The Press & The Establishment

[Wayne Els]

I'm away with work at the moment and a quick flick through the national press & the Beeb online shows very little coverage of yesterdays elections.
I've never seen so little cover of this before. How scared is Murdoch and co of UKIP? Because I can't see any other reason for them all to have the election as a side story.
I'm not looking for a political fight here. I'm just very surprised at the papers. Maybe the country / wider world is run by billionaires with vested interests after all?

[Ems]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

I had this conversation with ladies manning the polling station. I don't know what the turnout was but the lack of information can't have helped. How long before the Farage balloon bursts?

[Cyberman]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

How long before the Farage balloon bursts?

Hopefully long before the general election!

[NickM]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

It is worrying - UKIP have gained about 75 seats so far. The Beeb are covering it fairly well http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/events/vote2014 but I think the papers are steering away because people really don't care - all the parties are as bad as each other with their noses in the trough and lying.

And to be honest, there isn't a lot you can say (run stories) about polling day, other than whether they look full or empty.
The interest is in the results really, which should come out today, so tv media will run it today and the chip wrappers will be tomorrow.

[antoeknee]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

Heard on radio turn out 35%.

Hate these elections everyone tries to gain capital from the results when they are largely non representative of general elections.

[Nathaniel]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

I agree with NickM 100%.

[wayne2418]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

Hate these elections everyone tries to gain capital from the results when they are largely non representative of general elections.

Right on !! ..

[Wayne Els]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

My paranoia seems to be misplaced. i think I was just up earlier than a lot of the editors!

Non-representative. You can't force people to vote. But please define representative? General elections usually have a turnout of around 70% meaning that most MP's have the backing of around 1/3 of their electorate, which is hardly a glowing endorsement.

[antoeknee]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

What I meant was that the results tend to be somewhat different for general elections as quite a lot of voters vote one way locally and another for general.

Won't be watching any news this evening as the coverage will be extensive and everyone bigging it up.

[Dave_S]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

parties are as bad as each other with their noses in the trough and lying.

Its pretty much always been that way, but its definitely got worse in recent recent years, or maybe it just seems that way because its been widely publicized.

The underlying problem is that the vast majority of the British public have had concerns about this country for years, and the major parties chose to ignore them.

If UKIP have done nothing else, they have made the other parties, start listening to the concerns of people they are supposed to represent.

Dave

[Wayne Els]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

Its pretty much always been that way, but its definitely got worse in recent recent years, or maybe it just seems that way because its been widely publicized.

The underlying problem is that the vast majority of the British public have had concerns about this country for years, and the major parties chose to ignore them.

If UKIP have done nothing else, they have made the other parties, start listening to the concerns of people they are supposed to represent.

Dave

Unfortunately I think your noses in the trough comment has been going on forever. Recent publicity of the scandals - which still go on through lobbying have raised it's profile. In many ways we still have rotten boroughs. Seats that are shoe in's for one party or another rarely get a local candidate but someone parachuted in from Party HQ's because they will play the game.

Unfortunately the comment about listening to concerns doesn't seem to be too strong in politicians comments either. It still seems to be an aberration to them.

[Ems]

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I seem to remember Tony Blair saying after his majority was cut in a general election that they would listen to the electorate in future and then jumped on a plane to travel the world instead of sorting out the problems of this country.

[2Beers]

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Is such a low turnout representative of the electorate of the country as no one can be bothered to vote and the distinct lack of information.

Personally I think that if you have been given the vote then you should be made to use it.
They should make it mandatory to vote in elections etc

[NickM]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

Is such a low turnout representative of the electorate of the country as no one can be bothered to vote and the distinct lack of information.

I think it's because voters know that at the end of the day it doesn't really matter who's in power, nothing changes.
It's just a different singer, but the same song.

The irony is that if UKIP ever got in, give it a month or two and they'll be as corrupt as the rest, singing the same tune.

[Dave_S]

Re: The Press & The Establishment

At age 71, the future of this country will have a lessening impact upon me, but my goodness I fear for my grandchildren's future here.

Its not the sort of my future that my ancestors, and many of yours, fought and died for.

Why the hell doesn't any governing party have guts to stand up and say, "sorry, but we are but a small island, and we are full".

If the current trend continues, all of our beautiful and precious countryside will eventually disappear under housing estates.

Dave