rad Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We all know the BNP are a small party but this is a major breakthrough for the people of britain now they have (by there standards) a huge financial gain which can only benefit us all in the long run even happy hippy boy friday and plain talker amongst other blindfolded SheffieldForumers Erm, in what way, precisely, will they benefit us all?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 The MEPs were elected regionally not nationally. The PR results are based on results in those regions rather than national share of the vote. The BNP and Greens had small but steady support across each regions, usually not enough for them to qualify for MEPs when compared to the votes of other parties in those regions. Labour's results were more mixed, they had relatively high support in some regions, winning MEPs for those regions, and low support in others, getting few or none. There are countless variations of PR which is why debating 'PR', as opposed to a specific variation, is so futile. This particular method deliberately skews the results in the favour of the parties with the largest share of the vote and away from the minnows. But as Dexkdes said above, the BNP only just scraped their two seats by a few thousand (over UKIP and Greens in the NorthWest and over Labour in Yorkshire/Humberside) whereas they were light years away everywhere else. Interesting to wonder what difference those few thousand votes will make to the future political direction of the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zongamin Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We all know the BNP are a small party but this is a major breakthrough for the people of britain now they have (by there standards) a huge financial gain which can only benefit us all in the long run even happy hippy boy friday and plain talker amongst other blindfolded SheffieldForumers How exactly will we benefit from having a former National Front leader represent us in Europe? Every person who failed to vote should be ashamed that their failure to carry out their DUTY to vote has led to these extremists being able to gain these seats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L00b Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 After the Front National 'surprise' advance in France in 2002, why am I getting such a strong sense of déjà vu with the Euro result for the Yorks/Humber region... It's all happened before, and bis repetita this time around. Until the next. Under the circumstances, it really makes me wonder (really!) if Brown's decision to try and stay in the longest he can, isn't actually laudable. God forbid we had a round of MP elections shortly before or at the same time! Well, at least he didn't get my vote, nor my Mrs'. Small consolation, but our respective consiences are as clear as can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Sidney Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 It looks like the end for socialism in Europe for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyfriday Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 We all know the BNP are a small party but this is a major breakthrough for the people of britain now they have (by there standards) a huge financial gain which can only benefit us all in the long run even happy hippy boy friday and plain talker amongst other blindfolded SheffieldForumers ...forgive me, you're highlighting me for special treatment and I haven't even contributed to this thread. In what way would you say I was 'blindfolded' other than a possible fantasy you might have of me facing a firing squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berlin Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 It looks like the end for socialism in Europe for a while. The socialist grouping in the European Parliament is still the second largest. Combined with the far left they have a sizeable vote. The right and far-right are still very much in a minority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadingNorth Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 How exactly will we benefit from having a former National Front leader represent us in Europe? Every person who failed to vote should be ashamed that their failure to carry out their DUTY to vote has led to these extremists being able to gain these seats. I plead distance. I was unable to get back to the constituency in which I'm registeredd to vote. It's the first vote I've missed in my entire adult life. We might actually benefit, in that some people might realise the dangers of voter apathy and make the effort to stop the rot, next time around. Also, the other parties might now realise that the BNP have actually become quite good at playing politics, and they need to be taken on in that arena, not merely dismissed as a bunch of fascist thugs. (They are a bunch of fascist thugs, but merely saying so and ignoring them is not the answer!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I imagine the Barclay brothers must be hugging themselves with delight. We all agree that MPs' expenses system needs a major overhaul but the timing of the Telegraph's "leaks" must put into question their motives. It is well known that the Telegraph, reflecting the views of their owners, is so anti-Europe that they would do anything to have the UK leave the EU. By timing the revelations of MPs' expenses claims 2 weeks before the elections they no doubt wanted to frighten Cameron into moving further to the right. PS For those of you who don't know who the Barclay brothers are, they own the Telegraph and in true Bond villain style live here: Brecqhou Castle Blaming the Barclay brothers for an electoral rout of Labour, and the first british fascist MEPs is very convenient, but ignores the fact that traditional labour voters stayed away in droves and that the expenses revelations would have happened much earlier if Labour MPs and the Speaker hadn't resisted the FOI request, fighting it in the courts. So whilst Bond Villain style newspaper proprietors might be a tempting focus to explain the total collapse of the labour vote, it's actually down to he Labour party itself. Now sit back and watch the party self-destruct. Popcorn anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyfriday Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 I plead distance. I was unable to get back to the constituency in which I'm registeredd to vote. It's the first vote I've missed in my entire adult life. We might actually benefit, in that some people might realise the dangers of voter apathy and make the effort to stop the rot, next time around. Also, the other parties might now realise that the BNP have actually become quite good at playing politics, and they need to be taken on in that arena, not merely dismissed as a bunch of fascist thugs. (They are a bunch of fascist thugs, but merely saying so and ignoring them is not the answer!) ..hear, hear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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