to think that an election on the 12th December is a bad idea because it will affect Christmas at primary schools?

[chomalungma]

How many Christmas plays will be on on that day?

I am sure some will be able to be altered - but it's a really crappy time to close a school for voting when there are parties, school plays and the end of term atmosphere.

There are other reasons as well - but this is just one that may not have been thought about.

An election in December would be great for the Tories, but I can't see any of the other parties agreeing to it.

A lot of primary schools where I live are used as polling stations, it would be incredibly disruptive for them, but also for parents who, like me, have no annual leave left to take to cover childcare for a day if the school closes. Yes, I could take a day if unpaid leave, but I cant really afford to.

how many children has boris got now?

Give over. They can move the nativity to the day before or after.

It is an issue, you are right. For many reasons. Including bad weather, a potential post workers strike, long dark nights.

Plus I think we all really need a bit of a break tbh. It's an artificial deadline, there is no reason why it has to be then.

Surely he said he'd "die in a ditch" before now?

He survived the bulldozers, he’ll manage with the ditch.

DC's Christmas Concert is the 12th December. They are a big secondary so not used as a polling station, so that per se is not an issue.
The timing of the concert means that I generally have an hour between work and getting to the concert in which I also like to eat and change, so I'm going to struggle to get to the polling station then. The concert often finishes close to 10, so too late to rely on voting afterwards. Yes, if this happens I will organise a postal vote and/or get up early and go before work but I can imagine that there will be others in my position who won't bother.

other people will be going on work Christmas parties all evening.
None of this stops people voting, but it does mean they have to be more determined to do so.

There are lots of practical reasons why logistics will make a December election challenging, especially at short notice. But YABU to think that makes it a bad idea. The needs of democracy at a critical time in our country's governance provide more than enough justification for working through those difficulties.

I don't expect many schools to have broken up by 12th December.

why does boris think an election will help the mess we're in?

It'll be a massive pain in the arse all round with the million and one other things everyone needs to do by that time of year, and a random day with some schools closed isn't ideal.

I'm amazed the Tories are so confident they're gonna win tbh. Absolute arrogance of it all.

@chomalungma

So what if the paths may be slippy? The winter is full of icy, slippy, snowy pathways. Older people do get out in winter. Not everyone has people to do their shopping and run errands for them. Even 'the old' get out in winter. 'The cold' won't stop them voting. You (and the other poster I quoted) and vastly underestimating the older generation.

Also, so what if people have arrangements, parties, school plays??? The polling stations are open from 7am til 10pm!

WTF is wrong with people? Are they so disorganised and scatty that they can't spend 5-10 minutes popping to the polling stations during the 15 hours they're open?! Any play or party or works Christmas lunch or whatever isn't going to take 15 hours! Just pop and vote first thing in the morning, (before you go out,) or go in the evening!

I mean You (and the other poster I quoted) ARE vastly underestimating the older generation

ven 'the old' get out in winter. 'The cold' won't stop them voting. You (and the other poster I quoted) and vastly underestimating the older generation

It does stop SOME older people getting out in winter. Especially if it's been a snowy day or the paths are icy.

What's the betting the Tories will be bending over backwards to sort out postal votes for the elderly in Tory areas

you are clutching at straws now op!! december is most often mild anyway....

disturbing the ridiculousness of 'christmas' for ONE day won't hurt anyone

This is precisely the sort of practicality that prime ministers (especially deluded public school boys) don't think about, because they don't live on the same planet as the rest of us.

Mind you, didn't Adrian Mole complain about Mrs Thatcher calling a general election in June, because all the door knocking Tories planning to exterminate the working classes would be disturbing his O-level revision?

Our local primary school is our polling station and it closes for the day.

DS was always annoyed that his cousin got a day off for polling day but he didn't (Catholic school).

Oh STFU

Around here schools are not polling stations, there's lots of other options for councils too

@Rezie you can request a postal vote up to a couple of weeks prior to the election or a proxy

Interestingly, I lived in an area that did do a compulsory postal vote for one election to see if it improved turnout (voting figures). I don't think it did because they didn't do it again, but it was worth a try.

It's the bad feeling it will create if BoZo cancels the nativity play - parents will have booked the day off and may not be able to change it now. Cancelling any kind of event like that at a school usually provokes quite a response IME.

Bad weather will stop some people going to vote, either by inertia (rainy) or fears of falling if it is icy. Not everyone is like my nan who put a pair of socks over her shoes for grip and ventured out (broke her wrist so I wouldn't recommend this!).

are people keen on having a ge? why?

How on earth do you think the older people survive in he winter if they can't/don't go out when it's cold

Many don’t. That’s why we are all told to look out for our elderly neighbours when winter hits.

And it’s not you hearing this on MN, if you paid any sort of attention to anything, you’d know this is actually something that really happens.

@MintyMabel and @chomalungma we are going to have to agree to differ. I don't know anyone who is 'older' who would find it any harder to get out to vote in December than they would in May or June.

I am paying perfect attention thank you, and I know older people are not helpless!

There's some shocking ageism on this thread.