Streetlife

The problem with this idea is that the people interested in this kind of event are probably the ones that already vote. But good luck anyway.

It would be worth going to meet the MPs or the prospective parliamentary candidates but each ward has it's own city and county councillors so you only need to meet your own ward's one.

King's Street Cultural Quarter recently had an event in which they invited representatives from the City and County councils, the broads authority, the police, the media and Norwich Society (heritage) to ask them questions.  It was a great success, although it probably could have been even better if it was more widely publicised.

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce have an event on Friday 8th February at which they hope to bring together the "Norfolk Nine" MPs to answer questions, but this is a members only event, so is specifically for business.  Over 120 businesses took part last year though.

Personally, I wish there were more public events like this (Hustings, I guess you'd call them), but do agree with Anthony S, that the kind of people interested would those who already keep an eye on what their politicians are up to and vote.

I wish more people did engage in politics though, so encourage you to keep on investigating ways of getting more people to participate in running their cities and country!

I'd be more than happy to attend if it went ahead!

Best wishes,

Jess Asato, Labour Candidate for Norwich North

I have always voted whether that be general elections of local, but I am not sure I will bother any more in the future unless we get some decent independent candidates who will 'actually' represent their electorate as like most I am sick and tired of party politics and these candidates who will pay you nothing more than lip service and are only in it for themselves.

I think lots of folk think like you do at present, I have never been so disillusioned as I am at the present time....( just had the speller checking to see if I could spell disillusioned....cheek. Lol
Must admit this IPad is a magic machine....cheeky.....but magic.

Well said John N.  When politicians can only vote along party lines, you're only really voting for the party whips and the people who dictate to them what the party line is.  That's why I support the Green Party, since they have no whips, just a shared idea of where they're headed, and an attitude of responsibility to serve their constituents. It's as near as you'll get to independence but still with the force of an established political party behind it.

As far as I know, there has never been a candidate for Norwich or Norfolk council who has won the election and not been a member of a party. If you want to be a councillor, the independent recommendation is join a party. Most of the constituents, that's the voters, prefer to vote for someone in a party or vote for the party - bad as it is.
Also, in reality, one person, even independent, cannot represent every constituent.They might do the job better but not just because they are independent. What is important is what they stand for and what they do in reality if they win.

If you do not vote, you are indirectly voting in the Conservatives, for it is a fact that the lower the turnout, the higher the chance of the Tories winning. Don't let them turn you off voting, it is a right that has been long fought for. They would prefer it if you did not bother to vote, so vote!

I always vote and, although that isn't usually for the Green Party candidate, I agree totally with what Simeon says about how voting for a party usually means voting for the party whips and their masters.

May I mention the myth of the 'wasted vote'? This says that unless you vote for the winner, your vote is wasted, not having contributed to electing a representative.

Think about this: If you do vote for the winner, who then gets elected with a majority of, say, 10,000, then 9,999 of those votes are also 'wasted', since the candidate would have been elected without them. There are no prizes in elections for 'picking a winner' unless you get a winner who carries out your wishes!

In a song:
"So I'm going to vote for a candidate
Of any party – or none –
Who cares for our beautiful country
And looks likely to get something done!"

Human motives are always complex, and I think the notion that politicians are only in it for themselves is needlessly cynical.   Of course there is that element (how could there not be?) but I think most politicians are genuinely trying to do what they think is best.   You and I may think they are misguided, especially if they belong to another party.   Tories only care about the national interest, and mostly in economic or military terms; Labour  only think in terms of groups rather than people; Greens are are bit iffy about population control, and keep very quiet about it because some of their views would be electoral suicide; UKIP, BNP and EDL are racist fruitcakes.  LIb Dems are too keen on Europe.   They all hate the other lots, and think and often talk of them as if they were all the devil incarnate.   They aren't; they're just people getting far too hot under the collar about not very much at all.    Charles Darwin was right!

P.S.  Greens would have party whips at county and national level if there were enough of them to justify that.   I served on a District Council some years ago.   It was Tory ruled.   Lib Dems and Labour had no whips, although both were quite well represented.   At county level and above, of course things are different.

Hi Chelsea, this is a very good idea but I think you need to have a hook to hang it on. I.e. a reason for people who don't normally to attend. Could be a very local issue like why there are so very few graduate jibs in Norwich & what the councillors & MPs are doing about it.
P.s. independent councillors do get elected. There was an independent member of Broadland District Council for many year, Debbage who represented Blofield or Brundall. He was replaced by a conservative at the last elections.

All too often "Independents" are really closet Tories.   In my council, there was one who always stood as an Independent for the District, and as a Tory for the County - if that made any sense.   One other, at least, always stood as an Independent, and signed up to the Tory group at the count, as soon as his result was declared...........   "Beware the Jub-Jub bird, and shun the frumious Bandersnatch"...........
P.S.  If I wasn't disabled, I would come to your meeting, and make a lot of noise.  Good luck with it.

Chad, maybe rather than being 'closet' Tories, some of them may be disillusioned Tories!

I think you have to look at the independent's manifesto, as you would any other candidate, and see whether it reflects your wishes. If they are 'closet' adherents to any party, they must have a reason for not representing that party openly since, as Anthony pointed out, they are much more likely to be successful as a party candidate than as an independent.

I'm a bit old-fashioned.   Back in the early 1990s when I was a District Councillor, there were many independents on the Council.   Party politics were only just starting to make incursions.   Most independents were indeed 'closet' Tories; what was important was that they should be seen to be "one of us".   Things are very different now, but I always suspect independents of not having the courage to let us know exactly where they stand.
I stood for the SDP/Liberal Alliance at a parish council election in 1983.   So did a Labour man.   I think these were the first candidates in that parish to declare their party allegiances.   The retiring members of the parish council put up a list of candidates on the public notice board whom they considered acceptable.   Neither the Labour man nor I was on it.   There were District elections at the same time.  Both the Labour man and I were elected.  In fact, next after the two Tory District Councillors, I topped the poll, ahead of the former parish council chairman.

It might start a completely different debate with this topic I know. Being on the cabinet for several years for the City Council as a Labour Councillor, I have found that the Greens have acknowledged that they have done several things envirionmentally which have gone through the Labour Cabinet not as the city council.  And we are not always whipped either.  

Being a City Councillor you see two sides of the story and can explain to your residents (the ones who voted you in) what is happening and why they can or cant have what they feel is right in their area.  I know youre talking about voting for MPs but its the same for City Council elections.  People should vote not just for a party they feel is right but see what those Councillors have achieved in their wards for the people .  After all you need to know they will vote for you in the correct way.

Just a quick message to say I am so happy with the responses i have recieved on this poll! Thank you to everyone who voted and/or left a comment.

The vote at the top backed my statistics perfectly, with around 30% of Norwich already voting, and my previous market research showing that over 50% would like to attend such an event.

Your feedback was a great help in considering different aspects of the event, and also very interesting on the subject as a whole. Feel free to keep this debate going, although just to let you know I have now submitted my assignment and will get my grade back in a few weeks.

Il let you all know what i get ;)

Thank you all once again,

Chelsea. x

P.S. Jessica A, I will hold you to that if the event becomes a reality. Thank you very much for your support. Much appreciated!

Julie B, what you say is correct for Councillors already elected, though once elected they have a long time to do nothing. But, how do we choose new ones and how do they get elected?

Im sorry but you obviously havent met any of the community councillors in the wards.  Who fight the corner for their residents and stands by them.  Who works in the community constantly making better for the residents and when they are up people know them and their name and vote for them again.  We work hard in our ward and fight for great campaigns.  New councillors are picked by their parties. I was choosen to stand eight years ago because i was very active with sewell community group and pta at the school. once approached your ward chooses the person they want to stand for them.  It is great also if you can get someone who lives in the ward as they are more likely to know whats going on, but after saying that i have several people who are the eyes of the ward for me who let me know whats going on.