If you don't register, you can't vote. But even if you don't vote, you can't complain. If you complain, no one will listen anyway...

[Spiderman]

Bring back the Monster Raving Loony Party i say. Screaming Lord Such axctually had some good policies if anyone listened and took him seriously, may he rest in peace.

I remember a very old edition of Question time that he was on where he suggested "passports for pets" and everyone laughed and pointed and called him names (in the way they do on Question Time that is) yet most European countries have pet passports (my cat had one when i lived in Spain) and it got past this countries ridiculous quarantine rules where animals get a 6month prison sentence should their owners decide to come live here or even re-patriate here.

A few years later some minor MP takes Lord Such's idea and modernises it by saying pets can have a microchip implant and get round the quarantine rules that way.

if there was anyone who seemed even the remotest bit unlike a politician running then i would vote for them but none of this current bunch of hyprocrites and liars thanks.

[gruntygiggles]

Originally Posted by Paul the 6th

Having seen that new "Register or lose your vote" advert with the nice lady walking the dog and then bumping into an invisible wall, I thought I'd have a quick look at the website behind the advert...

http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/why_sho...uld_regis.aspx

I appreciate the whole "If you don't vote, you can't complain" stance, but even if you do complain, who listens anyway?

example: I lived in west yorkshire all my life until last year. The roads are hilariously rubbish in the kirklees area. I'm talking potholes big enough to have people off, my brother once smashed the steering rack on his old escort when he hit a pothole... Complaining to our local council representative, the local highways agency etc.... did absolutely b*gger all.

And that was when I actively voted. So, should me & the missus register for the right to vote? having moved house, we're not on the electoral role etc.. so we probably should, but in the real world right now it seems the only benefit to being on the electoral role is a better chance of getting credit/loans etc.

I voted to vote! It does all count in the grand scheme of things, but will make no difference to your local council re-surfacing the roads!

For that, next time you have your tyres changed, have the tracking looked at and brakes and send the bill (keep a copy) to the council with a letter explaining that it is their lack of maintenance that has caused the damage and therefore, they are responsible for the costs incurred by you. Tell them that in general the roads in the area are very poorly maintained and so are left with no option but to recover your costs.

Finish the letter by saying that if you do not recieve payment within 28 days, you will be publishing an advert in the local press asking for anyone who has incurred costs or been injured due to the poor road surfaces to come forward and you will form a residents group to put pressure on the council and potentially take legal action to recover costs.

Me and my father did it with Monmouth CC about 11 years back and we had a very apologetic letter within a week, a cheque after 10 days and tweo months later, the roads in my mum and dads estate was re-surfaced. That road has since been resurfaced 3-4 times ans is being done at the moment funnily enough.

If taking no action doesn't cost them anything, they'll take no action. If taking no action means they have residents demanding compensation.....they do something about it!

[yorkie_chris]

Hmmm come to think of it my forks and shock DO need sending to maxton for revalving...

Originally Posted by BigFootIsBlurry

You didnt give me an option for "I do vote but know it makes sod all difference, I just do it out of principle".

Yay for disillusionment

That would be my choice - I feel whichever party gets into power they're going to screw you over one way or another anyway. The times when I've voted and that party/person has won the vote they backed down on all their election promises and just went the way of the opposition party...doesn't really give much reason to vote.

John