What 'Drew said really.

 

People tend to still support one party irrelevant of whether it's local or national. And unless you're a hardcore constant supporter of that party then you'll vote based on your current opinion of the performance of the parties.

 

So currently any floating voters that voted LibDem or Con during the General Election will probably decide they're shit now and vote for another party.

 

I voted LibDem at the General last year for various reasons but I went back to voting Labour this time in the locals and will most likely vote Labour in anything over the next few years.

But aren't councils basically rather impotent bodies? Meaning that most of their funding, program decisions etc., come from Westminster? The best the councils can do is decide how to spend the money they get (or reorganize spending when funding is cut) or how to implement a program locally? Or do they have more power than that? If it's the former, why bother with parties at that level? Seems a bit pointless.

As far as i know*, in Canada, only the Montreal and Vancouver have political parties at the municipal level and they're not "real" parties - meaning, they're parties that exist only at the city level, not offshoots of any federal or provincial party.



*There could be others - i don't follow municipal politics at all, not even in the city i live in, so i have no clue what happens in other provinces. I used to live in Montreal which is why i know they have "parties".

Yep, that's how it is and... I guess they have parties so that, well, up until 50 years ago so that people knew the ideology of the person they were voting for and could trust them to make particular decisions based on that. Now there's no real ideology in politics you're right really, parties are pointless at a local level.

Although I guess the serve one of the same functions they serve nationally in that they're a voting block. I know that if I return a labour councillor s/he'll vote with the other labour councillors.

But yeah, no real reason.

Oh and it should probably be noted (I'm sure you're aware but just in case) that the elections in Wales and Scotland were for their Assembly and Parliament respectively and so are of a bit more immediate significance.

Yeah, that I knew. BBC World just died here (all the other cable channels work but that one just went on the fritz for some reason) but they were talking about the SNP promising a referendum on independence. Been there, done that, it was hell, wouldn't recommend that route to anyone. (Quebec 1995)

Hah, aye, I Remember that (not as intimately as you of course, from over here).

Well they had to draw straws in Bury and Labour took control.

http://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/9013120.Future_of_Bury_Council_decided___by_the_drawing_of_lots/

(giggle)

Holy crap this is one helluva yellow map :D

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/election2011/constituency/html/scotland.stm

 

The SNP have a majority at 65 seats, and there's still 3 regional votes to be declared.

 

So far I think the Lib Dems have got a massive 4 seats, and Labour 29. This is going to be an interesting parliament.

^____________^

That's hilarious. If only we had some kind of voting system that allowed people who voted for the other parties to still have some say.

 

Oh fucking wait.

1. Lib Dems have taken a lot of unwarranted flack, they are the Tory Shield.

 

2. Motion would have passed if Brown didnt decline a coalition.

 

3. AV is insignificant, Proportinal Representation was what should have been fought for. Tories (and Labour) know PR would reduce their numbers in parliament. No longer would Tories and Labour rely on their minority vote (30-38%) to gain power via tactical voting

 

4. If AV is so bad, why are internal party votes follow AV?

 

5. Seeing a voting reform referendum in our lifetime is extremely unlikely, well done Clegg.

 

6. Cameron has pretty much secured a second term in office. Lib deems returned to 1980s political strength, Labour scapegoat for debt will take a while to shake off (Not all their fault, but definitely a significant contributing factor)