I'll be going to vote after work. Still not sure who for though

I'm not sure even a personal visitation from the Lord Almighty himself would cause Brown to resign or call an early election. He knows that when there is a general election that Labour are going to get the most almighty bitch-slapping at the hands of the electorate. In turn, he might as well hang on as long as possible. It is interesting to watch him, as he has clearly spent a lot of time grooming himself for the position during his time as Chancellor, and he doesn't seem to have any way of dealing with the fact that everything is collapsing round him and it is substantially his fault.

Whilst I am loathe to praise Thatcher she did at least have the decency to step down when her position became untenable.

I actually think using a system like Australia where you are penalised ( fines ) if you don't vote would be a bloody good idea.

"Would you like to point followers to http://is.gd/NYtP showing all candidates views on digital rights?"

I was home last weekend but my postal vote still hadn't arrived yet so couldn't vote

Ah well, cock-up not conspiracy.

I'm going to vote for the media.

What? They're not the opposition. Oh well then I'll make my own mind up.

Pfft! I voted on Monday!

Edd

How would this in anyway be a good idea? Surely, it completely undermines the entire point of voting?

I think combined with an active "abstain" vote, it'd work. There's no way to judge lazyness and forgetfulness, from people who are intentionally abstaining.

Edd

Even with that suggestion you are still undermining the system. All you are doing in that case is protecting the pre-existing political system by heavily undermining human rights, freedom of speech and democracy. Forcing someone to vote "abstain" is not the same as someone not voting at all, and to reduce the two to the same thing and then to label anyone who doesn't vote as "lazy" or forgetful" is naive.

People have the right to chose not to. If not enough people are voting that's the fault of politician for being untrustworthy deceitful liars. If you don't trust any of them, why waste your time voting for them.

* Heads off to find a very good Scott Adams quote on Democracy *

EDIT

Why force someone to vote. It'll add randomness. If people care, they'll make the effort.

I am labelling all who do not vote as lazy or forgetful, I am just stating that there undoubtedly a number of people on the electoral role who don't vote for these reasons. Providing some sort of penalty to those who do not acknowledge that either they are voting, or have no desire to vote for whatever reason they wish, would hopefully increase the turnout in elections, which I think is clearly an issue within the UK (T.O. for the last 2 general elections in the UK has been 59.4% and 61.4%, compared to 94.7% in the Australian Fed. election of 2007 and 94.7% in the 2003 Belgian general election, where compulsory voting is enforced).

I can't see how this sort of system would undermine human rights, freedom of speech (surely it would increase it, by actually providing a means of seeing how many people do not wish to vote for any of the candidates) or democracy, but this article provides an interesting read on the subject.

Edd

if you do vote you can't moan when the person you voted for fcuks up. Works both ways.