tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post4871460613416597402..comments2024-03-02T10:38:04.108+00:00Comments on Borthlas: What a strange coincidence - or maybe notJohn Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-78365087342926590092019-06-13T06:59:04.988+01:002019-06-13T06:59:04.988+01:00"There is a big assumption behind your reply ...<i>"There is a big assumption behind your reply – that politicians when they get into office keep their promises or have the ability to enact them."</i> That's not the assumption that I'm making here at all - I have little expectation that politicians will keep their promises. Insofar as there is an assumption, it is that those being offered a bribe to vote in a particular way might believe that the promise will be delivered. Whether bribery ceases to be bribery if the payment is never made after the paid-for action is delivered is a moot point. It seems to me that that simply turns a transaction based on bribery into one based on fraud.<br /><br /><i>"Cleverly, this burnt up air time on the very issues that they had power and could enact, such as the structure and where power should rest within the party."</i> I broadly agree with that, but it seems to me that it is a consequence of fighting an 'internal' election through 'external' media, and trying to convince the internal audience to vote for the candidate who gets the best response with the external audience.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-11629316921317617052019-06-12T20:47:35.757+01:002019-06-12T20:47:35.757+01:00There is a big assumption behind your reply – that...There is a big assumption behind your reply – that politicians when they get into office keep their promises or have the ability to enact them.<br />Plaid Cymru party leadership contest was a classic, three very ordinary candidates went about telling those who were going to vote for them, what their views were on taxation and all other kinds on nonsense that they would never be empowered to enact. Cleverly, this burnt up air time on the very issues that they had power and could enact, such as the structure and where power should rest within the party.<br />So, party leadership contests should be viewed in that light and what they say should not be taken seriously.<br />Spirit of BMEnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-92228676855365035872019-06-12T09:46:49.230+01:002019-06-12T09:46:49.230+01:00I'm in favour of party members choosing their ...I'm in favour of party members choosing their party's leader, but I'm not in favour of the candidates bribing them to vote in a particular way using my money.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-70306376034206439722019-06-12T09:42:15.134+01:002019-06-12T09:42:15.134+01:00I am not clear from your post, if you are in favou...I am not clear from your post, if you are in favour or against members of a party voting for a leader. It is true that the Tory Party in the past had a “soundings” system that was quite successful, but its success was based on the fact that the power rested with the Associations throughout the realm, but Little Billy Hague killed that off and centralised power.<br />I always believed that if you are presented with a set of names, there should be a choice of “none of the above” and if the winner gets less than the total votes in this section, then the process starts again, without those that stood the first time.<br />To be presented with the choice of the Boy Johnson and Little “Charlie” Gove , then the Boy gets it as they are looking for a person that can win elections and he has some previous on this issue- no matter what his policies might be ,as getting power is the name of the game. <br />Spirit of BMEnoreply@blogger.com