Local Elections on Thursday

[exclaret]

That time is upon us...

Which party will you be voting for and why? I'd like this to be a sensible debate please.....

Corbyn is still way behind in 'who would make the best Prime Minister?' polls, despite all the massive scandals for the Conversatives recently.

Conversatives are also ahead in voting intention polls but these are nationwide.

It looks like Labour is going to clean up in London and the Tories are expecting a nightmare.

The vast majority of areas in London where Labour are going to win in a landslide aren't very nice areas.... Is there any correlation?

[Mansfield-Claret]

if we had a local election here, id be voting independent, it was labour but they got a vote of no confidence, now the indendents have taken over, local people running the local area how it should be

as for london i dont give a crap its a sh*t hole

[exclaret]

if we had a local election here, id be voting independent, it was labour but they got a vote of no confidence, now the indendents have taken over, local people running the local area how it should be

as for london i dont give a crap its a sh*t hole

It's a shame there aren't more people willing to vote for Independents... I think you're spot on.

I live in London (from Burnley) and agree with you, most of it is turning into the pits....

[Chobulous]

Disenfranchised from a national perspective and have been since John Smith died. Blair was a Tory in disguise, Brown was an embittered man and Corbyn thinks that life is a sixth form debating society without any collective responsibility. Corbyn's coterie are all part of the London-centric Saturday night tofu and quinoa dinner party set, who deep down despise the ordinary working man.
I could never vote Tory and the LibDems are just political chameleons. Harlots who will sell themselves to the highest bidder for a bit of power. Locally they will use any tactic to get elected.

[Lancasterclaret]

Vote for whichever party has done a good or bad job of the local services that matter to you to be honest.

No elections up here thankfully this time.

[TheFamilyCat]

I've already voted, by post, for our local independent candidate. A local candidate for local people!

In all seriousness though, he is local (unlike the candidates put up by the main parties) and he campaigns tirelessly for the local area.

Local elections just seem like a way of taking control of the council with candidates who don't represent the areas that they are standing in.

[Falcon]

My local Labour candidate is a friend of mine.

Even if I wasn't normally a Labour voter I'd surely be in the bad books if I didn't put my 'X' in his box (ooh er).

[UpTheBeehole]

Vote for whichever party has done a good or bad job of the local services that matter to you to be honest.

No elections up here thankfully this time.

Using this as a base point, can anyone clarify which local services the Conservatives have done a good job of recently?

[ElectroClaret]

SORT OUT THE POTHOLES, YOU USELESS F***ING SCUMBAGS.

[NottsClaret]

Vote for whichever party has done a good or bad job of the local services that matter to you to be honest.

Quite right. It's so partisan right now, it's almost impossible to break away from 'your' side.

There's a candidate in our town who's been talking to pretty much everyone and - this is the rare bit - listening too. Then she's written to everyone spelling out exactly the issues she'll pushing at council meetings. Funnily enough, they're the ones locals are concerned about. Maybe it'll make a difference, maybe not. But I'm going to be voting for her, she's a Lib Dem candidate for what it's worth. Not voted for them before but Corbyn v May should be irrelevant on Thursday.

It's about who's going to get your pot holes fixed and get the police station manned 24/7.

[Falcon]

Pot holes are the responsibility of the county council.

Only thing your local councillor can do is make a fuss, they can't magically fill them all in.

[UpTheBeehole]

And don't forget that Lancashire County Council is Tory controlled

[Clarets4me]

And don't forget that Lancashire County Council is Tory controlled

Only for the last 12 months, before which all the roads were like Bowling greens prior to 4th May last year, weren't they ??
Labour have been in control of Lancashire County Council for 24 out of the last 29 years, roads don't deteriorate because of who's sitting in County Hall it's a lack of investment over many years under Parties of all stripes that's led to the current situation...

[Caballo]

Anyone who can't see past the colour of rosettes at local level probably shouldn't be allowed to vote.

[UpTheBeehole]

Only for the last 12 months, before which all the roads were like Bowling greens prior to 4th May last year, weren't they ??
Labour have been in control of Lancashire County Council for 24 out of the last 29 years, roads don't deteriorate because of who's sitting in County Hall it's a lack of investment over many years under Parties of all stripes that's led to the current situation...

Labour haven't had LCC for 9 years.

The roads are in their worst state ever

[Falcon]

Burnley council is skint. LCC is skint too. The government is the underlying reason.

Whilst I appreciate that the colour of the rosettes shouldn't matter, voting by party is a way of sending a message to central government.

[UpTheBeehole]

Burnley council is skint. LCC is skint too. The government is the underlying reason.

Whilst I appreciate that the colour of the rosettes shouldn't matter, voting by party is a way of sending a message to central government.

Please could you confirm, for the purpose of the thread, which party has been in power for the last 8 years?

[Clarets4me]

The Labour Candidate in Lanehead lives in Stoke on Trent, according to her Facebook page !!

https://screenshots.firefox.com/ZnAEZmE ... cebook.com

[claretonthecoast1882]

Imagine if someone stopped for a minute and asked themselves why Labour aren't in power

[NottsClaret]

Pot holes are the responsibility of the county council.

Only thing your local councillor can do is make a fuss, they can't magically fill them all in.

I know that Falcon, I didn't imagine the woman in question was going to be out the next day with a truck load of tarmac. Making a fuss is all I ask.

I see the rest of the thread has already descended into tribalism. It'll be about Jews, Brexit and Trump before we get to page 2.

[john'sroseyspecs]

Anyone who can't see past the colour of rosettes at local level probably shouldn't be allowed to vote.

That's me! Guilty of that.

[exclaret]

You can vote for Diane Abbott in every town and city in England, according to Diane Abbott

[Clarets4me]

Labour haven't had LCC for 9 years.The roads are in their worst state ever

Whilst Labour did not have a majority of Councillors between 2013 - 2017, all 7 members of the Lancashire County Council ruling "Cabinet " were Labour County Councillors. Labour ran LCC from 2013 - 2017 ..... incidently with two Labour Burnley County Councillors in the Cabinet. Quite legally, both drew allowances of over £30,000 in 2016 - 17. One however, Marcus Johnston, suffered the indignity of being the only serving Councillor in the Country to lose their seat last May to a UKIP Candidate, when Alan Hosker won his seat of Padiham and Burnley West.

[Quickenthetempo]

Voting for UKIP. Alan Hosker has done wonders for local people (even for residents out of his area) and has assembled a team with the same principles.
It would be better if they were independents but it is what it is, the Labour politicians just tow the party line not giving one about local residents.

[Falcon]

I've always thought of the phrase as 'toe the party line' but 'tow the party line' makes just as much sense.

Which is it?

[Caballo]

I've always thought of the phrase as 'toe the party line' but 'tow the party line' makes just as much sense.

Which is it?

Toe

[aggi]

In my borough it appears that the sitting Labour council is going to be deposed by a new Labour council. Realistically Labour were the only people who were going to beat Labour there.

[Quickenthetempo]

I've always thought of the phrase as 'toe the party line' but 'tow the party line' makes just as much sense.

Which is it?

Every days a school day. Never really had the need to check the spelling and have only really heard the phrase spoken.

and I can only comment on the local Labour councillors around my area, not nationwide.

[Putneyclaret]

Here in Wandsworth, Maggie's favourite borough, the priority is to get the conservatives out. Lowest Council Tax achieved by cutting services to a minimum and selling revenue-generating business properties to developers, with no provision for any kind of affordable housing, most of which are sold off-plan to east asian buyers for private rental. Just like Maggie selling the family silver.

[kentonclaret]

"Potholes are the responsibility of the County Council"

The Government allocates almost 40 times more to maintaining national roads, which it controls, compared with local roads, which are overseen by the county councils. Councils have experienced significant budget reductions from Central Government and now face the looming prospect of a bill of £14 billion needed to bring the nation's roads up to scratch.

Without hiking up Council Tax to ridiculous levels or a major boost from Central Government we will all have to live with potholed roads for many years to come.

[BigF]

What ever happened to the money being given to the "Northern Powerhouse"? The big cities get their allocation and do things with it but the smaller towns seem to come under control from the County Council and from what I know, (not much I agree), not much has been claimed and used. If Borough councils made more of a fuss and "demanded" that the money be claimed and used then perhaps local problems could be addressed.

[hampsteadclaret]

2.. mmmm..

Mansfield v London

- tough call.. you’ll have to give me a bit of time on that one..

[gawthorpe_view]

Vote Leave!

[ŽižkovClaret]

I vote locally here, and nationally in the UK, as they are what affect me, and i can therefore justify it morally. I wont be voting tomorrow

[bfcjg]

Independent for me, party politicians are between two lines and dare not think outside those lines. What makes me laugh are the leaflets same picture ie a repaired pothole just different politicians from all the parties pointing at it with a vacant look claiming they and they alone sorted it out for you.

[tiger76]

Election free this year North of the border,probably just as well as we have voted 5 times in the last 2 years alone,can't comment on specific local issues down sarf,but ultimately these are local elections so any policies should be considered in that light.

My sister and brother-in-law reside in Rosehill/Burnleywood ward but i don't know which way they will vote tomorrow if they vote at all.

[Wile E Coyote]

It'll be the inevitable crass non topics and vote rigging that blights these prat events.

[Dazzler]

It'll be the inevitable crass non topics and vote rigging that blights these prat events.

Vote rigging? Who does that then?

[Wile E Coyote]

no idea, but it just seems to keep occuring every year for some inexplicable reason, but as long as the media choose to keep us in the dark, I suppose we'll never know.

[Burnley Ace]

SORT OUT THE POTHOLES, YOU USELESS F***ING SCUMBAGS.

That's County Council, not Borough Council.

[Burnley Ace]

Voting for UKIP. Alan Hosker has done wonders for local people (even for residents out of his area) and has assembled a team with the same principles.
It would be better if they were independents but it is what it is, the Labour politicians just tow the party line not giving one about local residents.

I have a lot of time for Alan in the sense that he is constantly working at his role, but what has he actually "done" that wouldn't have been done anyway?

[AndrewJB]

My eldest daughter’s first chance to vote.

[HatfieldClaret]

I vote locally here, and nationally in the UK, as they are what affect me, and i can therefore justify it morally. I wont be voting tomorrow

So in the general election which constituency gets your vote? If you still have an address in the UK then straightforward but what if you've sold up?

[houseboy]

Disenfranchised from a national perspective and have been since John Smith died. Blair was a Tory in disguise, Brown was an embittered man and Corbyn thinks that life is a sixth form debating society without any collective responsibility. Corbyn's coterie are all part of the London-centric Saturday night tofu and quinoa dinner party set, who deep down despise the ordinary working man.
I could never vote Tory and the LibDems are just political chameleons. Harlots who will sell themselves to the highest bidder for a bit of power. Locally they will use any tactic to get elected.

With the exception of the bit about Corbyn (who I must admit I do like) you have got it pretty spot on mate. Especially the LibDems who I see as nothing but political whores who sell themselves to the highest bidder.

[Lancasterclaret]

Er, yeah

Its much better to stick to your principles at all costs and do as much damage as possible while trumpeting how ideologically pure you are.

But I guess whatever floats your boat.

[houseboy]

Contrary to mainstream thinking I don't like local government. I don't like councillors and I don't trust them. I have such a distrust of them that I rarely if ever vote in a local election these days (and that is coming from someone who has NEVER failed to vote in a general election). In my humble opinion the only thing worse than a professional politician is an amateur one and I also believe that there is more corruption in local politics than at national level.
It's just a gut feeling I have but I can't help feeling that there is maybe too much 'money changing hands' at local level. I am related by marriage to an ex-mayor who has also been a county councillor (I won't say where he was mayor of for obvious reasons) and I know some of the things he has done and it doesn't inspire any confidence at all.

[Chobulous]

Er, yeah

Its much better to stick to your principles at all costs and do as much damage as possible while trumpeting how ideologically pure you are.

But I guess whatever floats your boat.

Or you could fight an election with a flagship policy, then dump it immediately as the price of a cabinet place.

[ŽižkovClaret]

So in the general election which constituency gets your vote? If you still have an address in the UK then straightforward but what if you've sold up?

Burnley, as it goes off your last UK address before moving.

I'd rather it was a PR system, or failing that, if there was an allocated "overseas" constituency, but for now, its Burnley or nothing, which does make it a relatively wasted vote as a Labour vote is generally a drop in the pond, and the others, Birtwistle aside, aren't getting in.

If and when i gain citizenship here, i'll then be able to vote in the Czech national elections, at which point i'll consider my entitlement to have shifted, and i'll then cease to vote in the UK elections, regardless of eligibility.

[Chobulous]

Er, yeah

Its much better to stick to your principles at all costs and do as much damage as possible while trumpeting how ideologically pure you are.

But I guess whatever floats your boat.

Or you could even base a campaign on attacking your opponent's sexuality.

[Lancasterclaret]

Or fight a campaign attacking the opponents ethnicity?

They all have flaws and faults, only an idiot thinks otherwise. Its finding the policies that you agree with the most and voting for them.