Did you vote in the Local Elections?

[kissthisguy]

In general, ie across Southwark, or do you mean in ED and or DV?

diable rouge Wrote:

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> Going by postal voting, early indications are that

> it will be a low turnout...

[diable rouge]

I'm not pro-Labour per se and therefore not an apologist for them, but the last time I looked, Corbyn wasn't leader and I don't think he's even got the Whip, so I think Labour nationally are trying to put their house in order with respect to the hard left in their party. What happens at the top feeds it's way down, hence why it's important to give this Gov a message that it's not wanted.

Right now I couldn't give a flying fig whether or not there's an LTN in my street, there are far more important things happening in the country as a whole. In normal times I would agree with the sentiment that we should vote on national matters at a General Election not the locals, but we're not living in normal times. The sooner Johnson goes the better, and voting out Tory councilors/councils will help in that respect.

Johnson will only go if Tory MPs kick him out, for that to have a chance of happening they need to be sent a message that Johnson has become an electoral liability...

[diable rouge]

kissthisguy Wrote:

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> In general, ie across Southwark, or do you mean in

> ED and or DV?

>

> diable rouge Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Going by postal voting, early indications are

> that

> > it will be a low turnout...

Nationally, it was Tweeted yesterday by some journalist or polling expert.

Of course there could be local variations that buck the national trend...

[kissthisguy]

Excellent point, Rockets, about the effects of a focus on the national rather than local govt. Not only does it degrade the status of local cllrs and govt (which actually have huge influence on our lives), it also has an impact on councils and cllrs' transparency and accountability. When ward councillors stand on a borough-wide platform rather than their record in their ward (good or bad) it adds a layer of obfuscation that makes it that bit harder to hold them to account.

Rockets Wrote:

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> It does dishearten me when I see lots of Labour

> leaflets extolling the virtues of voting for them

> "as a vote against national Tory disgrace x, y and

> z". By doing this Labour are degrading the office

> of local councillor and ultimately diluting the

> need for local elections. Local elections are not

> about national issues they are about local issues.

> I very much suspect this is why turnouts are

> always much lower for local elections.

[legalalien]

But we can?t get rid of this government until the next general election and I don?t want to wait another four years to send my message to local councillors. And what if I still don?t like central government then - do I wait another four years?

What about we have a system where we vote for local councillors and then have the option to give an indicative vote on central government? That sounds good to me.

diable rouge Wrote:

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> Rockets Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > So many people I have spoke. To seem to have

> been seduced by the narrative that local elections

> are about national issues (driven in the main by

> Labour)

>

> No one is being seduced. Lots of people are

> hacked-off with this current Gov, we need to

> prioritise, there's no point having nicey-nicey

> local Gov if the country is going to pot. It's

> naive in the extreme to think that if the Tories

> do well in the local elections, Johnson and his

> cabal won't grandstand about it and say it's a

> vindication of their policies. Get rid of this

> Gov, then sort out local issues...

[kissthisguy]

thanks DR

diable rouge Wrote:

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> kissthisguy Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > In general, ie across Southwark, or do you mean

> in

> > ED and or DV?

> >

> > diable rouge Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Going by postal voting, early indications are

> > that

> > > it will be a low turnout...

>

> Nationally, it was Tweeted yesterday by some

> journalist or polling expert.

>

> Of course there could be local variations that

> buck the national trend...

[hpsaucey]

Cyclemonkey Wrote:

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> There is a reason why Wandsworth has very low

> Council tax - the services aee minimal and you pay

> extra for everything.

THIS! Know from past experience. Wouldn't want to go back there.

HP

[Waseley]

There was a lot of help to Wandsworth in the 90s by the Tory government to show how wonderful and cheap their showcase council was.

[Rockets]

hpsaucey Wrote:

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> Cyclemonkey Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > There is a reason why Wandsworth has very low

> > Council tax - the services aee minimal and you

> pay

> > extra for everything.

>

>

> THIS! Know from past experience. Wouldn't want to

> go back there.

> HP

Out of interest what do they have to pay for in Wandsworth that we don't in Southwark? We seem to be paying for more and more (as extras) whilst also paying more for our council tax.

[Jacqui5254]

Voted at the St Clements, Friern Road polling station, 6pm-ish, and they said that turnout had been low so far...

[hpsaucey]

Rockets Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> hpsaucey Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Cyclemonkey Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > There is a reason why Wandsworth has very low

> > > Council tax - the services aee minimal and

> you

> > pay

> > > extra for everything.

> >

> >

> > THIS! Know from past experience. Wouldn't want

> to

> > go back there.

> > HP

>

> Out of interest what do they have to pay for in

> Wandsworth that we don't in Southwark? We seem to

> be paying for more and more (as extras) whilst

> also paying more for our council tax.

This on children's services is pretty representative of their approach. Some joining up of service provision with other councils BUT mainly just cuts. https://www.wandsworthguardian.co.uk/news/17517855.wandsworth-council-cut-600-staff-eight-years-childrens-services-hardest-hit/

HP

[Spartacus]

HP

The article talks about joined services between 2 councils to save money by not duplicating staff

Makes perfect sense as most council office workers should easily be able to deal with a larger case load without much of an issue

It's how many private sector companies work when they merge resources.

[hpsaucey]

Spartacus Wrote:

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> HP

> The article talks about joined services between 2

> councils to save money by not duplicating staff

>

> Makes perfect sense as most council office workers

> should easily be able to deal with a larger case

> load without much of an issue

>

> It's how many private sector companies work when

> they merge resources.

Yes Spartacus - as I said above some is joining up between councils BUT loss of a lot of service too.

[Rockets]

Is a low turnout bad for Labour?

[Bic Basher]

Jacqui5254 Wrote:

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> Voted at the St Clements, Friern Road polling

> station, 6pm-ish, and they said that turnout had

> been low so far...

Very quiet at the Bew Court TRA Hall during the day, but much busier this evening.

[Waseley]

Mr/Mrs Rockets, Wandsworth, low council tax AND no LTNs. Oh and it's a sunnier borough too. Ant plans to move there? 😊

[Spartacus]

Waseley Wrote:

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> Mr/Mrs Rockets, Wandsworth, low council tax AND no

> LTNs. Oh and it's a sunnier borough too. Ant

> plans to move there? 😊

Who's this Ants ?

[hammerman]

Voted at the Dulwich Village voting place this afternoon in Half Moon Lane and was the only one there. I didn't vote Labour. A lone Labour supporter was outside and asked to see cards to save any knocks on doors later in the evening. I mentioned they were welcome to knock on my door as had undecided family members.

In the event, some Labour councillors knocked on my neighbours door tonight around 7.30pm but walked past mine.

Also found out today that so many people in the local neighbourhood have not bothered to vote.

Really can't understand why.

[Bic Basher]

Waseley Wrote:

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> Mr/Mrs Rockets, Wandsworth, low council tax AND no

> LTNs. Oh and it's a sunnier borough too. Ant

> plans to move there? 😊

It's a demographic change in Wandsworth. More Labour supporting voters have moved into Battersea/Nine Elms and they pledged to keep the council tax artificially low. Even if Labour put it up 5% per annum, they'd still have the second lowest council tax in England.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Local voters have elected / re-elected Labour across Dulwich.

[Earl Aelfheah]

In Dulwich Village ward, turnout was nearly 61 per cent.

[JohnL]

We were all asked for our voting cards yesterday - It was muttered that it was just to make it faster to vote but there was a feeling you needed them. Should have posted this yesterday.

Well done London Labour.

[Rockets]

We had heard from a friend in Here Hill that they were told they could not vote unless they had their card which I thought was a bit odd.

[JohnL]

Bic Basher Wrote:

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> Waseley Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Mr/Mrs Rockets, Wandsworth, low council tax AND

> no

> > LTNs. Oh and it's a sunnier borough too. Ant

> > plans to move there? 😊

>

> It's a demographic change in Wandsworth. More

> Labour supporting voters have moved into

> Battersea/Nine Elms and they pledged to keep the

> council tax artificially low. Even if Labour put

> it up 5% per annum, they'd still have the second

> lowest council tax in England.

Barnet ?

Westminster ?

[JohnL]

Rockets Wrote:

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> We had heard from a friend in Here Hill that they

> were told they could not vote unless they had

> their card which I thought was a bit odd.

That was implied - and it was the people supervising the ballot - but if you persisted they allowed you. I saw someone complain a bit that took up more time than voting cards saved :)