UK elections

[Castro]

@komsomolez

Pathetic.

Big sigh.

[greenmount]

@Castro

I said the ‘limited’ election of presidential candidates was a democratic process, not the overall process itself.

Is this like a consolation prize or something?

Hey, one of her British-Iranian friends voted in the UK elections too so I find that much more interesting.
I read an article (on DW if I recall correctly) about the British-Indians voting for Labour (after previously voting for conservatives for decades and for Brexit too). Wonder what’s the reasoning behind this major swift.

Also, the new PM will drop the deal with Rwanda. Funny that, I personally never thought it could be legal anyway. On the other hand, the right to political asylum became such a joke, that I (almost) understand the desperation of the conservatives.

Getting rid of people wasn’t the main mantra this time around though, so I am curious about why people voted this way.

[JohnWilliam]

@Island-Monkey

No Fan off Rees-Mogg, but was surprised and impressed with how gracious he was in defeat.

Not that Rees-Mogg has gone for good !! as JRM still retains his 8pm ( BST ) place on GB news with his “Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State Of The Nation” take on the news and current events, as does Farage with his 7pm hour long slot on GB news except Farage is now MP whereas Mogg soundly lost that position in the polls.

[KiwiSteve]

Depends on the PR system. New Zealand has MMP, so you get to vote for a local constituency member. There is then a pool of seats available to the proportional vote and these are allocated so that each party (that reaches the threshold) ends up with the number of seats that reflect the total votes cast for that party. It means for instance, that one can vote for a minority party with no hope of winning the local constituency but the vote will still count.

[marton]

@greenmount

You can say Gazans too voted Hamas.

It was the same as Iran and everywhere else. You can only vote for people whose names are on the ballot paper.
So you vote for the least worst.
Edit: Or who you hope is the least worst.

[Bowlie]

The problem isn’t illegal immigrants on boats in the Channel, the problem is people traffickers. I think Labour gets that. The conservatives never did.

[JohnWilliam]

@Castro

Rees-Mogg was probably deluded enough to think he could win, but even in defeat he is still a winner because now he can capitalise on the so called Brexit dividend and make plenty of money through his offshore investment fund ‘Somerset Capital Management’ (administered through Cayman Islands and Singapore)

Perhaps one of the few Brits who enjoyed ‘a Brexit Benefit’ while at the same time countless small & medium sized UK businesses ( who’s best customers were in Europe ) went bust; as those best customers went elsewhere for their business, turning their noses up at the import taxes and other charges payable on goods bought from non EU countries like the UK !!! Lol.
Still no doubt many UK businesses are enjoying the form filling and extra red-tape that comes from trading outside the EU; as gone are the days of frictionless trade !! Lol.

[greenmount]

@marton

It was the same as Iran and everywhere else. You can only vote for people whose names are on the ballot paper.
So you vote for the least worst.
Edit: Or who you hope is the least worst.

As far as I know - he won’t have much power (if at all). I doubt he can have a say re. women’s rights for instance…assuming he’s against current policies.
Anyways, it wasn’t really the same as everywhere…but it’s nice you put it that way.

[3Wishes]

Folks, I really don’t want to try and split OT posts to a different thread and end up making a mess.

Can you please keep comments about the Middle East in that thread, and UK here, as much as possible? Thanks.

[ShirleyNot]

@Bowlie

The problem isn’t illegal immigrants on boats in the Channel, the problem is people traffickers. I think Labour gets that.

This.

The BBC were able to track down two traffickers in two separate investigations and get them shut down so it’s doable, and significantly more effective than pissing about with gammon-worshipping schemes like Rwanda.

[gaburko]

@linnea_uzh

It’s also remarkable that Iran yesterday elected a moderate candidate as the new President

Careful. You’re half Iranian, but I used to live in Iran for over two years and know the place relatively well. ANYONE allowed to participate in the elections is already pre-selected, expecting change when they all come from the same coterie is naiive. And btw, you know the jokes they have about the expats right?

[BelgianMum]

@linnea_uzh

This marks the first time I’m voting in four different countries in the same year.

This might be a controversial opinion but one person having voting rights in four different countries doesn’t seem right to me.

[Tom1234]

@BelgianMum

This might be a controversial opinion but one person having voting rights in four different countries doesn’t seem right to me.

No, I don’t think it’s controversial at all.

What I find bizarre is some British Citizens on this forum, who have gained dual nationality with Switzerland, live here, and have made it clear that they have absolutely no intention of ever moving back to what they describe as a “s**t hole” but then vote in elections in the UK.

They’ve never quite explained their reasoning.

[greenmount]

I think there will be more and more people with 2-3 citizenships. 4 is rather uncommon.
Europeans are less tempted to collect citizenships but for someone who comes from say an ex-soviet republic (just an example) it is a very different thing…I have a friend with 3 citizenships and currently applying for the Swiss one too, but they don’t vote in each country’s elections.

[Bowlie]

There are votes and then there are other votes. My lovely bride who is dual Swiss/British didn’t vote in this election but she wants her vote just in case something like Brexit comes around.

I have a vote in my home country and reserve the right to use should something similar takes place there.

[BelgianMum]

It’s not the number of citizenships that I find odd but rather exercising the right to vote in all of them.

Dual nationals voting in both places if they have definite ties to both places and could potentially live in either I have no problems with but four seems excessive and rather undemocratic to me.

I did go through all the hoops to regain my voting rights in the UK despite not having lived there for over 30 years because I have strong ties to the uk, have assets and pensions there and decisions made by the uk government have a direct impact on me plus I have not ruled out the possibility of moving back there some day. I think the Brexit vote would have been a different story if people in our position had been allowed to vote in the referendum.

[ShirleyNot]

@Tom1234

They’ve never quite explained their reasoning.

Not that anyone has to explain their right to exercising their democratic right to you, but many of us have people we are close to (family, friends, etc) and we vote in a way that we feel would benefit them. I have relatives who are being crippled by student debt or lack access to dentistry or overlooked for cancer treatment and see 14 years of a government which has made that happen. Of course if my puny vote can be added to others who feel the same I’m going to do it.

Complaining about the UK being a shithole and NOT doing anything about it would be far worse if you are democratically able.

[Island-Monkey]

@Tom1234

No, I don’t think it’s controversial at all.

What I find bizarre is some British Citizens on this forum, who have gained dual nationality with Switzerland, live here, and have made it clear that they have absolutely no intention of ever moving back to what they describe as a “s**t hole” but then vote in elections in the UK.

They’ve never quite explained their reasoning.

Well for example, voting in the Brexit referendum had a huge impact on Brits living in the EU/Schengen, and they should be allowed a say in that. Also should be able to vote for a party that might improve post Brexit rights etc.