We all like to think that we live in a democracy and that we get the local councils that we vote for in fair, unbiased elections. We all like to believe that the elective process doesn't favour any particular party or candidate.
That could all change if Middlesbrough Labour Group get their way.
There are plans to change the boundaries of the wards in which we all live and interested parties have been invited to submit proposals.
Just like Rotherham?
Why am I not surprised? Members of the same Labour party that ensured it’s MP’s voted to kill proposed national boundary changes in the HoC. It will be interseting to see what opposition,if any,there is to this gerrymandering. It seems the required reading for Middlesbrough Labour Councillors is ‘Stalin’s Guide to Democracy’ with the intrduction written by Pol Pot.
We’ll wait to hear what the Ed Miller Band has to say about this shall we?
Is this the same Ed Milliband who doesn’t think we have a right to a vote on the EU, because he knows better. I wish the leaders of the main political parties would realise what democracy is about and that is legally binding referendums as per Switzerland.
@Tim as I recollect: in 2005, Switzerland voted to join the Schengen area; and whilst I wish that the UK would also join Schengen, is that something that you would wish?
I agree that Swiss-style direct-democracy is far preferable to what we have in UK, but they have a very community-involved electorate, and take their responsibilities very very seriously when they go to vote.
(I lived for near 5 years in the Basellande sub-canton – my son spent his primary school years there – and yes there was even a vote on reorganising school hours while we were there. – they were reorganised, based on the parents’ wishes, even tho’ the local equivalent of council tax had to be increased for everyone to meet the increased costs. ) .
Since Basellande sits on both the German and French borders, “we” actually voted to join the EU. Unfortunately “we” were not in a majority nationally. {some of the more eastern cantons are almost medieval – remember that one of them, Appenzell Innerrhoden only gave women the vote in 1991.)
It is not surprising that Labour are using dirty tricks, they will do anything including lie and cheat to further their aims for power.
ED This comment has been edited, @recogt should refrain from being deliberately inflammatory we are not that kind of blog.
Regular reader thanks for the picture on wind turbines, there has to be arguments for and against in places of beauty. If the people of the country vote either way on an issue, then I would feel as though it was democratic, but 650 politicians with their own secret agenda’s that don’t make them publicly know before an election, isn’t democratic. I prefer to keep borders, after what has happened in the UK the last 10 years, gradual immigration of 50K a year is more preferable. I am open to a free type trade agreement, but our European partners aren’t playing it fair. I recently did some work for Scottish power, who were owned by Iberdrolla, funny how the UK can’t sell to Spanish home owners. It is like the Eurovision song contest all over again. Recently Switzerland voted to ban Islamic towers, which I totally agree with them on, if I visit Switzerland I want to see the Swiss culture. I prefer to respect the cultures of each of the member states of the EU. If a state decided to have a death sentence, I respect that decision, it isn’t up to the EU to dictate policy. That isn’t how it works in the USA, but I can seem them starting to split up into smaller nation states along with the EU.