labour under Corbyn have been sanguine or indifferent towards Brexit. And Brexit doesn't look particularly under threat at the moment.

    The probability is that they just go back to not voting. From my own experience (as someone who actually went out to campaign in the referendum for remain) I don't believe that there is much coherance in the way this group of people think. People had lots of underlying reasons for wanting to vote. They will be as sceptical about an 'anti career politician party/patriotic popular front' as they are about the other parties.

    All of this would be very different had either a) remain won, or b) Brexit was being delayed or fudged.

    On the other hand the experience of the referendum will motivate a small amount of young people who voted remain to remember to vote, which is likely to benefit the lib dems.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    The coming revolution of robots, driverless cars, AI, the whole shebang, is going to make many of our constitutional and political arguments look utterly ridiculous and irrelevant, like monks arguing the correct hours for matins as men build steel mills and coalmines.
    Things will be much better when we have robot suffrage. At least Artificial Intelligence has intelligence...
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,880

    Anorak said:

    LEAVE 52%
    REMAIN 48%

    :innocent:

    I think we can perhaps retire that post. It's looking very worn around the edges from overuse.
    Sore Loserman!
    Go back to your trains, and prepare for government!
    Um, haven't done too much on the rail front in the last couple of weeks, only the Sandwich to Minster curve two Mondays ago, and the direct train from Rainham (Kent) to Kemsley on the Sheerness branch just this Friday :)
    You keep on mentioning places you've only ever visited on train, whilst I've only ever visited them on foot ...
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,200

    Anorak said:

    LEAVE 52%
    REMAIN 48%

    :innocent:

    I think we can perhaps retire that post. It's looking very worn around the edges from overuse.
    Sore Loserman!
    Go back to your trains, and prepare for government!
    Um, haven't done too much on the rail front in the last couple of weeks, only the Sandwich to Minster curve two Mondays ago, and the direct train from Rainham (Kent) to Kemsley on the Sheerness branch just this Friday :)
    You keep on mentioning places you've only ever visited on train, whilst I've only ever visited them on foot ...
    I did alight at Sheerness, back in 2011 (though changing at Sittingbourne).
  • Options
    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341
    edited April 2017

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    They were voting for controlled and sensible migration, less money being spent abroad, greater autonomy for our elected executive as well as increased accountability among decision makers.
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,200
    RobD said:

    Anorak said:

    LEAVE 52%
    REMAIN 48%

    :innocent:

    I think we can perhaps retire that post. It's looking very worn around the edges from overuse.
    Sore Loserman!
    You know what we haven't had recently... austerity debates. :p
    You'll get the Order of Lenin for this! :lol:
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    edited April 2017
    chestnut said:

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    They were voting for controlled migration, less money being spent abroad, greater autonomy for our executive as well as increased accountability among decision makers.
    They also voted for £350 million pounds extra per week for the NHS and curvy bananas.
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,880

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    The coming revolution of robots, driverless cars, AI, the whole shebang, is going to make many of our constitutional and political arguments look utterly ridiculous and irrelevant, like monks arguing the correct hours for matins as men build steel mills and coalmines.
    Things will be much better when we have robot suffrage. At least Artificial Intelligence has intelligence...
    The Jessop test for Artificial Intelligence: an entity is only intelligent when it can tell us what 'intelligence' is. As the human experts can't even effing agree ...
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    The coming revolution of robots, driverless cars, AI, the whole shebang, is going to make many of our constitutional and political arguments look utterly ridiculous and irrelevant, like monks arguing the correct hours for matins as men build steel mills and coalmines.
    Things will be much better when we have robot suffrage. At least Artificial Intelligence has intelligence...
    Reminds me of the Futurama episode where all the robots vote for Richard Nixon's head :D
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,011
    SeanT said:

    FF43 said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    Agreed. I would say, more simply, that the Leave vote was informed by several false premises. As those premises unwind, we will either hit stalemate because what people wanted isn't realistic or things will go back to the way they were before. This doesn't apply to the Yes vote for Indyref because we elected to keep the status quo.
    The EU, in toto, was a false premise. We voted to join a free trading bloc. We ended up being, very nearly, locked for eternity in a federal political union we didn't want and never mandated.

    You ignore this fundamental point, and this renders your arguments idiotic and fatuous.
    But it's not a fundamental point; it's a false narrative established by a relentless propaganda campaign.

    Contemporaneous debates show that there was a very clear understanding about the political nature of the project. Ted Heath's core public arguments when negotiating the treaties and before the first referendum were about how economics were secondary to the idea of going beyond the nation state into a new form of organisation.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    The coming revolution of robots, driverless cars, AI, the whole shebang, is going to make many of our constitutional and political arguments look utterly ridiculous and irrelevant, like monks arguing the correct hours for matins as men build steel mills and coalmines.
    Things will be much better when we have robot suffrage. At least Artificial Intelligence has intelligence...
    The Jessop test for Artificial Intelligence: an entity is only intelligent when it can tell us what 'intelligence' is. As the human experts can't even effing agree ...
    Robots cannot be our slaves. If we have truly sentinent machines then they should have votes.
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,880

    Anorak said:

    LEAVE 52%
    REMAIN 48%

    :innocent:
    I think we can perhaps retire that post. It's looking very worn around the edges from overuse.

    Sore Loserman!
    Go back to your trains, and prepare for government!
    Um, haven't done too much on the rail front in the last couple of weeks, only the Sandwich to Minster curve two Mondays ago, and the direct train from Rainham (Kent) to Kemsley on the Sheerness branch just this Friday :)
    You keep on mentioning places you've only ever visited on train, whilst I've only ever visited them on foot ...
    I did alight at Sheerness, back in 2011 (though changing at Sittingbourne).
    And you didn't do the The Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway?
    http://www.sklr.net/

    (One of the oddest reserved railways there is - running from an obscure town to an industrial site on a raised concrete viaduct. Yet oddly cute).
  • Options
    SimonStClareSimonStClare Posts: 7,976

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union? - Seems simple enough.
  • Options
    chestnutchestnut Posts: 7,341

    chestnut said:

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    They were voting for controlled migration, less money being spent abroad, greater autonomy for our executive as well as increased accountability among decision makers.
    They also voted for £350 million pounds extra per week for the NHS and curvy bananas.
    £350m a week was a zinger, wasn't it?

    It captures the loss of money, the recovered autonomy and the regained electoral accountability in one handy caption that is still being repeated ten months later.

  • Options
    TheWhiteRabbitTheWhiteRabbit Posts: 12,387

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    The coming revolution of robots, driverless cars, AI, the whole shebang, is going to make many of our constitutional and political arguments look utterly ridiculous and irrelevant, like monks arguing the correct hours for matins as men build steel mills and coalmines.
    Things will be much better when we have robot suffrage. At least Artificial Intelligence has intelligence...
    The Jessop test for Artificial Intelligence: an entity is only intelligent when it can tell us what 'intelligence' is. As the human experts can't even effing agree ...
    Robots cannot be our slaves. If we have truly sentinent machines then they should have votes.
    In a way I hope that it is beyond us. That robots forever remain in uncanny valley.
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,258
    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    Not so fast, but SLAB were plainly on borrowed time. But, look at some other places.

    In 1964, seats like all the new town/London overspill seats were solid for Labour, as were the mining seats.

    By contrast, Manchester Withington, Liverpool Wavertree, Leeds NE, Bristol West, Sheffield Hallam, Brighton Pavillion, Streatham, Birmingham Handsworth and Edgbaston, Glasgow Hillhead and Cathcart, Edinburgh West, Cambridge were solidly Conservative.
    The class mix of the Labour and Conservative vote has hugely diversified since the 1960s.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    SeanT said:

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    They were voting FOR democratic power to be restored to Westminster, and the United Kingdom.
    But not for what that Democracy should do next. It is not a manifesto of ragged trousered philanthropists.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,789

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    The coming revolution of robots, driverless cars, AI, the whole shebang, is going to make many of our constitutional and political arguments look utterly ridiculous and irrelevant, like monks arguing the correct hours for matins as men build steel mills and coalmines.
    Things will be much better when we have robot suffrage. At least Artificial Intelligence has intelligence...
    Robots can be as thick as anybody.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,624

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union? - Seems simple enough.
    The consequences of either option were not well understood, though the Leave option, which I backed, had more varied options and therefore more scope for being interpreted differently in what it would mean.
  • Options
    AnorakAnorak Posts: 6,621
    edited April 2017
    SeanT said:

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    They were voting FOR democratic power to be restored to Westminster, and the United Kingdom.
    Arse biscuits. They were voting for less fewer scary foreign people speaking scary foreign languages on the bus (and occasionally blowing them up) and taking jobs from proper British people.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union? - Seems simple enough.
    It is voting for a negative rather than a positive. Leaving is an act without purpose unless you know where to go next.

  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961
    chestnut said:

    chestnut said:

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    They were voting for controlled migration, less money being spent abroad, greater autonomy for our executive as well as increased accountability among decision makers.
    They also voted for £350 million pounds extra per week for the NHS and curvy bananas.
    £350m a week was a zinger, wasn't it?

    It captures the loss of money, the recovered autonomy and the regained electoral accountability in one handy caption that is still being repeated ten months later.

    I do wonder if they deliberately inflated the number to ensure that the Remain side would bang on and on about it throughout the campaign!
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,789

    SeanT said:

    FF43 said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    Agreed. I would say, more simply, that the Leave vote was informed by several false premises. As those premises unwind, we will either hit stalemate because what people wanted isn't realistic or things will go back to the way they were before. This doesn't apply to the Yes vote for Indyref because we elected to keep the status quo.
    The EU, in toto, was a false premise. We voted to join a free trading bloc. We ended up being, very nearly, locked for eternity in a federal political union we didn't want and never mandated.

    You ignore this fundamental point, and this renders your arguments idiotic and fatuous.
    But it's not a fundamental point; it's a false narrative established by a relentless propaganda campaign.

    Contemporaneous debates show that there was a very clear understanding about the political nature of the project. Ted Heath's core public arguments when negotiating the treaties and before the first referendum were about how economics were secondary to the idea of going beyond the nation state into a new form of organisation.
    It was and is a political project, not an economic one. That's why we came to reject it.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,624
    Anorak said:

    SeanT said:

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    They were voting FOR democratic power to be restored to Westminster, and the United Kingdom.
    Arse biscuits. They were voting for less fewer scary foreign people speaking scary foreign languages on the bus and taking jobs from proper British people.
    Different people voted for different reasons. One day, perhaps decades from now, we can stop pretending even if a factor was likely the predominant reason, that it was therefore the only reason. Not least because an awful lot of remainers wanted less immigration as well.
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,011
    SeanT said:

    So that's why the powers-that-be continuously, and sometimes fraudulently, denied us a referendum on integration, because they were assured we wanted a Political and Federal Union?

    Yeah, right.

    The feebleness of the pro-Europeans came later, following the downfall of Thatcher. That's when the debate really became poisoned.
  • Options
    Sean_FSean_F Posts: 35,789

    SeanT said:

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    They were voting FOR democratic power to be restored to Westminster, and the United Kingdom.
    But not for what that Democracy should do next. It is not a manifesto of ragged trousered philanthropists.
    Why should it be? The Founding Fathers had no idea what the future held for the US.
  • Options
    GeoffMGeoffM Posts: 6,071
    Sean_F said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    The coming revolution of robots, driverless cars, AI, the whole shebang, is going to make many of our constitutional and political arguments look utterly ridiculous and irrelevant, like monks arguing the correct hours for matins as men build steel mills and coalmines.
    Things will be much better when we have robot suffrage. At least Artificial Intelligence has intelligence...
    Robots can be as thick as anybody.
    Not as thick as williamglenn
    I regard that as a benchmark.
  • Options
    CD13CD13 Posts: 6,351
    Mr Glenn,

    We've been through this before and you're wrong.

    I was there, I was a strong Harold supporter, pro-Europe, and very interested in politics. When close union was brought up, it was strongly condemned as being la-la-land by the media and mainstream. The No group was continually belittled as being left-wing loons and conspiracy theorists. Even I, as a Yesser thought the campaign one-sided.

    Most people have little interest in politics, but it doesn't mean they don't have strong opinions. And the Old Gits have long memories. They don't like being lied to.

    We were told that we retained a veto for everything, so that was all right.

    This government made the mistake of surrendering to democracy. Live with it.

  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    Sean_F said:

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    The coming revolution of robots, driverless cars, AI, the whole shebang, is going to make many of our constitutional and political arguments look utterly ridiculous and irrelevant, like monks arguing the correct hours for matins as men build steel mills and coalmines.
    Things will be much better when we have robot suffrage. At least Artificial Intelligence has intelligence...
    Robots can be as thick as anybody.
    I have a cousin who has recently completed his PhD in AI, and now works for a Swiss bank on trading algorithms. He speaks of a point of lift off where intelligent programmes reach the point where they are better at creating fresh AI than we are. At that point the genie is out of the bottle.

  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    CD13 said:

    Mr Glenn,

    We've been through this before and you're wrong.

    I was there, I was a strong Harold supporter, pro-Europe, and very interested in politics. When close union was brought up, it was strongly condemned as being la-la-land by the media and mainstream. The No group was continually belittled as being left-wing loons and conspiracy theorists. Even I, as a Yesser thought the campaign one-sided.

    Most people have little interest in politics, but it doesn't mean they don't have strong opinions. And the Old Gits have long memories. They don't like being lied to.

    We were told that we retained a veto for everything, so that was all right.

    This government made the mistake of surrendering to democracy. Live with it.

    It was Mrs T who led the move to QMV over national vetoes.
  • Options
    AnorakAnorak Posts: 6,621
    kle4 said:

    Anorak said:

    SeanT said:

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    They were voting FOR democratic power to be restored to Westminster, and the United Kingdom.
    Arse biscuits. They were voting for less fewer scary foreign people speaking scary foreign languages on the bus and taking jobs from proper British people.
    Different people voted for different reasons. One day, perhaps decades from now, we can stop pretending even if a factor was likely the predominant reason, that it was therefore the only reason. Not least because an awful lot of remainers wanted less immigration as well.
    Perhaps true, but this was a specific reference to the "politically disengaged", and I stand by my assessment of their primary motivations.
  • Options
    RobDRobD Posts: 58,961
    Scott_P said:

    twitter.com/amysteron/status/851545479125008386

    A touch unfair since it was police heavy-handedness.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548
    Sean_F said:

    SeanT said:

    'LEAVE won because of its success with the politically disengaged'

    The politically disengaged were motivated by something worth voting for, perhaps the realisation that their vote does matter and can make a difference will encourage them to vote again at the next general election, personal I doubt they will, or at least far fewer of them.

    On the contrary, the politically disengaged were motivated by something that they felt worth voting against. They had no clear view of what they were voting for.
    They were voting FOR democratic power to be restored to Westminster, and the United Kingdom.
    But not for what that Democracy should do next. It is not a manifesto of ragged trousered philanthropists.
    Why should it be? The Founding Fathers had no idea what the future held for the US.
    My point is that there is no common populist agenda that commands majority support, apart from very broadbrush things like Leave and reducing immigration, and even Leave only just scraped a majority.
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 38,880

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    The coming revolution of robots, driverless cars, AI, the whole shebang, is going to make many of our constitutional and political arguments look utterly ridiculous and irrelevant, like monks arguing the correct hours for matins as men build steel mills and coalmines.
    Things will be much better when we have robot suffrage. At least Artificial Intelligence has intelligence...
    The Jessop test for Artificial Intelligence: an entity is only intelligent when it can tell us what 'intelligence' is. As the human experts can't even effing agree ...
    Robots cannot be our slaves. If we have truly sentinent machines then they should have votes.
    Robots != sentience.

    I'm unsure your comment is correct even if you say 'Sentient entities cannot be our slaves'. Sentience in sci-fi is a different context to sentience when defined as the ability to feel.

    As ever, the definition of terms matters.
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    chestnut said:

    £350m a week was a zinger, wasn't it?

    It captures the loss of money, the recovered autonomy and the regained electoral accountability in one handy caption that is still being repeated ten months later.

    Not by the people who said it first time round. They are desperate to forget it.

    https://twitter.com/cllrruthrosenau/status/851146711074471937
  • Options
    Scott_PScott_P Posts: 51,453
    SeanT said:

    At the next General Election, the British people will vote for a UK government which has the power, should it choose, to make or repeal any law of the land.

    That is why I, and many millions like me, voted LEAVE.

    They already have that power.
  • Options
    foxinsoxukfoxinsoxuk Posts: 23,548

    SeanT said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    chestnut said:

    Sean_F said:

    Turnout in the Referendum was good, but hardly exceptional, at 72%. There's no reason why it couldn't be matched in a general election.

    FPTP creates lots of virtually worthless votes, and it puts them in the hands of unrepresentative MPs. If Westminster MPs have been representative of the UK, Remain would have won 70:30.

    Everyone was equal in the referendum.

    We've seen safe seats get demolished.

    Scotland is the obvious example, but there are lots of others.
    Would the Labour to SNP move in Scotland have happened without the referendum?

    I doubt it. Maybe a trickle, but never the tsunami.

    It was the referendum that engaged so many. The feeling that every vote counted.
    In each case the side that won the vote will lose in the long term. Both No and Leave were last gasp attempts to swim against the tide of history.

    The next political tsunami will be felt as the weight of the contradictions of Brexit breaks over the entire political class.
    There's no tide of history. Claiming that history is on one's side is either wishful thinking or ex post facto rationalisation.
    The coming revolution of robots, driverless cars, AI, the whole shebang, is going to make many of our constitutional and political arguments look utterly ridiculous and irrelevant, like monks arguing the correct hours for matins as men build steel mills and coalmines.
    Things will be much better when we have robot suffrage. At least Artificial Intelligence has intelligence...
    The Jessop test for Artificial Intelligence: an entity is only intelligent when it can tell us what 'intelligence' is. As the human experts can't even effing agree ...
    Robots cannot be our slaves. If we have truly sentinent machines then they should have votes.
    Robots != sentience.

    I'm unsure your comment is correct even if you say 'Sentient entities cannot be our slaves'. Sentience in sci-fi is a different context to sentience when defined as the ability to feel.

    As ever, the definition of terms matters.
    I was using words casually, but sentinent machines will need to have rights in law. Unless we become slaveowners...
This discussion has been closed.