Could a Count BinFace candidate run in an irish election

PMU said:
BinFace is a disgrace, and it reflects poorly on British society that he is humoured.
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That's exactly what putin's russia would do, it would prevent a binface type candidate from running in the first place as they would recognise immediately what a threat to the regime he would be. If Russia was secure enough to have a binface run in their "elections" there would be no Putin. The UK is in a far better place having a binface in their elections than a putin.
 
Leo said:
Isn't it the opposite really?
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I understand the sentiment of the boycott for sure.

I would suggest however, in tandem with Tony Benn's quote above voting is more powerful than boycotting. That is not to say there isn't a space for boycotts but I do not think this is one of them.

These are elected representatives endorsing a boycott campaign over the democratic election process. Not good in my opinion. Regardless of what anyone thinks of what Farage is doing, if he is doing it within the rules then that needs to be accepted.

The other parties have effectively disenfranchised their own voters, disenfranchised any soft Reform voters that may now have second thoughts after this Farage stunt, disenfranchised those who didnt vote in the last election but may know feel compelled to do so. And basically left the constituents of Clacton with Binface as the only option.

Who knows what else may be revealed during the campaign about Farage's finances?

It is very poor form in my opinion.
 
Sister Sara said:
These are elected representatives endorsing a boycott campaign over the democratic election process.
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Well, they are boycotting the abuse of the process. Anyone campaigning in the by-election would be forced to focus on matters of interest to the local electorate and so the focus drifts away from the scandal. That's exactly what he wants, the focus to shift away for just long enough for some other controversy to take it's place so it can all be forgotten.

He remains very popular in his local constituency, and has a very good chance of winning his seat back even if all parties fielded a candidate, which he can then spin to say the public have spoken and it's time to move on. We've a long history ourselves of the local electorate ignoring the many faults of a candidate and shady dealings of a candidate that is perceived to help the locals. Local strokes outweigh national scandals.
 
Count Binface is shamelessly chasing that vote though with his pledge to build "at least one affordable house".
And capping the price of 99s at 99p is clearly a populist move.
What next? A seagull cull?
 
Leo said:
has a very good chance of winning his seat back even if all parties fielded a candidate
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I think this is the crux of the issue, the other parties have resigned themselves to the fact that he will in all liklihood will win the seat. He was 8,000 votes ahead in last election with 46% of the vote and neither Torys 28% or Labour 16% were anywhere close. Even the combined vote of Tories an Labour falls short of Farage's vote.

If either of these parties thought they had even an outside chance of taking his seat they would field a candidate.

They could make his abuse of the process an election issue and campaign, ironically, for reform of the system keeping Farage's stroke politics front and center.
They haven't, because he hasn't broken the rules and the rules actually suit the other MPs too in the event that they too may at some stage rely on them to do similar.

That's just the cynic in me, if you want to call yourself a parliamentarian then you can protest the laws of the land, and their processes, through election campaigning, not boycotting.
 
Leo said:
We've a long history ourselves of the local electorate ignoring the many faults of a candidate and shady dealings of a candidate that is perceived to help the locals. Local strokes outweigh national scandals.
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True, but not a history of election boycotts by other parties on account of those shady dealings and strokes?
 
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