London 2012 Olympics

You get paid bloody well for not doing much work as an MP. I think across the country, people get into politics for the money rather than the ego.

I doubt it - £65k, or whatever it is, is not really going to be what attracts people into politics and standing for election.

Could you explain what you mean by "not doing much work"? Genuine question.

MPs shouldn't be paid, nor be allowed to own land. The Greeks got it right the first time (so I hear).

Yes, much better that only the independently wealthy run the country...

The idea is not to have a ruling class. Those in power have no wealth, nothing. Something like that anyway I'm talking out my arse

Philosopher Kings

Precisely.

Now, does Boris meet the criteria?

thats a great idea but we would also need to get slaves

Party politics damage the situation.
No matter how awful the mayor or the PM are people will continue to support them because they always vote for that party. It prevents bad candidates from being ousted and good ones from being recognised. Local issues get subsumed to national issues.

I would like to see a cap on the money that can be spent by anyone in support of any candidate. If Boris's propaganda costs exceed that amount, no matter who paid for what, he should be removed from the ballot.
Ideally the level would be set at a figure which allows independents like Siobhan to run on an equal footing with Kens and Borises. Ideally as well the details and amount of every donor should be published before the election.

I would like certain forms of propaganda, such as the fake newspapers so beloved of Respect, banned. All advertising should explicitly state that it is election campaigning for a detain candidate

I would ideally like to see party names removed from the ballot paper in order to force people to learn about their candidates and read their manifestos, but if party names stop someone inadvertently voting for the BNP then they still have their uses.

I would also like to see the abolition of postal voting. It's clear by now that it is the fraudsters who benefit from the system, rather than the incapacitated or housebound. Internet voting with passport, utility bill account, council tax account or driving licence numbers could be introduced.
Voting in person should only be allowed if you can prove your ID by one of those methods.

I wonder if the hordes of volunteers at the Olympics will translate into greater involvement in communities in general, and politics in particular. Probably not, but it would be nice.

^ in that respect it's very similar to the big society

Yes, much better that only the independently wealthy run the country...

compare the worst excesses of the commons to those of the lords and i think you'll find it's the grubby money grabbing plebs in the commons we really need protecting from.

Velocio for mayor!

I liked the bit when Mo Farah won some medals. And the Lithuanian swimmer girl.

The Biggest problem IMO with modern day politicians is that most of them are former SPAD's and have no real world experience - none of the major party leaders have ever had a job outside of politics.
^ Not true.

Ed Miliband was a TV journalist.

David Cameron was at Carlton Communications for a number of years (I just had to look up his role - Director of Corporate Affairs, apparently).

Nick Clegg has (in my opinion) the most interesting background and career outside UK politics (though granted he did work for European Commission for some time which I suppose counts as politics).

Fuck the Olympics!
The Great British Bake-Off is back on our screens.

I liked the bit when Mo Farah won some medals. And the Lithuanian swimmer girl.

hang on

I doubt it - £65k, or whatever it is, is not really going to be what attracts people into politics and standing for election.

Could you explain what you mean by "not doing much work"? Genuine question.

There isn't really a "minimum amount of work" an MP needs to do is there? It is a pretty relaxed cushy sort of gig, with plenty of expenses available even now.

I know in parts of the country full of posho's and middle class nimby's, MP's would be pressured by their eager constituents to push all sorts of agenda's and concern's. But in more deprived parts of the country there is much more of a disconnect between the MP's and constituents, most often the MP doesn't even live anwhere near the constituency or never has. Very few people in the community will be engaging with them at all, and the MP will be very satisfied by this very relaxed situation. The MP themselves is also likely to be someone who does not have high paying private sector work available to them.

The Hansard Society reports that the average MP works 69 hours a week, where are you getting your "relaxed cushy sort of gig" from? Interested to know if it's based on evidence or assumption.

I don't know, but I would guess that MPs representing deprived constituencies run pretty busy surgeries. My experience is that people bring a whole host of problems directly to their MP, often as a first port of call.

I'm not particularly defending MPs, far from it, but you seem to be knocking them based on a whole heap of assumptions and stereotypes.

^This. Particularly the last bit.

Is this still The Olympics thread?

Is so, this is almost unwatchable

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19241028

olympics thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
^<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

oh ?

Is this still The Olympics thread?

Is so, this is almost unwatchable

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19241028

It is unwatchable.

I didn't get past VP miming badly before the song really kicked in.

It's ok with the sound off.

and ones eyes shut

Apart from the Beckham bit.

The worst thing about the Olympics was how people like Beckham and McCartney jumped on every bandwagon going. McCartney's behaviour at the velodrome was atrocious. He's nothing to do with London. He should bog off back to where he once belonged. As for Beckham, he has made it clear that he has emigrated to California which is nice for him. His kids have American accents. Be happy in your new country. Leave our city to those of us who love it sufficiently to choose to live here. Abhorrent men.