EU Elections - Will you be voting?

[outwar6010]

[gargo]

Of course I will. Our ancestors fought to have this right, only a fool would let this go.

[outwar6010]

[TeePee]

Good luck today chaps, you're all counting on you!

[DanceswithUnix]

Still don't see a genuinely good option to vote for, but will plonk that cross down somewhere.

[neonplanet40]

Easier for people in Scotland to vote and we appear to be much less divided on the issue. There are clear remain parties (SNP, Lib Dem and Green), clear leave parties (Brexit Party, Tories) and then those with no real stance (Labour).

I am expecting Scotland to vote more for the remain parties as there is a clearer urge to be part of the EU here. Indeed, our politics and society is moving quite far away from England. This is why the Union is in so much trouble north of the border. The fact we only get 6 MEP's is bad enough (compared to other smaller countries in the EU). But there is a genuine belief that Westminster does not represent Scottish interest and politics any longer (if it ever did).

However, I would urge everyone to vote. It is your democratic right to have a say and you should always take this responsibility, regardless of any frustration with it you may have.

[DanceswithUnix]

But there is a genuine belief that Westminster does not represent Scottish interest and politics any longer (if it ever did).

I don't think that's a Scottish thing, if anything Westminster losing all credibility unites us all

[neonplanet40]

I had suspected as much, but didn't want to presume....

[TeePee]

I am interested to see what happens to the future of Scotland. In the unlikely event that Brexit is allowed to proceed, should Scotland have a new independence referendum? I'd like to say yes, in the spirit of self-determination, but I also don't think that, in the wake of Brexit, there will be much of an EU left for them to rejoin. This leaves the same awkward limbo, of a country misled in to independence, with an inability to support itself, as we saw definitively rejected the last time around. Interesting times, for sure.

[peterb]

TBH - the vote is somewhat irrelevant in practical terms as the European Parliament has little further say in the terms of the UK's withdrawal - unless a new deal is hammered out with the EU and the European Commission has pretty much ruled that out.

It may act as in indicator of the mood of the British people, although Parliament seems pretty much set on ignoring that, that may be irrelevant too.

With regard to Scotland holding a second independence referendum AND the UK leaves the EU AND Scotland then elects to join the EU, that opens another can of worms 0- Scotland adopting the Euro, possible hard border, common fisheries and agricultral policy etc etc - but that is likely to be a long way down the road.

[stevie lee]

unfortunately my polling station is at a church hall, and theres signs up saying 'NO DOGS ALLOWED ON CHURCH GROUNDS'. so no #DogsAtpollingStations for me.

saw 3 others voting in the few mins was there.

last EU referendum there was a big queue.

my guess is turnouts going to be about 35% or so

[neonplanet40]

with an inability to support itself

Can't say I remotely agree with that. But, that's a different debate than the OP.

[Ttaskmaster]

Geniune question to those not voting. Why? Don't you want to have a say?

Aside from the fact that I'm too busy working, and that whoever I vote for never succeeds, there isn't a single party that I find represents my perspective on the matter.

From now on I might vote Labour just for the fun of it, let all the Left Liberals get their Corbynist regime and then enthusiastically encourage them to explain whose fault they think it is that the country has gone to heck, now that they got everything they wanted and everything they insisted would make us the perfect socialist utopia.... but I'm cruel like that. It'd also mean getting a divorce, but it'd still be funny watching them try and explain with no-one to blame but themselves.

Maybe that's their plan - Rather than there being some Ruling Elite rich boys club that owns and runs the country, maybe it's instead being boiled down to the 3 or 4% of people who will still be bothered to go vote?

I firmly believe it's an individual's responsibility to vote every time.

I firmly believe that Heinlein had the right idea and that the right to hold office, as well as the right to vote on who gets that office, is something that must be earned... not just a power freely granted to anyone with sufficient mental acuity to draw a cross in a box.

[Saracen999]

Easier for people in Scotland to vote and we appear to be much less divided on the issue. There are clear remain parties (SNP, Lib Dem and Green), clear leave parties (Brexit Party, Tories) and then those with no real stance (Labour).

I am expecting Scotland to vote more for the remain parties as there is a clearer urge to be part of the EU here. Indeed, our politics and society is moving quite far away from England. This is why the Union is in so much trouble north of the border. The fact we only get 6 MEP's is bad enough (compared to other smaller countries in the EU). But there is a genuine belief that Westminster does not represent Scottish interest and politics any longer (if it ever did).

However, I would urge everyone to vote. It is your democratic right to have a say and you should always take this responsibility, regardless of any frustration with it you may have.

Just referring to the 6 MEPs bit, I'm not sure why you think that's low.

Scotland is not a member of the EU. That would (for now) be the UK. Which gets 73 members, and that's done, basically, proportiontely by population, as I understand it.

The last official population stats I could find, on a quick search, were the mid-2017 ONS figures, showing Scotland to be 8.2% of the UK population. And in a quick calculation, 8.2% of 73 seems to be 5.986, which is almost bang on the 6 MEP's you get.

What Scotland often seems to forget when considering it's own importance in the UK is that, deoending on exactly when you look at the numbers (in the last say, 5 years) Scotland is smaller by population than either 7 or 8 of the 9 regions of England.

So, if you think you deserve a greater share of those 73 MEP's, exactky which Englush voters to you propose to relatively disenfranchise to get it?

Oh, and several of those English regipns are MUCH larger populations, EACH, than Scotland, most notably the South-East (9m+) and London (8m) and the N.West (7m), compared to Scotland at about 4.5m.

I understand why that's an argument for being small (very small) and independent, do as go not be dominated by England. I don't get why 6 MEPs (under a system devided by the EU you want to remain in) is unfair, when it's pretty much exactly pro-rata by population. i also don't quite get the SNP logic of wanting to be independent ftom London and England, only to sign uo to by a tiny (5m in 450-500m) in the EU. Unless, of course to paraphrase Andy Murray you don't care you you're subsdrvuent to, and long as it's "anybody but England.

In which case, I (genuinely) wish you good luck with independence.

[Spud1]

It may act as in indicator of the mood of the British people, although Parliament seems pretty much set on ignoring that, that may be irrelevant too.

They seem to be doing a pretty good job of mirroring the mood ot the British people i'd say - split roughly down the middle, no clear majority either way, no clear idea on the real way to solve the current problem....parliament is probably as close to the current mood & view of the British people as it's ever been! (Regardless of the way you or I voted).

[Spreadie]

The polling cards were sent to our old address - they are clearly marked "do not re-direct". I know this because the previous tenants' card were sent here. Also, the ass-hat at our old address told my wife he binned them.