Today it's 70 years since VE day. "In the ruins of Stalingrad, the sands of El Alamein and the beaches of Normandy, the gift of freedom was bought for us." A thank you to all veterans who fought on our side.
One of the youngest veterans in Norway was awarded a medal today. Astrid Linerud lives not far from were I live now and was only nine years old when she worked as a "border pilot" for the resistance. She walked and skied to Sweden and back many times. Usually she carried secret documents back and forth. She also helped refuges to safety, including the family of a double-agent.
"Father told me never to talk about the people who came an went on the farm. I knew everything was secret. And I knew I had to watch out for the Germans. I was actually more worried about meeting a bear in the forrest." Once she was stopped by German agents when she was alone in the forest, where she was subjected to tough questioning. She never said a word.
Some facts after the British election (from The Guardian). It seems deeply unfair to me:
The Greens won 3.8% of the vote on Thursday compared with 1% in 2010.
But even with 1.16m ballots the Greens still only retained former leader Caroline Lucas’s seat of Brighton Pavilion.
By contrast the Scottish National party secured 4.7% (1.45m) but because they were concentrated in Scotland won 56 seats in Westminster.
The UK Independence party (Ukip) sits at the opposite end of the political spectrum to the Greens but is also calling for first past the post to be scrapped.
Nigel Farage quit as leader of Ukip – at least temporarily – after failing to win a seat on Thursday but as he departed he labelled the current system an affront to democracy.
Ukip secured 12.6% of the vote nationwide (3.88m) but, like the Greens, has just one seat in the new parliament.
It also sttrikes me that the British system favours speratist parties because you get more seats from dominating a region than from being well reperesented all over Britain.
It does seem ludicrous that a party gets 56 from 1.4 million votes and will therefore have a large say in what happens in Parliament.
The population of Scotland is really quite small in terms of the rest of the country. Its all a bit odd.
They have spoken for a long time about reducing the number of MP's and I think a lot could change just by moving/extending some constituancy boundaries.
Problem is, no government is going to vote for reform of a system thats put them in power !!
In my opinion the system needs more than tweeking, it should change to a proportional system. There is no sense in a system were one party gets 4.7% of the votes and 56 seats while another party gets 3.8% of the votes and just one seat. Like you say, the problem is that the party(s) in power are in power because of this system and feel little need to change it. The Tories would not have majority under a proportional system. They would argue that the old system creates stabile majority governments, and that's often the case. However, a stabile country with a healthy democratic tradition will almost always create stable governments.
In my opinion the system needs more than tweeking, it should change to a proportional system. There is no sense in a system were one party gets 4.7% of the votes and 56 seats while another party gets 3.8% of the votes and just one seat. Like you say, the problem is that the party(s) in power are in power because of this system and feel little need to change it. The Tories would not have majority under a proportional system. They would argue that the old system creates stabile majority governments, and that's often the case. However, a stabile country with a healthy democratic tradition will almost always create stable governments.
I don't like 'proportional representation' as a means to elect a government...for me it creates weak governments...too many 'smaller' parties get a say in what governments do and this leads to 'meandering' governments - too scared to actually 'do' anything...
YNWA 97
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 26,580Chief of Staff
Id love to see what would have happened had the 'in or out' referendum for Scotland had favoured the 'out' argument.
Scotland voted for change in this election - by voting SNP...they won, but lost at the same time...silly really...
Can someone explain to me who votes for a 20 yrs old student over a more mature, experienced politician ? How on earth was Douglas Alexander unseated by a 20 year old who tweets mainly about getting drunk ?? Where is the credibility when she's holding her surgery and her older constituents come to her with their problems ?? Sounds like she's more Students Union than Government.
Surely voting blindly for a party without looking at the representative is just irresponsible ?? If that was my constituency I would have been shocked. I may as well have voted for my daughter and that would not have been a great move . )
Comments
Always pays the price in an election.
Yes, that's where the 1922 Committee formed from. I'm happy and relieved to see the Conservatives returned.
resignations ...................... Soon!
03-57am , couldn't you sleep AOS
"I told you I should have been the party leader - just look at the mess you made!"
Red Ed will probably resign soon. I wonder if they will pick his brother?
The OH and I sat up in Bed talking until I left for Work
When pollsters talked about 'shy Conservatives' they weren't kidding
and The SNP have won 56 out of 59 Seats.
http://youtu.be/yUwW108ITzw#t=0m16s
Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
www.helpforheroes.org.uk
www.cancerresearchuk.org
https://youtu.be/rY0WxgSXdEE
Another one bites the dust !
Three lads and their producer !
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/may/08/top-gear-jeremy-clarkson-james-may-richard-hammond-itv-bbc
Well, left and centre, anyway
One of the youngest veterans in Norway was awarded a medal today. Astrid Linerud lives not far from were I live now and was only nine years old when she worked as a "border pilot" for the resistance. She walked and skied to Sweden and back many times. Usually she carried secret documents back and forth. She also helped refuges to safety, including the family of a double-agent.
"Father told me never to talk about the people who came an went on the farm. I knew everything was secret. And I knew I had to watch out for the Germans. I was actually more worried about meeting a bear in the forrest." Once she was stopped by German agents when she was alone in the forest, where she was subjected to tough questioning. She never said a word.
Astrid during the war:
Astrid today:
Amazing to think that it was 70 Years ago.
The Greens won 3.8% of the vote on Thursday compared with 1% in 2010.
But even with 1.16m ballots the Greens still only retained former leader Caroline Lucas’s seat of Brighton Pavilion.
By contrast the Scottish National party secured 4.7% (1.45m) but because they were concentrated in Scotland won 56 seats in Westminster.
The UK Independence party (Ukip) sits at the opposite end of the political spectrum to the Greens but is also calling for first past the post to be scrapped.
Nigel Farage quit as leader of Ukip – at least temporarily – after failing to win a seat on Thursday but as he departed he labelled the current system an affront to democracy.
Ukip secured 12.6% of the vote nationwide (3.88m) but, like the Greens, has just one seat in the new parliament.
It does seem ludicrous that a party gets 56 from 1.4 million votes and will therefore have a large say in what happens in Parliament.
The population of Scotland is really quite small in terms of the rest of the country. Its all a bit odd.
They have spoken for a long time about reducing the number of MP's and I think a lot could change just by moving/extending some constituancy boundaries.
Problem is, no government is going to vote for reform of a system thats put them in power !!
Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
www.helpforheroes.org.uk
www.cancerresearchuk.org
I don't like 'proportional representation' as a means to elect a government...for me it creates weak governments...too many 'smaller' parties get a say in what governments do and this leads to 'meandering' governments - too scared to actually 'do' anything...
Scotland voted for change in this election - by voting SNP...they won, but lost at the same time...silly really...
Can someone explain to me who votes for a 20 yrs old student over a more mature, experienced politician ? How on earth was Douglas Alexander unseated by a 20 year old who tweets mainly about getting drunk ?? Where is the credibility when she's holding her surgery and her older constituents come to her with their problems ?? Sounds like she's more Students Union than Government.
Surely voting blindly for a party without looking at the representative is just irresponsible ?? If that was my constituency I would have been shocked. I may as well have voted for my daughter and that would not have been a great move .