Will the fat lady sing?

Oh yes, Sturgeon loves it, it takes the heat off the SNP and the way they are messing up (all by themselves in Scotland), and helps ramp up the rhetoric towards another Indie ref.

I believe a GE is the only way to halt the paralysis in Parliament.....I don’t think Labour can win, but even if they did, anything is better than this total stalemate where nothing is done on any subject, not just Brexit, it’s hurting the UK.

Joelsnan Fri 25-Oct-19 10:25:52 if you have 'answered concisely' and it was relevant I haven't seen it. But then I have only been asking this question for a couple of weeks so it seems unlikely that you did it 'a few months ago'. Perhaps you would be kind enough to supply a link or repeat it? I am happy for you to convince me to change my mind, I would love to understand a leaver'v viewpoint, who knows it might be better than mine.

Dinahmo Fri 25-Oct-19 11:48:17 I might have agreed with you a few years ago but I am no longer happy with the way we are run! It is an utter shambles.

lemongrove Fri 25-Oct-19 12:00:39 I disagree, I don't think 'anything is better' I think we need a single issue vote, if only to stop the two main parties from out bribing each other.

In regard to holding the General Election on the 12th of December, it would seem that those proposing this date have given no thought whatsoever to those people who are working at the peak of their output production at that time of year. The foregoing are persons working in the retail, food, bulk transport, home delivery services and their associated distribution centres.

Almost all employed in the above supply industries are expected to work extra hours in the run-up Christmas with even HGV drivers working up to fifteen hours per day on very unsocial start and finish shift times. Similar always applies in the distribution centres that support those drivers and it is thought that well over five million people are employed in the bulk transport and home delivery logistics industries.

Of course, Johnson and his cronies in making the decision for the ballot to be held on the 12th of December in their sense of entitlement, would not of even have considered such persons as the above. However, those persons are going to be expected to "turn out" at the conclusion of those long hours in what may well be poor weather conditions and queue up with all others to cast their vote,

Johnson though will doubtless get up at some very reasonable time in the morning and after a very sufficient breakfast (judging by his size of late), attend the polling station to great publicity.

As stated no thought has been given to the above working persons, and none will be given.

What a load of sh*t this man and those that surround him are.

Given those restrictions on their leisure time wouldn’t they already be down as postal voters?

No different to having elections in May when many people who do not have school age children are on holiday.

Postal votes are easily available (too easy in my opinion)

Pantglas2, those that use postal voting are in the main people with pre planned holidays or these with mobility problems etc.

The above workers which I sited in my above post are those which would normally attend a polling station on their way to or from their workplaces and would not even think on postal voting.

It is also being stated in the media that due to the very short run-up time to this election the polling cards may not arrive at many of the electorates homes until a week or so before polling day.

Let's face it, should this Election actually take place, the planning is just another Tory inconsiderate debacle already.

GrannyGravy13, in regard to your above post, I would state "it's Christmas", people in the transport industry work very long unsocial hours, so people such as us will have all we desire to have throughout the largest spending period of the year.

It's as simple as that, and I very much hope you can appreciate those persons and the lack of free time they have during that period.

I most certainly do.

Grandad1943 Our business involves delivering to London and the South East 6 days a week, with multiple vehicles.

I think I appreciate the pressure businesses are under at that time to of year (or any time).

I have cousins who are long distance HGV drivers granddad1943 and some of them have been registered postal voters since it became available. The ones who aren’t registered generally aren’t bothered whether they get to vote or not!

I also have a friend with mobility problems who is registered for that reason also - I suspect if you feel strongly you’ll find a way.

Well, GrannyGravy13 perhaps you can then appreciate that holding a General Election in mid-December is very different for many people to holding that election in May, to which you compared the December date to in your post @17:20 today.

Grandad1943 no I agree with Pantglas2.

Pantglas2 why would any working person register for a postal vote for a winter Christmas election that "no one" would have ever expected to be called.

Although, with Boris the self-centred Buffoon as Prime Minister of Britain I suppose we should as a population expect anything.

No doubt Pantglas2 your "two cousins" are extraordinary HGV drivers in there perceived forward-thinking wisdom.

We must hope that the EU 27 give us an extension till April or even June so that voters do not have to go to the polling station on a dark winter's night.

Yes varian, so much for taking back control. Santa's gift to Britain a Chrismas General Election.....perhaps

If somone had written a book prior to all this starting on how the Tory party would be so incompetent throughout this whole Brexit saga, critics would have said it was "over the top" even for fiction.

In addition to the problem of people working extra hours in the run-up to Christmas and possibly finding it difficult to vote is the fact that many schools are used as polling stations. Parents could find it difficult to take a day off work in December.
Not everyone has a nanny or a helpful grandparent who can look after the children at short notice.

It’s the 12th Dec though, not Christmas, and I think that anyone who always votes will manage to go and vote even if working during the day.I used to go in the evenings when working.If anyone doubts they can actually get there they can apply for a postal vote.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

lemongrove in regard to.your post @20:26, It is obvious you have never been employed or involved with the transport industry on a Christmas time or you would not state what you have.

I have been associated with that industry all my working life. In the period from the mid-1960s until the mid 1980s i worked as an HGV driver.

Throughout December even in those times when Christmas was not nearly as large commercially as it is now twelve to fifteen hour days were very much the normal practice.

The situation is no different today for drivers and all who work in the distribution centres, with mid-December (around the tenth to the twentieth) being the very peak of output for those centres.

So, do you really believe Lemongrove that those people employed in that industry and other industries under severe pressure at Christmas are really going to be interested in polling stations and voting while working those hours under very heavy stress?

There is a real world out there Lemongrove.

lemongrove I expect some are worried that they might miss their works Christmas drinks/parties??

I just find it really hypocritical that JC has been calling for an election...........since the last election..............but finds any excuse not to vote for an election!!!!!

Grandad1943 there are many more industries/occupations than transportation.

Grandad, not everyone agrees with you, they’re allowed a different opinion.

Just because you think something doesn’t make it correct. Women are allowed opinions too.

maddyone Quote [Just because you think something doesn’t make it correct. Women are allowed opinions too.] End Quote.

maddyone, please inform me where in my above posts (or any post i have made) where i have stated that women are not allowed opinions?

I await your response in the above.

GrannyGravy13 Quote [Grandad1943 there are many more industries/occupations than transportation.] End Quote.

GrannyGravy13, yes there are many other industries than Transport and many that involve direct services to the public are also under severe pressure throughout the period of Christmas.

However, road transport and distribution is the industry i have knowledge of and have spoken on in regard to this rediculas mid December General Election proposal.

That stated no doubt other industries such as the hospitality, event and entertainment industry are under equal pressure and i am sure all employed and involved with them are also "welcoming" the thought of polling while working very long hours in stressful conditions.

It has been stated on one of the Transport forums this evening that Johnson may be thinking that such industry employees will in all probability not vote in this General Election due to time pressure and that would benefit the Tory Party at the polls being many are manual workers.

It true, how sick can Johnson get.

Wow granddad1943 that’s a snobbish comment in your last sentence to me! Are you suggesting that HGV drivers can’t be perceptive and forward thinking?

For the record it’s four cousins who live in Surrey- the two registered are both strong Labour supporters and wouldn’t dream of missing a vote. The other two totally uninterested in politics and consequently take their chances on whether they’re in the country when it happens. I’m not sure how they vote but I suspect one is a closet Tory!

There’s a reason why postal voting is possible.....