Local elections

Are there elections soon?


The reason I ask is that I have only had one leaflet from an independent candidate seeking re-election. Yesterday the same candidate became the first (only) one to ring the doorbell and asked if I had any local issues.


Very low key here. Still, I'll do some posters of my own 😉


https://hellotreaclestore.com/pages/free-downloads

Is it to do with going green. Alot of places are trying to go paperless, I've certainly seen a drop in recent years

Don’t think I’ve ever had a candidate at my door here.

I’ve had leaflets from the Lib Dems tories and snp in the last few weeks I once or twice had a Lib Dem at my door in the past. Don’t ever recall anything from labour.

I currently have a Tory, SNP and independent, all seeking re-election. Current council is tory controlled.

The independent will be on my list of votes as I believe party politics should have no place in local government.

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Originally Posted by Moulin Yarns

I currently have a Tory, SNP and independent, all seeking re-election. Current council is tory controlled.

The independent will be on my list of votes as I believe party politics should have no place in local government.

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It’s only Tory controlled because they are propped up by the LibDems .. and they have done very little while in power .. very lazy according to people I know that work within the council.

You are right about party politics, but unfortunately it is very much a part of it. I’m finding that party politics is being used as the reason why voters won’t vote for a particular candidate (partygate v ferries). I think the numbered voting system does mean that you can incorporate both your party alignment and who you think would be good at the job.

I’ve had 3 Labour, 2 Tories, 1 Lib Dem and 1 SNP leaflets my council ward has 2 SNP, 1 Lab and 1 Tory councillors but the SNP have run 3 candidates in the last two elections and lost out so must be looking to consolidate this time. Labour are a minority administration but supported by the Tories. It’s the reason I’ve not been to a meeting locally in 4 years.

I’ve had leaflets from them all, they go straight from the floor into my recycle bin.

I was stunned to get one of the candidates in my ward knock the door the other night. Stunned because I wasn't aware she knew where this area was given no one has seen her for God knows how long.

I wasn't going to vote but there's a local independent who I quite like so I'll give him a vote. The rest can do one.

I had the Tories at the door while I was on a work call to an energy supplier discussing the difficulties that increased prices are causing (I work for a third sector organisation dealing with energy). I know it's not a local government issue but it seemed highly ironic.

I'll be voting Green as for local government it's I feel it's particularly necessary to have environmental concerns heard.

We've had leaflets from everyone but the Greens, Lib Dems and Alba. Pick of the bunch was an utterly disgusting one from the Scottish Family Party.

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Originally Posted by Pretty Boy

I was stunned to get one of the candidates in my ward knock the door the other night. Stunned because I wasn't aware she knew where this area was given no one has seen her for God knows how long.

I wasn't going to vote but there's a local independent who I quite like so I'll give him a vote. The rest can do one.

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The one (Lib Dem) I had at the door was purely there to knock the SNP Holyrood govt, nothing to do with local issues.

I told him I wouldn't vote for any party in a local election and asked why I should vote for anyone given the shopfront they've all made of the country. He didn't have an answer.

Sent from my SM-A528B using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by StevieC

It’s only Tory controlled because they are propped up by the LibDems .. and they have done very little while in power .. very lazy according to people I know that work within the council.

You are right about party politics, but unfortunately it is very much a part of it. I’m finding that party politics is being used as the reason why voters won’t vote for a particular candidate (partygate v ferries). I think the numbered voting system does mean that you can incorporate both your party alignment and who you think would be good at the job.

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Up here there is a house right next door to the polling station that has had snp banners every election for as long as I can remember. This year it has snp banners and a banner for the independent candidate. Really good to see him get the support.

We've had one leaflet- Greens. One phone call - Labour. Nothing from anyone else.

At a local level, it would be great to have the kind of field seen in places like Orkney where independent candidates are commonplace and local needs and issues are to the fore. A friend has moved there in the last year and is genuinely excited at having a choice that seems meaningful for once. I'm a bit jealous

Had the SNP canvasser knocking my door, the same guy called me a traitor previously for not backing independence a few years back. Took great pleasure telling him to “Get the F*** of my property before I set my dog on you” . :greengrin

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Originally Posted by Berwickhibby

Had the SNP canvasser knocking my door, the same guy called me a traitor previously for not backing independence a few years back. Took great pleasure telling him to “Get the F*** of my property before I set my dog on you” . :greengrin

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Reap what you sow! ... hope you got to tell him why he was getting emptied!

Thinking this may be a higher than usual turnout today. My Daughter's been canvassing and bar a couple of households, most people were happy to engage in a positive way.

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Originally Posted by Diclonius

We've had leaflets from everyone but the Greens, Lib Dems and Alba. Pick of the bunch was an utterly disgusting one from the Scottish Family Party.

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They're a horrendous bunch of ****. The more you read of them the worse they get.

SNP second option for me today but first option went to a Scottish Labour candidate - an old Uni lecturer of mine who has done a lot of good for the poorer communities here and also did a lot for students, workers and unions in his time. Knowing the mindset he has to helping people I couldn't vote elsewhere in this occasion.

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Originally Posted by Berwickhibby

Took great pleasure telling him to “Get the F*** of my property before I set my dog on you” . :greengrin

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Nice.

A quick glance on Twitter today saw 3 parties all asking me to vote for them to send a message nationally.

Not what local elections should be all about and I don't want my vote, even if it's nothing in the grand scheme of things, being used as evidence of tacit approval for any of the major parties on a national level. The single independent in my ward will get a vote and that's it.

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Originally Posted by grunt

Nice.

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It was :aok:

I'll be voting on national issues, as usual.
Which makes you wonder what the point of local elections are.
It might be better to have a load of non political technocrats standing, who are good at basically getting stuff done.

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Originally Posted by Santa Cruz

Thinking this may be a higher than usual turnout today. My Daughter's been canvassing and bar a couple of households, most people were happy to engage in a positive way.

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I was the only person in my polling station at 8.30 this morning, didn't look too busy, normally there are other people coming and going

There has been virtually nothing about local issues round me and I haven't seen a canvasser. However, there is a proposal to build an expensive unnecessary new road virtually outside my back garden so I placed a candidate who has been vocal about opposing this first.

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Originally Posted by hibsbollah

I'll be voting on national issues, as usual.
Which makes you wonder what the point of local elections are.
It might be better to have a load of non political technocrats standing, who are good at basically getting stuff done.

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We're pretty fortunate where we are to have 3 independent candidates on our ballot paper who all seem pretty switched on and well attuned to the issues affecting us in this area.

Happily I was able to rank them 1, 2 and 3 and avoid voting for a political party as seems to be seeping into the council elections.

Sadly, I noticed on each of these independent candidates' announcements online that they were standing, the first responses were, "what is your view on independence for Scotland?" For me that's not what local council elections are about and I don't see why people would be electing a councillor based on their view on national issues when the only things they can have an impact on are local issues.

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Originally Posted by Sergio sledge

We're pretty fortunate where we are to have 3 independent candidates on our ballot paper who all seem pretty switched on and well attuned to the issues affecting us in this area.

Happily I was able to rank them 1, 2 and 3 and avoid voting for a political party as seems to be seeping into the council elections.

Sadly, I noticed on each of these independent candidates' announcements online that they were standing, the first responses were, "what is your view on independence for Scotland?" For me that's not what local council elections are about and I don't see why people would be electing a councillor based on their view on national issues when the only things they can have an impact on are local issues.

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You're right, their position on independence shouldn't matter a jot.

There was an electionfor reps of my trade union last week, each candidate was given a platform to put their platform to the members, limited to a certain word count. It was clear, simple and accountable. Of course different candidates had different political perspectives and priorities, but it felt like purer representation of what democracy is supposed to do than when the party system comes into play.

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Originally Posted by Berwickhibby

It was :aok:

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When you.mentioned why I quite agree! .... I just hope you got the chance to tell them :greengrin

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Originally Posted by Sergio sledge

We're pretty fortunate where we are to have 3 independent candidates on our ballot paper who all seem pretty switched on and well attuned to the issues affecting us in this area.

Happily I was able to rank them 1, 2 and 3 and avoid voting for a political party as seems to be seeping into the council elections.

Sadly, I noticed on each of these independent candidates' announcements online that they were standing, the first responses were, "what is your view on independence for Scotland?" For me that's not what local council elections are about and I don't see why people would be electing a councillor based on their view on national issues when the only things they can have an impact on are local issues.

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Conversely, I moved house last year and my new ward has a couple of independents I don't know and who didn't send any leaflets or anything, so they didn't get a ranking from me. :dunno: I went:

1. SNP
2. Green
3. Labour
4. Lib

and stopped there so there's no chance of my vote transferring to Salmond's ego or the ******* Tories.

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Originally Posted by hibsbollah

You're right, their position on independence shouldn't matter a jot.

There was an electionfor reps of my trade union last week, each candidate was given a platform to put their platform to the members, limited to a certain word count. It was clear, simple and accountable. Of course different candidates had different political perspectives and priorities, but it felt like purer representation of what democracy is supposed to do than when the party system comes into play.

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Views on indy could conceivably matter if the SG tries to hold a non-agreed with UKG indyref2 and it's up to councils to decide whether to participate in the actual vote organisation. Unlikely but possible.

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Originally Posted by JeMeSouviens

Conversely, I moved house last year and my new ward has a couple of independents I don't know and who didn't send any leaflets or anything, so they didn't get a ranking from me. :dunno: I went:

1. SNP
2. Green
3. Labour
4. Lib

and stopped there so there's no chance of my vote transferring to Salmond's ego or the ******* Tories.

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I was the opposite, the only leaflet and person to come to the door was the independent candidate.


1 Green
2 independent
3 snp
4 snp

I didn't give the other 4 candidates a vote.