Comments on: Cherie Blair’s stepmother to represent Labour in Calder Valley http://www.johnbm.com/2009/04/10/cherie-blairs-stepmother-to-represent-labour-in-calder-valley/ Liberal Musings from the Calder Valley Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:16:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: JohnBM http://www.johnbm.com/2009/04/10/cherie-blairs-stepmother-to-represent-labour-in-calder-valley/comment-page-1/#comment-244 JohnBM Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:39:42 +0000 http://www.johnbm.com/?p=184#comment-244 Oops - My brain flagrantly refuses to 'do' numbers before either 11am or three coffees, whichever comes sooner. Have corrected the posting now. The postal vote at all levels is a strange beast which has the habit of reducing any political discourse to soundbites and game of tactical advantage. I think they increase turnout but are in danger of reducing political involvement to X-Factor-esque "press the red button now". They also have the habit of deciding a vote long before polling day and before all the arguments have been heard. Oops – My brain flagrantly refuses to ‘do’ numbers before either 11am or three coffees, whichever comes sooner.

Have corrected the posting now.

The postal vote at all levels is a strange beast which has the habit of reducing any political discourse to soundbites and game of tactical advantage. I think they increase turnout but are in danger of reducing political involvement to X-Factor-esque “press the red button now”.

They also have the habit of deciding a vote long before polling day and before all the arguments have been heard.

]]> By: susan press http://www.johnbm.com/2009/04/10/cherie-blairs-stepmother-to-represent-labour-in-calder-valley/comment-page-1/#comment-243 susan press Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:13:05 +0000 http://www.johnbm.com/?p=184#comment-243 Wrong, John. I got 52 votes - steph got 95. At the hustings, ie the people who actually turned up to hear us, I got 35 votes and she got 22 so it was the power of the postal vote machine which won it. I happen to think Parliamentary candidates should be elected by a majority of Party members who have actually heard all contenders speak - or at least had a chance to - in a formal capacity. Perhaps I am old-fashioned that way. Janet won fair and square in July last year and our chances of retaining the seat would have been much greater had we had nine more months' campaigning under our belts. Wrong, John. I got 52 votes – steph got 95.
At the hustings, ie the people who actually turned up to hear us, I got 35 votes and she got 22 so it was the power of the postal vote machine which won it. I happen to think Parliamentary candidates should be elected by a majority of Party members who have actually heard all contenders speak – or at least had a chance to – in a formal capacity. Perhaps I am old-fashioned that way. Janet won fair and square in July last year and our chances of retaining the seat would have been much greater had we had nine more months’ campaigning under our belts.

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