The candidates have been announced for the District Council Elections on May 5th 2011.

Please click this link for further details:

http://www.newbury.net/candidates.pdf

RG standing in Speen?  Don't want to win then Richard?

Quoted from Administrator

The candidates have been announced for the District Council Elections on May 5th 2011.

Please click this link for further details:

http://www.newbury.net/candidates.pdf

What choice have I got? Conservative or Liberal Democrat. I don't want either so how do I register a protest vote?
So much for democracy?  

Spoil the paper.

It's all Greek to me.

Is there a map somewhere that shows which ward your in?
Either way I don't think I like the look of any of those.

Quoted from blackdog

RG standing in Speen?  Don't want to win then Richard?

Seems a strange choice, to me.

Falkland looks an interesting one, BrianB, Labour, LibDem, Tories and UKIP.

There's three people who have stood to be our local MP standing for this ward.

Quoted from user23.3

Seems a strange choice, to me.

Falkland looks an interesting one, BrianB, Labour, LibDem, Tories and UKIP.

There's three people who have stood to be our local MP standing for this ward.

Which will have the effect of splitting (weakening) the 'protest' vote.

Quoted from Greenham Common

Which will have the effect of splitting (weakening) the 'protest' vote.

A protest vote is usually for the candidate or party who are second most likely to win.

I'm not sure if two minor parties and an independent would affect this much.

Quoted from user23.3

A protest vote is usually for the candidate or party who are second most likely to win.

I'm not sure if two minor parties and an independent would affect this much.

The point is: there is a ConLib government, and many use these elections as an opportunity to register their displeasure.  Voting Lib Dem or Tory doesn't really tell anyone much in that respect.  Disaffected voters could vote for either party in this manner, nullifying the effort.  To register the most effective 'protest' vote, one would have to guess who would be the most popular Labour or other 'minority' party or candidate.

Quoted from Greenham Common

The point is: there is a ConLib government, and many use these elections as an opportunity to register their displeasure.  Voting Lib Dem or Tory doesn't really tell anyone much in that respect.  Disaffected voters could vote for either party in this manner, nullifying the effort.  To register the most effective 'protest' vote, one would have to guess who would be the most popular Labour or other 'minority' party or candidate.

I understand what you're saying but that's not really a "protest vote", it's just voting for a minor party because you don't like what the major ones have to offer. A "protest vote" in West Berkshire would mean voting for the second most popular party.

Another point of interest for me was there are no Greens this time, despite the party gaining an MP at the last General Election.

Quoted from blackdog

RG standing in Speen?  Don't want to win then Richard?

I do want to win, and I think it will be a close call. My running mate was turned down due to an error with her paperwork, which obviously puts me at a massive disadvantage!!! We'll keep fighting though, I have to go from ZERO to 1,300 to stand a chance!!!

Quoted from richard.garvie

I do want to win, and I think it will be a close call. My running mate was turned down due to an error with her paperwork, which obviously puts me at a massive disadvantage!!! We'll keep fighting though, I have to go from ZERO to 1,300 to stand a chance!!!

Why is it a disadvantage?

Quoted from user23.3

Why is it a disadvantage?

I just think that the norm is for someone to pick two people from the same party and obviously I have to put in even more canvassing as a single member. Saying that, it could be an advantage, I've never done politics before so it's all really new.

I'm looking forward to the experience, whether I get elected or not. The response has been really positive so far.