#Lewisham2014

[Tim Lund]

Do you tweet, and are you interested in this year's Lewisham Mayoral election? If so, and you have something to say to the candidates, why not use #Lewisham2014 as a hashtag? The idea's been the subject of a few emails, including Nick of Brockley Central, who's a PR professional, so there's a fair chance of it taking off.

BTW, if anyone wants to follow me on Twitter, I'm @TimLundSE26

[Eagle]

Hi Tim

I am an adult and therefore do not tweet. Leave it to the kiddies I say.

[leenewham]

I didn't think Eagles tweeted either. I thought they made more of a quaaaark quaaaaark noise.

#Lewisham2014
#eaglesdonttweet

[Eagle]

Quite correct old chap.

I do not need the whole world to know I had porridge for breakfast.

Let us leave tweeting to the kiddies , or badly educated adults.

[leenewham]

Like Stephen Fry?

[admin]

I am an adult and therefore do not tweet. Leave it to the kiddies I say.

[chrisj1948]

Admin, that was cruel

Regards
Chris

[Rachael]

Admin, that was cruel

Regards
Chris

Chances of Eagle knowing what that represents, given than he doesn't Tweet, are slim.

[admin]

Thursday May 22nd is Election Day for:

1) London European Union MEPs
2) Lewisham Mayor
3) Sydenham Ward Councillors

Nominations don't close until April 24th. I will publish the lists as soon as available and it will be fun and possibly instructive to run a hustings here in Town Hall from around Tuesday May 6th (immediately after the may day bank holiday).

As ever - if you are not sure you are registered to vote you should check now with Lewisham to be sure.

Admin

[Eagle]

Admin old chap

Surely a foregone conclusion. But guess good you try and get the great unwashed interested in voting. Such a shame so few take their responsibility seriously.

You ask people to check if they are registered. Surely everyone should be registered .

As long as UKIP do badly I do not really care.

Sorry if you are a tweeter , but have a great time doing it.

[hairybuddha]

I think you are also confusing "right" with "responsibility". But maybe that's a generation thing.

[Robin Orton]

I think you are also confusing "right" with "responsibility". But maybe that's a generation thing.

Are you saying that only middle-aged people like Eagle think they have a civic responsibility to vote, and that the younger generation have moved on from such quaint old-fashioned ideas?

[hairybuddha]

Yes

Or I am at least saying that I don't believe voting is a responsibility or obligation. And I reckon most people of my generation feel the same way.

[Robin Orton]

Or I am at least saying that I don't believe voting is a responsibility or obligation. And I reckon most people of my generation feel the same way.

I find that a bit scary.

[hairybuddha]

I find the idea that one should be obligated to vote a bit scary.

[Robin Orton]

I find the idea that one should be obligated to vote a bit scary.

Why? I'm not of course talking about a legal obligation (although I believe there is such a thing in some countries) but a moral one.

[hairybuddha]

To be honest, the main reason 18-24 year olds are shafted by successive governments is because they simply don't vote and there is no incentive for government policy to reflect them.

It sort of a circular argument isn't it? 18-24 year olds get shafted because they don't vote and they don't vote because they get shafted.

It's also very hard to see what difference the colour of the next Government makes for the lives of younger people. You can throw a fag paper over the three parties at the centre. And outside the westminster bubble the vast majority of people don't care about the politics. So why bother (and we're back to the circular argument)?

Why? I'm not of course talking about a legal obligation (although I believe there is such a thing in some countries) but a moral one

Surely it is immoral to vote? It only encourages them... More seriously, I find it offensive that someone like Eagle can assume a position of moral superiority because he chooses to vote whereas I am somehow morally inferior because I do not.

Full disclosure: I do vote - But I completely understand the motivations/apathy of those who do not.

[hairybuddha]

I think you underestimate 18-24 year olds. They are far more engaged and switched on than you might think. They are just not interested in mainstream party politics. And who can blame them?

[mosy]

I suspect that a lot of voter apathy is when a (their) single vote(s) won't make any difference to a foregone conclusion, assuming not in a marginal voting area. Landslide turn-arounds are rare. The fag paper too, since, as pointed out in another thread, are wishlist manifestos anything more than generic wishlists?

[Tadpole]

I'd like an extra box on the Mayor vote, one that says No Mayor. Waste of £100k plus.