Rigged Elections?.

[Lonnie]

Yes, this was taken from Richard Littlejohns column in THE DAILY MAIL, but I checked the figures on two differnt sites online before posting it.

Labour won the last General Election with 35% of the cast votes,

The Tories have a lead of approximately 38%.

We are told that if they get a 40% lead, and open up a nine point advantage over Labour, they can expect a hung parliament.

Fair or not?.

Your thoughts on this, and please, I know there's one or two on here that like to slate this paper, and me for reading it, can you just keep the comments to the question?. Thanks.

[brachiopod]

I'm no fan of New Labour / Blair myself - but I don't try to kid myself that everything is their fault.

Both Littlejohn and Lonnie are pointing out statistical facts or pre-existing anomalies in our voting system and trying to blame it on Labour.

As for the pensions / retirement age issue - it is a demographic fact that our population is 'ageing'. There are fewer 'economically active' people who are supporting an ever greater number of 'economically inactive" people.

It doesn't matter who is in government, but we as a population are going to have to either start paying hell of a lot more in taxes (NI), or we are going to have to work for longer. That is an inescapable fact.

Rather than wittering on about "Blair making me work for longer", I would seriously doubt the ability to govern of a party or government that refused to address the situation, or chose to ignore it for fear of being the party that introduced unpopular legislation.

[Lonnie]

brachiopod, I respect your views, but I don't recall mentioning anything about age, age is one of the very few things i'm in agreement with this goverment on, when you take into account how and why the retirement ages were originally finalised.

Are you sure you haven't replied to the wrong post by mistake?.

and as for continually 'wittering' on about this goverment, I voted for them, nine years ago, and surely thats long enough for them to sort things out, instead, they've blatently, and in some cases, I believe, purposely. made them worse.

As a memeber of the electorate that actually votes, I have that right to complain or congratulate the ruling party, as and when I see fit.

[tell-me-more]

We all have the right to complain or congratulate the ruling party as and when we see fit, regardless of whether or not we vote.

[Lonnie]

Very true tell, thats whats good about a Democracy, I was really answering what sounded like a little dig,