The Tories have been in power for 20 years. These are their current priorities. Aren’t these the very problems the Tories created?
Tag: vote
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On Thursday 2 May 2024, residents of the West Midlands, UK, will be voting for the next Mayor of the West Midlands.
Note that the vote is for the West Midlands, and not any of the major cities. Perhaps I have my tinfoil hat on, but I think that’s more sinister than it seems.
Back in May 2012, there was a mayoral referendum where voters were asked if they wanted a Mayor for Birmingham City Council, which would result in a change from how the council was run at the time. The people voted. The numbers weren’t huge, which may indicate the lack of enthusiasm for the idea with Brummies. The votes came in.
A meagre 214,108 people voted, compared to an estimated 755,900 eligible voters. The people that did vote made their opinions clear. 120,611 voted against the idea of a Birmingham Mayor, choosing to keep things as they were. 88,085 voted for a Birmingham Mayor. 5,412 votes were rejected due to being unable to accurately read the vote cast. Perhaps some of these intentionally ruined their ballot paper in protest.
It works out at approximately 57.8% voting against having a Birmingham Mayor. That may seem like a slim margin, but the vote to leave the EU resulted in 52% vs 48% in favour of leaving. And, as I write this, we are not a member of the EU. They stuck with that result.
You’d think that would be the end of it. But no. In November 2015 the Conservative government announced that it was going to completely ignore the people, and create a mayor for a West Midlands Combined Authority. Technically, this is different to a Birmingham Mayor, but the West Midlands does include Birmingham. Brummies were going to get a mayor whether they liked it or not.
Fast forward to May 2017 when the people were able to vote for an undemocratic West Midlands Mayor. 523,201 West Midlanders turned out to vote, compared to a total of 1,961,153 eligible voters. This was an estimated 26.7% of eligible voters. Approximately 8% of the votes cast had to be rejected, some being intentionally ruined as protest. I can claim one of those ruined ballot papers. The vote resulted in a Conservative Mayor for the West Midlands. Something which I’m sure is pure coincidence.
The people voted against a Birmingham Mayor, so the Conservative government announced there would be a West Midlands Mayor instead, and a Conservative gets that role. Colour me cynical, but I can’t help but think that this is just another way for politicians to give their friends positions of power.
Mayoral voting has happened in various parts of the UK, with a lot of areas initially voting against the idea. The Tory government did the same thing elsewhere as they did in the West Midlands, and just changed the area slightly.
It’s now May 2024 and we are again being asked to vote for who we want as mayor. Asking me to vote for someone to be in a position that I, and the majority, voted against, is a slap in the face for democracy.
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Register to vote in the UK elections. You will need photo ID to vote. Don’t be left out. Get your voice heard.
Register to vote: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Apply for free voter ID: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
Apply for free postal voting: https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote
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In 1918, the Representation of the People Act was passed in the UK, giving women over the age of 30 the right to vote in parliamentary elections. This was a historic moment for women’s rights in the country, but it was a long and hard-fought battle to achieve this victory.
Prior to 1918, women had been excluded from the political process in the UK. Women’s suffrage movements had been active in the country since the mid-19th century, but progress was slow and often met with hostility and opposition. Women were seen as too emotional and irrational to participate in politics, and many believed that their place was in the home, not in the public sphere.
Despite these challenges, women continued to fight for their right to vote. In 1897, the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) was formed, led by suffragist Millicent Fawcett. The NUWSS used peaceful and lawful methods, such as petitions and public meetings, to raise awareness of women’s suffrage and gain support for their cause.
However, in 1903, a more militant group called the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) was formed, led by suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. The suffragettes used more radical tactics, such as hunger strikes and arson, to draw attention to their cause and put pressure on the government to give women the right to vote.
The suffragettes faced opposition and persecution from the government and the public, with many women being imprisoned and force-fed while on hunger strike. However, their actions ultimately helped to bring attention to the issue of women’s suffrage and push for change.Finally, in 1918, the Representation of the People Act was passed, giving women over the age of 30 who met certain property qualifications the right to vote. It wasn’t until 1928 that women were granted equal voting rights to men, with the passing of the Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act.
The fight for women’s right to vote in the UK was a long and difficult one, but it ultimately paved the way for greater gender equality and representation in politics. Today, women make up over a third of MPs in the UK parliament, and while there is still work to be done to achieve full gender equality, the legacy of the suffragettes and suffragists continues to inspire and empower women around the world.
Under the Representation of the People Act of 1918, women over the age of 30 who met certain property qualifications were granted the right to vote in parliamentary elections. The qualifications were as follows:
Women who owned property with an annual rent of £5 or more, or who had been the wife of a man who owned such property, were eligible to vote.Women who held a degree from a British university, or who were a member of a university constituency, were also eligible to vote.
Women who were householders (i.e., those who owned or rented a home) were also given the right to vote.These property qualifications were designed to limit the number of women who could vote, as well as to ensure that those who were granted the right to vote had a stake in society and were considered to be responsible citizens. However, they still represented a significant step forward in women’s rights and paved the way for further progress in the years to come.