EU elections.

[Workingman]

I have just had a pamphlet by the Lib Dems so they seem confident that the elections will go ahead... what happens next will be interesting.

Yorkshire and the Humber has six MEPs - 2 Con, 2 Lab, 2 UKIP. I cannot see that remaining the case should the elections go ahead.

We have so far got six candidates each from Lab, LibDem, UKIP, Brexit, Con, Change UK and Green.

I have no real idea how it will all pan out, but I reckon that UIKP/Brexit could cancel each other out and the same for Change UK/LibDem. It would be a travesty if in doing so they let ConLab in.

[Kaz]

We got our polling cards today for this! Well, Becky and I did - Mick got half a card with dog-tooth shaped edges! Seemingly Fraggle is as sick of politics as most of the country

[cromwell]

The only sure thing (imo) is that the Conservatives are going to get the mother and father of all wallopings.

[medsec222]

They deserve it too Cromwell. And Labour shouldn't get away with it unscathed either. MPs from both parties were elected on a manifesto to get the UK out of the EU. Once ensconced in their well-paid jobs, many of these MPS have since decided that the wrong question had been put to the electorate, and although they 'respected' the result of the referendum, it was now a matter for their 'consciences', and the electorate should be asked to vote again.

Ultimately, both Leavers and Remainers have witnessed a democratic vote being eroded and chipped away at, until none of their elected MPS can come to a unilateral decision as to what to do next. What has happened to the time the EU had urged the Government not to waste? Not much seems to have been done since the Easter break to facilitate progress.

Theresa May has been a disaster and has no negotiating skills, but nevertheless, the whole of Parliament should have stood together to ensure that the UK left the EU with the best possible deal instead of taking this off the table, and that off the table, and gradually weakening her bargaining power until she had nothing left to negotiate with.

[Workingman]

What has happened to the time the EU had urged the Government not to waste?

Verhofstadt asked that when he noticed that the first thing to happen was for MPs to go on holiday. It is now clear that May's 'deal' will not be brought back to the HoC next week - well there are elections to take place. So, the can-kicking exercise continues.

The Tories certainly will get a kicking in the local elections. There are three Con councillors in the ward where I live. Normally they come round or at least send an email or post a leaflet, but not this time. They have become invisible, The mad thing about this is that councillors are not MPs. They are in place to tackle local issues such as bin collections, pot holes and the likes. They have no influence over Brexit. However, the mood in the country appears to be to tell the Tories to "go do one". It really has become a party before politics thing and the Tories have May, Cameron and the ERG to thank for that.

The Euros are a slightly different thing. The D'Hondt method of PR used in those elections inevitably means that they will get some MEPs, but it is likely to be down from the 19 they have now.

[cromwell]

That's it Medsec - who do you vote for? I'm not bothering in the local elections. Around here it's like having a choice of the black death or cholera. If the Euro elections go ahead I'll vote for Farages lot.

[medsec222]

I haven't seen anyone canvassing around my area. There is apparently an independent candidate who lives locally and has done some for many years. Amongst other things he is against continually building in the area with no regard to facilities such as schools, doctors, etc. He will be no worse than anyone else so I will probably give him my vote.

[TheOstrich]

The mad thing about this is that councillors are not MPs. They are in place to tackle local issues such as bin collections, pot holes and the likes. They have no influence over Brexit. However, the mood in the country appears to be to tell the Tories to "go do one". It really has become a party before politics thing and the Tories have May, Cameron and the ERG to thank for that.

The interesting thing down here, as I think I may have previously mentioned, is that the Conservative candidates are being reviled on social media, and it's not about Brexit - it's purely local:

a) the demolition of St Martins House, a derelict (but landmark) property in town and a fine example of turn-of-the-century local "Gillingham Brick", which was supposed to be protected under the Neighbourhood Plan. The Tory controlled Planning Department of the now-defunct North Dorset District Council completely ignored that - and a local petition - and has authorised complete demolition and replacement with a huge care-home block. One of the local Tory councillors standing for election was head of the Planning Department …..
b) complete Tory mismanagement of the set-up of the new Dorset County Council (amalgamating 5 previous District Councils into one) which came into being on 1st April. Local Gillingham residents saw a council tax rise of over 6% this April as a result of so-called harmonisation of rates. They have justified this increase on the grounds that the old North Dorset council tax was less than the other merged councils, but have conveniently overlooked the fact that North Dorset kept their rates low by hiving off various services to the Gillingham Town Council - a scam in itself as it got around the Government-imposed 3% annual cap on council rates. As a result of this, Gillingham residents are now paying over-the-odds for the services they receive.

How can I best illustrate this? Well, I am paying for the public loos in Gillingham in my Town Council levy and for the public loos in Bridport in my County Council levy. My mate R. in Bridport is paying for his public loos but making absolutely no contribution to my public loos!

So, believe you me, Gillingham residents are very unhappy bunnies at present and it will be very interesting to see what happens this week ……

We have had 2 leaflets from the Tories, one from the LibDems and a flyer from the Independent; now't from Labour. And certainly no doorknockers.

[Kaz]

That is pretty bad Ossie