the weird side of multiple parties

[the Black Prince]

one of the weirder aspects of having multiple political parties is the oddities that crop up in the system. not so much refer to the raving loony party (who i believe managed no seats last election) but the fact that people can stand as independants and truely represent the people who elected them and not the party line.

a few years ago, former famous BBC war correspondant Martin Bell, the man in the white suit ran as independant to oust peter mandelson from his labour seat (and won) as an independant.

but this years top independant candidate isn't quite as well known, though he perhaps deserves to be.
King Arthur Pendragon (yess full name includes King) is a Pagan Priest, Druid Swordbearer, and a member of the Druid Order Loyal Arthurian Warbands, he's also an eco campaigner who has taken the government to the european court of human rights (and won) King Arthur pendragon (dropping the king) is running as an independant in Winchester (a common site for "camelot") and is the only independant to score more votes than a main party on more than one occasion (this isn't his first election)

but don't think this man is a fool, he's mensa qualified.
http://www.pendragon-independent.org/

btw, i'm guessing he chnaged his name at some point, a druid priest having the name arthur pendragon is just TOO much of a coincidence.

[Erik]

Brittain has a multi party-system? :huh

I think most people vote for "independant" candidates because there are realy just 2 parties and they dislike them both.
In countries with a real multi-party system you also get some strange parties, but most people wil find a party that actually represents their ideas so they don't have to resort to those parties unless they have lost complete confidence in politics.

If I lived in Brittain I would vote for this guy because IMO Labour has failed horribly and doesn't deserve a second chance, but I would not want to vote for the conservatives.

[SovietDoom]

When I vote, Im thinking of voting for the Freedom Party.

They sound freaking awesome.

And yes, they are real.

[Gelatinous Cube]

Goddamn I wish we had more parties here in the US. The Republicans and Democrats have become too much alike for my tastes. The both want Big Government (don't believe me? Look at the Bush Administration's actions over the last few years). I'd like to see a truly independant party get something done. It'd be selfish of me to post about what my dream-party would be, as it'd take a whole page. But I think you Europeans take your political systems for granted. I'm becoming increasingly less happy with ours.

[Erik]

Originally posted by Gelatinous Cube@Apr 14 2005, 06:06 PM
Goddamn I wish we had more parties here in the US. The Republicans and Democrats have become too much alike for my tastes. The both want Big Government (don't believe me? Look at the Bush Administration's actions over the last few years). I'd like to see a truly independant party get something done. It'd be selfish of me to post about what my dream-party would be, as it'd take a whole page. But I think you Europeans take your political systems for granted. I'm becoming increasingly less happy with ours.

Independant parties get absolutely nothing done, you need a serious party with a proper structure to improve things.
I voted for an independant candidate for the EU parliament, but he hasn't done a thing and is now fighting the other member of his party (he get two seats in stead of one). I'm never going to vote for the EU parliament again. :angry

The US has many independant candidates too, just like Brittain, so you can vote for one of them if you dislike both big parties.

The situation on the european mainland is different because most countries there are lead by a coalition in stead of a single party.
The difference is caused by direct election vs election per region/state.
You need a direct election for small parties to have a real chance, in a per-region/state system the small parties are filtered out even if they got a reasonable percentage of the popular vote.

[Gelatinous Cube]

Originally posted by Erik@Apr 14 2005, 05:21 PM
Independant parties get absolutely nothing done, you need a serious party with a proper structure to improve things.
I voted for an independant candidate for the EU parliament, but he hasn't done a thing and is now fighting the other member of his party (he get two seats in stead of one). I'm never going to vote for the EU parliament again. :angry

The US has many independant candidates too, just like Brittain, so you can vote for one of them if you dislike both big parties.

The situation on the european mainland is different because most countries there are lead by a coalition in stead of a single party.
The difference is caused by direct election vs election per region/state.
You need a direct election for small parties to have a real chance, in a per-region/state system the small parties are filtered out even if they got a reasonable percentage of the popular vote.

The problem with Independant parties here in the US is that you need a hell of a lot of money, for one thing, and most people will vote for either Republican or Democrat without bothering to look at the facts of the matter. There's really only a small percentage of people who will vote based on the qualities of the platform, and that's what usually decides elections. An independant party can only appeal to that very small percentage, and so doesn't stand a chance against Republican or Democrat. This is made worse yet, because the actual vote of the people doesn't elect a president, but it tells the electoral college who THEY should vote for. I don't believe there are many recorded instances at all of an electoral voter voting against what his state decided on, and since within the a state you've still got your Democrats on one side, you're republicans on another, and you're small percentage of swing voters, an independant party could never hope to influence the electoral college. Our system is quite inneffective.

My ideal independant party would pick and choose from classic democratic and republican platforms, and would probably lean more towards the right-wing. I don't know what kinds of independant parties you have in Europe, so I can't judge that.

[mib]

King Arthur Pendragon... let's hope there's not too many deluded freaks in the would-be location of Camelot.

If he gets elected... will he attempt a revolution? Drive the usurping Stuarts from the throne? Restore the glory of the Pendragon Royal Family??? :p

[the Black Prince]

from his election website

Were I to be elected, free from party policy or whip, I would be in a position, as the only voice of Independent opposition, to act in the wider picture as the voice of the people and the conscience of the House, whoever is in power.

When not specifically fighting for the wishes of my constituents, I would be able to speak out for a good idea and against a bad one, whichever party it comes from, and free to champion such libertarian and environmental causes as are dear to me, so often only paid lip-service to by the major parties.

As a Pagan Priest, I could bring a dimension of spirituality to the proceedings, and being of a minority faith, it would enable me to champion multi-faith from a unique, non-judgemental position, having no axe to grind, belonging to none of the major religions myself.

As an MP, I could raise issues that the major parties would not touch with the proverbial ‘bargepole’ and speak out on issues that affect the man or woman on the street.

Not so much as an anti-sleaze candidate in a white suit, more an honour candidate in a white (Druid) robe.

(anti sleaze in a white suit refers to Martin Bell)

Only Arthur can be:

More Independent than the UK Independent Party

More steeped in tradition than the Conservative Party

More Liberal than the Liberal Democrats

More Socialist than New Labour

More into Devolution than the Wessex Regionalists

Greener than the Green Party

More Spiritual than the Natural Law Party

And Stranger than the Monster Raving Loonies

And only Arthur can speak and be by, for and of the People, as opposed to by, for and of the Party.

[Marshal Qin]

I voted for the 'Party Party Party' Party and the 'Sun ripened warm tomato' party in local elections in the Australian Capital Territory some time ago.

[Templedog]

hehee, the US should have a independant party called the "Boston tea Party".

Only way the US can get a 3rd party Independant to win is for a celebrity to run. Fund raising is tough, plus the dems and repubs both dont want a 3rd party to run.

[Marshal Qin]

damn, this thread is from APRIL! what are you doing dragging up relics like this?

[Templedog]

they get better with age

I havnt been around that long, so Im reading old posts.