Bye bye IDS?

[CerberusIV]

Originally posted by Park Avenue
Why don't they think of this..

Because all the parties are terrified that if they ever hold a referendum on one thing they will be pressured to hold one on something else and it will snowball into government by referendum.

So the opposition call for a referendum until they become the government and then forget about it whilst the government claim a referendum is not necessary until they become the opposition and it then does become necessary (to embarrass the government). Simple really!

[Solly]

[Provost Harrison]

Yes, and referenda are pretty expensive to hold too

[Provost Harrison]

Now I am wise in hindsight, I am going to vote 'no' in the poll

[The Viceroy]

I hate the idea of referendum ..

What percentage of people do you think would vote after carefully considering the pro's or con's ?? Im not convinced that decisions should be made in this way, thats why we elect people in the first place...

If politicians can't make decisions, then we have no further need for them.

The commons should be called to vote on UK entry to the Euro .. and if the UK public don't like their choice, they can always vote for another party.

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by The Viceroy
If politicians can't make decisions, then we have no further need for them.

Well when you put it like that actually I think we should have referenda all the time

[CerberusIV]

Coming back a bit more to the topic, I wonder what excuse the parliamentary conservative party will find to not put Howard (assuming he is the only one to stand) to a vote of the membership in case he doesn't get an endorsement?

[Snotty]

Could someone clear up for me what the procedure would be if howard was the only one to stand. I assumed he would automatically get the place, thus spelling the end for democracy in the tory party.

[Starchild]

From what I've heard, the leadership only goes to a membership vote if there are two candidates MP's can't decide between. So with just Howard endorsed, there won't be a membership vote. Thus showing that Tory MP's are democracy hating vampires who steal money from children to finance their twisted sex rituals which they offer up every dark mass to a statue of Thatcher copulating with Satan himself.

I'm tempted not to even put a smilie in cause it's so close to the truth...

[Snotty]

Perfect imagery

[*End Is Forever*]

Coming back a bit more to the topic, I wonder what excuse the parliamentary conservative party will find to not put Howard (assuming he is the only one to stand) to a vote of the membership in case he doesn't get an endorsement?

My understanding of the situation is that if Howard is the only successfully nominated candidate he will be put forward to the membership for ratification. What I don't see is how Howard being the only candidate spells "the end of democracy"... you can't fabricate competition where there isn't any.

Plenty of people, for example, are nominated unopposed for council seats up and down the country... that hardly spells the end of local democracy, does it?

[Snotty]

If you want to whine about unelected beurocrats in europe, then there can be no way you would accept an unelected leader.

Potential candidates will hesitate to come forward if they are cowed by the howard machine. Frightening the competition into submission doesnt seem very democratic to me.

A council seat is one thing, someone who controls the direction of the party is very much another.

[Snotty]

What happens if the party membership vote against howard?

[*End Is Forever*]

then there can be no way you would accept an unelected leader

There is a contest. Nominations close on Thursday. In the event that only one candidate comes forward, I don't see how that's undemocratic; it's not like other candidates couldn't come forward had they so wished. You can't fabricate a contest!

What happens if the party membership vote against howard?

Then we'll reopen the nominations again, and look very silly. I can't see it happening myself though...

[Snotty]

In the event that only one candidate comes forward, I don't see how that's undemocratic; it's not like other candidates couldn't come forward had they so wished.

As said by [insert your favorite dictator].

If I were a tory member, I would vote for howard, but only because he would bring the party together. I would never forgive him for taking away the members elected leader, and I would never forgive him for organizing this one horse race.