I've Just Received an Invitation To Vote !!

[Alan de Enfield]

Probably about 3 months late and with only a couple of days to go I have received an invitation from ERS

 

This is the first communication I have had.

 

I reckon someone has done a sweep thru the C&RTs licence holder list and making a last minute effort to be all inclusive.

 

As I have previously stated - I won't be bothering as whoever is voted in has no power to do anything ( if previous years are anything to go by) and the whole set-up is just a sop to the Government to make them think C&RT is open and above board.

 

Received at 15:24 today.

 

Dear Alan De Enfield

Canal & River Trust is currently running elections to the charity’s governing Council and you are able to vote.

The deadline for voting is 23:59 on Thursday 17 December 2015.

The Council is made up of up to 40 nominated, co-opted or elected members as well as the Chairs of the waterway partnerships. Together they reflect the wide appeal of the waterways – from boating and angling through to walking and conservation. The Council is responsible for the appointment of Trustees, helps to shape policies and provides guidance and perspective to Trustees.

Electoral Reform Services is administering the Council Elections on behalf of the Canal & River Trust. It is an online process so you will need to follow these instructions to log into the website and cast your vote:

 

[CDS]

Sadly your protest which I agree with will amount to little.I share your frustration

and concur with your view of the relevance .

Rest assured you will see enough apologists who can see no issue with either the

Election or the Candidature rushing to take part,full of their own importance and

convinced of the importance of their participation

[kris88]

Same for me, just received invitation to vote. Also the first communication I have had.

 

 

Regards kris

[Sea Dog]

+1 also received today.

[Alan de Enfield]

Look like they are trying to play 'catchup' - what a fiasco !!!

[Lady M]

Initially I did not receive an email so I queried it and was then sent an invitation to vote. I have just received a second invitation to vote, with a different security code.

[roggie]

Of course it's your decision as to whether or not to use your vote. All I would say is that I certainly don't think of myself as important, whether or not I am elected, just a small cog in the wheel. Yes I think it's important to take part and having this type of discussion on boards such as this is where you find out what some issues are. There is a lot of knowledge, positive and negative views, on this board and taking part (and reading) must help if you want to be a effective representative. All I would say is there are 8 people standing and I have no idea how to contact some of these let alone know why they want to stand, other than their 150 words. Fair enough if you don't want to vote for me (or Stella) because you don't agree with what we are standing for but just not voting is not going to change anything, and I think we can agree that things do need changing from the previous regime. Just because you think those previously elected (and of course 1 is standing again) had no power to do anything doesn't necessarily mean this will be the same this time around. After all it's a new chair and perhaps he will be different.

[roggie]

Well if you are looking at people to vote for you can see posts that both Stella and I have posted on the forum, both before and after we put our names forwards as well as our 150 words.

 

http://rgstocker.blogspot.co.uk/@roggys

[Lady M]

On the whole, I am thinking it would be a bad idea to vote twice.

[MtB]

I've received nothing, despite owning two CRT licenced boats....

[Southern Star]

Of course it's your decision as to whether or not to use your vote. All I would say is that I certainly don't think of myself as important, whether or not I am elected, just a small cog in the wheel. Yes I think it's important to take part and having this type of discussion on boards such as this is where you find out what some issues are. There is a lot of knowledge, positive and negative views, on this board and taking part (and reading) must help if you want to be a effective representative. All I would say is there are 8 people standing and I have no idea how to contact some of these let alone know why they want to stand, other than their 150 words. Fair enough if you don't want to vote for me (or Stella) because you don't agree with what we are standing for but just not voting is not going to change anything, and I think we can agree that things do need changing from the previous regime. Just because you think those previously elected (and of course 1 is standing again) had no power to do anything doesn't necessarily mean this will be the same this time around. After all it's a new chair and perhaps he will be different.

Simply for taking the time to post this (and because I do broadly agree with what you say in your candidate statement) I have cast my votes for Roger and Stella.

[roggie]

Mike, Give them a ring on 020 8889 9203 and they should send you an email with the codes.

 

Thanks Southern Star....

 

I can see a few FOI requests asking for the number of codes sent out in the last few days and perhaps a challenge about the whole process.

 

I went out on Sunday canvassing (Little Venice along to Kensal Rise) and was surprised at the number of boaters who knew about the election - hadn't voted though - a few even knew about the deadline extension. It was interesting to chat about boaty things and it took much longer than I though - quelle surprise.

[Cheshire cat]

I've suddenly got a vote too. It's like when the post office suddenly discovers one of it's employees has been squirreling away sacks of mail

[MtB]

Mike, Give them a ring on 020 8889 9203 and they should send you an email with the codes.

 

 

What's the point?

 

The last lot elected sunk without trace and did feck all.

[Suzie_q]

I've suddenly got a vote too. It's like when the post office suddenly discovers one of it's employees has been squirreling away sacks of mail

Any body would think that CRT are reading the forum.

 

Or GCHQ have passed it on.........

[Southern Star]

 

 

What's the point?

 

The last lot elected sunk without trace and did feck all.

Well, only one of the candidates has taken the time to post a message on CWDF explaining his thesis- perhaps that alone should be enough to give him our endorsement?

[MtB]

Well, only one of the candidates has taken the time to post a message on CWDF explaining his thesis- perhaps that alone should be enough to give him our endorsement?

 

 

"A message"???

 

Just the one? Jeez... Are we supposed to be grateful???

 

I'm sure had Alan been elected last time around he'd have been posting on here non stop keeping us informed...

Edited December 15, 2015 by Mike the Boilerman

[StarUKKiwi]

Simply for taking the time to post this (and because I do broadly agree with what you say in your candidate statement) I have cast my votes for Roger and Stella.

Thank you for your vote. I can see where people are coming from and IMHO, isn't that the problem? People don't believe they can make a difference, so why bother?

However, you change your world and you will change the wider world. I stood because I believe that we need to change the culture and (daresay) the IWA stranglehold on the Council. Roger and I have both said how we intend to engage and Daniel has kindly said that he would enable this for us.

I cannot let this chance go by without at least trying to change things and represent all boaters, as a live aboard continuous cruiser. I aim to do the best I can and to try and take in as much opinion as I can.

Obviously, I am based in the North and most of the other candidates are London based, but we all face the same issues across the country - lack of facilities, offside vegetation clearance, dredging (or lack of) and maintenance.

I hope those who haven't voted, reconsider and vote

Starukkiwi aka Stella Ridgway

[alan_fincher]

There really do, I think have to be some serious questions oiver this election.

 

Not only are huge numbers of people saying they have received no communication, there are also significant numbers claiming to have received multiple codes, and hence (presumably) multiple votes. (Although of course anybody entitled to vote in multiple elections - eg Boater and CRT Volunteer), should get multiple emails, each leading to a different set of candidates).

 

I cannot believe that jointly CRT and ERS have got this right this time - there are just too many people calling "foul" for this to be the case, but no doubt it will be declared a successful democratic election at the end.

 

I predict a "turnout" massively less than occurred in the last elections, whereas, with CRT established, and hopefully better communications, there really is no excuse for it not being higher.

[MtB]

Definitely something untoward going on. I've just checked my email and found an email from the Electoral Reform Society dated 15th December 2015 and titled:

 

"Reminder: Voting closes at 23.59 this Thursday 17 December 2015"

 

Having searched my email this is the only communication I've had from them. Were the original emails inviting us to vote from the ERS too, or from CRT?

 

 

 

(Edit to add the date)

Edited December 16, 2015 by Mike the Boilerman

[Sir Nibble]

On the whole, I am thinking it would be a bad idea to vote twice.

Why? If you voted twice in a "Real" election you would be prosecuted under the representation of the people act 1918. If this act applied to the CaRT election than by now the police would be crawling all over the returning officer.

[Alan de Enfield]

Definitely something untoward going on. I've just checked my email and found an email from the Electoral Reform Society dated 15th December 2015 and titled:

 

"Reminder: Voting closes at 23.59 this Thursday 17 December 2015"

 

Having searched my email this is the only communication I've had from them. Were the original emails inviting us to vote from the ERS too, or from CRT?

 

 

 

(Edit to add the date)

 

Yup - that the one that many of us appear to have had, and for many of us, the 1st communication received.

 

"Brewery a organise piss-up in a couldn't" comes to mind.

[RLWP]

Quite honestly, I don't know which email address CRT have for us, or how to have spotted that the email should it have been swallowed by the spam filter. I haven't seen any communication

 

If this really mattered, I think we should have received a letter

 

Richard

Edited December 16, 2015 by RLWP

[Alan de Enfield]

Quite honestly, I don't know which email address CRT have for us, or how to have spotted that the email should it have been swallowed by the spam filter. I haven't seen any communication

 

If this really mattered, I think we should have received a letter

 

Richard

 

I think that even C&RT realise that the whole exercise isn't worth the price of an envelope, let alone a 2nd class stamp.

[alan_fincher]

Quite honestly, I don't know which email address CRT have for us, or how to have spotted that the email should it have been swallowed by the spam filter. I haven't seen any communication

 

If this really mattered, I think we should have received a letter

 

Richard

 

I think, but am not absolutely certain, that CRT planned to use (for at least the Boater elections) only the email account held against your records for boat licensing purposes, and assume that to be a valid one, if they have one.

 

Any other email account you have registered with CRT, for example to get bulletins, stoppage notices, to be a Friend, or whatever would probably not enter into it, as they would not be directly linked to a licensing record that determined your eligibility to vote.

 

I believe that if CRT do not hold an email against your licensing record, then ERS should have written to you by snail mail, but you would certainly still only be able to use the details t cast an internet vote.

 

There is certainly no postal voting this time, (a stated reason to be to cut the large costs involved), and I assume cost savings to also be the reason they have limited postal notification to those they do not have an email address for,

 

I think that even C&RT realise that the whole exercise isn't worth the price of an envelope, let alone a 2nd class stamp.

 

To be fair, last time when they did send letters, which presumably were to the correct place, if you get licence reminders, there were still huge numbers of people claiming not to have received them.

 

I think part of the problem may have been they were fairly anonymous brown envelopes, not badged as CRT related, and some people may have not realised what they were, and binned them.