I hope not :-/ Anyone else see that interview of him with James O'Brien?
Okay, the EU elections use the d'Hondt system. The d'Hondt system is fun!
Basically you have a big-ass constituency, say East of England. This place elects 7 MEPs.
You vote for parties, not candidates. What you then do is take the percentages, say:
UKIP 30
LAB 20
CON 18
LD 10
GRN 8
Each party then scores what it scored, and half that, and a third that, and a quarter that, and so on, so:
UKIP 30 15 10 7.5
LAB 20 10 6.6
CON 18 9 6
LD 10 5 3.3
GRN 8 4
Then you pick the top seven scores
UKIP 30 15 10 7.5
LAB 20 10 6.6
CON 18 9 6
LD 10 5 3.3
GRN 8 4
And so in this case UKIP get 3 MEPs, Labour 2, Tories and Lib Dems 1.
Does that make sense?
For anyone who wants a laugh check out the BNP representatives for scotland:
http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/scotland-european-candidates-2014/ (http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/scotland-european-candidates-2014/)
I think these election results could well push scotland further towards independance, UKIP don't seem very popular here. And the tories obviously aren't.
Yeah, sorry the Exilian news coverage tends to be rather left-of-centre. :P
Looks like UKIP are doing well...
So, the European elections. I am not, in myself, terrified - not quite yet. But I am saddened, and I am unsettled, both at the results in Britain and more so at those across Europe. I am saddened because I believe that, whatever you may think of the structures of European governance, we are stronger in brotherhood and sisterhood than immersed in isolation and vanity. Saddened, too, at the fact that my country is now predominantly represented by two parties in favour of kicking the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society into the gutter. But worst of all, I am unsettled that in fear and anger the peoples of Europe are in many countries seeing their salvation posing with flags and banners - and a nationalism of a sort we have not seen growing strong for many years. This is not a nationalism that celebrates our achievements - it is one which celebrates only our differences, that "we" are not "them" and "they" are not "us". It is the nationalism of blind pride, at a time when Europe may just be beginning to forget where that can lead. It is the nationalism of darker times - and tomorrow, Europe will see day dawn just a little darker.
Well I voted for the hippies largely to try and keep UKIP from gaining an MEP, I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one.
I'll also repost my slightly gloomy FB status about the election:QuoteSo, the European elections. I am not, in myself, terrified - not quite yet. But I am saddened, and I am unsettled, both at the results in Britain and more so at those across Europe. I am saddened because I believe that, whatever you may think of the structures of European governance, we are stronger in brotherhood and sisterhood than immersed in isolation and vanity. Saddened, too, at the fact that my country is now predominantly represented by two parties in favour of kicking the poorest and most vulnerable people in our society into the gutter. But worst of all, I am unsettled that in fear and anger the peoples of Europe are in many countries seeing their salvation posing with flags and banners - and a nationalism of a sort we have not seen growing strong for many years. This is not a nationalism that celebrates our achievements - it is one which celebrates only our differences, that "we" are not "them" and "they" are not "us". It is the nationalism of blind pride, at a time when Europe may just be beginning to forget where that can lead. It is the nationalism of darker times - and tomorrow, Europe will see day dawn just a little darker.
I genuinely mean all that. I think the rise of nationalists and ultra-nationalists is very disturbing, but if anything gives us a new reason to be inside the EU - because as we know these are European-wide phenomena and if we shut ourselves off from them there is no way we will somehow gain immunity via the English Channel.
EU isn't a brotherhood, sisterhood or any other friendship. It's a business deal. Not being a part of it isn't vanity, it's practicality. Switzerland is vain? Right, didn't think so.Well no, the EU is much more than just a business deal, which is the main reason anti-EU sentiment is so popular. A re-structuring of the EU, or at least a re-negotiation of our relationship with it would probably be enough to satisfy most EU sceptics. I for one would be much happier with a trade agreement such as Norway or Switzerland have.
Fear plays a part in voting out of the EU, sure. It's a fairly normal thing to be afraid of losing cultural identity to the volume of immigrants,I'd say its not. I'm pretty sure I don't many people who are afraid of losing their cultural identity, your own cultural identity is a private thing and unless you're scared that immigrants are actually going to brainwash you then there really is no logical reason to believe you'll lose it due to immigration. Not to mention the fact that the volume of immigrants is not nearly as great as made out to be by right leaning media.
Nationalism is a good thing. It's easiest to see with American brand of nationalism as the British are generally 'meh' about most things, especially ourselves. Would America be as great as it is if its people were ambivalent about being American? Hell no. What makes it great is that a huge proportion of the people are very proud of the country they live in, have respect for their ancestors and what they did to make the country great. To be otherwise is at least doing yourself a disservice and at worst being disrespectful to the men and women from generations past who have suffered though the difficulties to make a country what it is today.So should the descendants of slavers and racists in America be proud of said ancestors? Should I be proud of my ancestors who violently conquered a vast empire for their own vanity and greed and started the previously mentioned slave trade? There's plenty of armadillo to go along with the "greatness" of my ancestors and I'd rather not tarnish myself with that thanks. I'd say I take some pride in being british, in being part of a society that is largely tolerant and welcoming to alternative ways of life. But more importantly I'd say I'm grateful to have been brought up in such a society.
Well no, the EU is much more than just a business deal, which is the main reason anti-EU sentiment is so popular. A re-structuring of the EU, or at least a re-negotiation of our relationship with it would probably be enough to satisfy most EU sceptics. I for one would be much happier with a trade agreement such as Norway or Switzerland have.
I'd say its not. I'm pretty sure I don't many people who are afraid of losing their cultural identity, your own cultural identity is a private thing and unless you're scared that immigrants are actually going to brainwash you then there really is no logical reason to believe you'll lose it due to immigration. Not to mention the fact that the volume of immigrants is not nearly as great as made out to be by right leaning media.
And of course culture is not a static thing, much of our current culture is brought from outside of britain in the first place. Well all of it is if you go back far enough. But what if I were to live outside of the UK for a while? I might well pick up new cultural influences that might not fit in with conventional british cultural identity. So would I now be unwelcome? Afterall I'm probably more likely to influence my british friends and family than a group of economic migrants are.
So should the descendants of slavers and racists in America be proud of said ancestors? Should I be proud of my ancestors who violently conquered a vast empire for their own vanity and greed and started the previously mentioned slave trade? There's plenty of armadillo to go along with the "greatness" of my ancestors and I'd rather not tarnish myself with that thanks. I'd say I take some pride in being british, in being part of a society that is largely tolerant and welcoming to alternative ways of life. But more importantly I'd say I'm grateful to have been brought up in such a society.
The problem with nationalism is that it can blind people to the faults in their own nation and lead to them looking outside for someone to blame instead of tackling the real roots of their problems. I suspect America would be a better place if its inhabitants were more open to introspection and willing to acknowledge their own faults. Not that the same doesn't apply for us of course.
No, the European Court of Human Rights does not have anything at all to do with the EU, they're totally separate entities.Well now I feel like a dumdum.
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/77216000/jpg/_77216801_tv023657760.jpg)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28967904
Tory Douglas Carswell has defected to UKIP and quit as MP for Clacton, saying he will contest the subsequent by-election for Nigel Farage's party.
If he wins the support of voters he will be the first elected UK Independence Party MP in the Commons.
The maverick Eurosceptic backbencher said he wanted to "shake up" the cosy Westminster "clique".
Mr Carswell added he did not believe Prime Minister David Cameron was "serious about the change we need".
If voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it. ;)This sentiment really really REALLY annoys me, but this isn't the place for me to have that rant :P
Blame Mark Twain. :PIf voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it. ;)
If voting made any difference they wouldn't let us do it. ;)This sentiment really really REALLY annoys me, but this isn't the place for me to have that rant :P
TTG4: of course the best option is renewable or semi-renewable nuclear sources like fusion and thorium, but nobody can be bothered to fund those.
ANYWAY
Party conferences are over - and tomorrow we have the Clacton by-election and the Heywood and Middleton by-election. Let's see how this turns out! (And DC and Colossus, prepare to break out the beverage of choice; you'll probably have your first MP by Friday).
Ukip won a seat.Yes - and, rather more unexpected, very nearly won a second one.
Here we go again: it's the Rochester & Strood by-election tomorrow.Slight oops: the election was in fact on 20 November (a Thursday, as standard for UK elections).
Apparently the opinion polls show Mark Reckless (UKIP, ex-Conservative) in the lead. UKIP could have 2 MPs by Friday morning.And indeed they did: Reckless won with a majority of almost 3,000 (7.3% of the vote). Turnout was just over 50% of the electorate, which I think is relatively high for a UK parliamentary by-election.
People voted for a guy named Reckless? :picard_facepalm:Yes - twice now. Once in the 2010 general election, once last week. I'd imagine a lot will vote for him in the general election next year.
People voted for a guy named Reckless? :picard_facepalm:
I don't get it?