"For my own part, I am a passionate believer in instant, not slow motion, democracy. It seems to me that it is in the interests of the House and the country that the count should take place on the night, and there are two overwhelmingly compelling reasons why: first, I believe that there could be a threat to the security of the ballot if the count is delayed; and, secondly, it seems to me that on the day the election takes place, it should be possible for the count also to take place so that we get the result speedily.
"Frankly, it should not be beyond the wit and sagacity of humankind—or indeed of local authorities—to ensure that that happens. I politely suggest to the House that what is required is not a passive acceptance of the particular views of individual local authority chief executives, but rather an assertion of leadership nationally and politically, at a local level, to achieve what I sense the House is uniting in wishing to see."
So, come on Mr Brown, come on local authority leaders. Do your duty and put these weak minded local authority chief executives (average annual salary around £175,000) in their place.
Hattip ConservativeHome
21 comments:
that is the first useful thing bercow has ever said. will it be the last i wonder?
Plus, and most importantly, it's an instant 24 hour decision. It's either 'OK, we trust you to carry on in power, for the time being' or it's 'F**k Off. Now!'. Either way doing it quickly is what's best.
I absolutely agree with everyone who is trying to get the votes counted on the night in 95% of seats.
If we could do it in the 1950s, there's no excuse for not doing today!
The chief executive of Newcastle council especially annoys me with his risible excuses for why the count can't be conducted on the night, despite the fact that the 3 Newcastle seats are usually some of the first to declare.
The (Tory) leader of Preston Council has gone on record to say he would like the good folk of Preston to know their MP "by the time they come downstairs for breakfast".
Good man himself. Now for the rest of the country! Same day counts must remain.
Don't like Bercow, but credit where credit's due.
Has anybody thought about the financial implications of holding off on counting? If the election result is still not known by the time the markets open, and it's looking like a hung parliament, there could be a loss of confidence in the pound. Might sound like a far fetched scenario but there is no reason why it coudn't happen.
Surely he said this yesterday, not today?
But anyway it still makes no sense:
"two overwhelmingly compelling reasons why: first, I believe that there could be a threat to the security of the ballot if the count is delayed; and, secondly, it seems to me that on the day the election takes place, it should be possible for the count also to take place so that we get the result speedily."
The second 'reason' is not a reason, it's just a reassertion of the original desire.
"You should do it because it should be done". What a load of blather.
Another important advantage is that if the good people of Buckingham do right by the country, Bercow will learn at the first possible minute that he has lost to Nigel Farage.
I thought Speaker Bercow's constituency has already announced it will count on the Friday (as of 3rd Dec 2009).
There should be a forensic examination of the postal ballots to see if there has been any tampering.
It's only Brown trying to screw another day in Power. Delusional or what...
I rather fancy the gentler torture.
Keep 'em in suspense for an extra 24 hrs before they know for certain their electorate have sacked the majority of troughers.
Andy JS
The reason it could be done in the 1950's and not now is because of the rise in postal votes, it has nothing to do with lazyness, or a ruse to get more money out of the government. It is an attempt to get the election votes counted as accurately as possable, and not to have the election turn into the laughing stock the 2000 Presidential election or more recently the 2007 Holyrood/Scotish Local Elections both decended into.
We had a next day count in 2006 for the local council elections (Newham). A lot of old salts came away convinced that something very fishy took place.
Good point form John Bercow. Maybe he will grow into the role? I wonder if Labour could live to regret using John Bercow to annoy the Tories?
I have watched rather a lot of the Parliamentary goings on for the past few months, (more time on my hands than I should probably have) and a lot of John Bercow's reign as Mr Speaker seems to involve eliciting "pithy questions and equally pithy answers" to allow more questions during the various question times. On this point of order, however I do wholeheartedly agree. If it is beyond the wit of the Returning Officers to deliver an election night count then I say find another returning officer! Parliament should most certainly introduce, and pass, a 10 minute rule bill to ensure that an election night count occurs.
How can the right number of postal votes for Labour be counted if the count is no delayed a little; have you no idea of logistics?
It's by no means clear that having vote counters sleep on election night rather than count votes makes any significant difference to the quality of the postal vote. As a local councillor, I'd be interested in seeing any evidence of this, so please feel free to contact me.
With the amount of postal ballot fraud we saw at the last election I think parties other than Labour who "did everythng possible except write "steal me" on the envelopes to encourage fraud" to quote the judge at the Birmingham trial should demand that postal ballots be counted & announced separately & that in every constituency where they change to result it be held up until they have made a checkm of a statistically chosen number of postal votes. At the last election 1/5th of votes were postal & that is easily enough to swing any election.
I see the BNP are woried they are not the only ones. I think fraud will be a major story in this election. We haven't heard the last of Zanu-Labour
Yes I agree but I would still like to see the nauseating twerp lose his seat .
I seriously wonder, if the Conservative Party can put up with Bercow , if there is any place for me in it .
Does it matter? I suspect the majority of the electorate are not going to stay up all night though it does provide employment for political commentators. Why not have all constituencies (including rural areas) start at the same time next morning - 8 am perhaps.
Broon is not going to concede defeat until the last vote has been counted so it will not make much difference to when he leaves Downing Street.
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