Election - what on earth? Explain to me please!

[HollyMollyDolly]

Ok this is quite embarrassing!

I've recently joined the Civil Service at the grand age of 35 and there's been a lot of talk about the election. So far, I've managed to excuse myself from the conversations because I have 0 idea what is happening.

I struggle a bit with anxiety so tend to avoid the news and I've never understood politics but now it seems I need to.

Can someone please explain to me, in stupid person terms, what's actually going on and why Rishi Sunaks latest announcement is a big deal?

Is it necessary to be quite so rude and unkind.

I’m sure your little comment made you giggle and feel big and clever. However, the op is a real person and you have no idea what is going on with them.

How about a little understanding, or is that too highbrow for you?

My knowledge of politics might be lacking but I'd rather than than have a personality like some of the people on this thread. I can't understand how people get through the day thinking that behaviour is necessary, but hopefully it made them feel a little bit better about their day ... It's clearly needed!

Has the NI FM said anything about this?

To be honest, my biggest bugbear is not that it's traditional holiday season making it slightly more awkward for the general public to vote, it's the typical Tory contempt for, and ignorance of, anything that differs from the English norm, meaning that people and places in Scotland which usually facilitate elections, Schools, many of the counting staff, and so on, would have already been closed for the summer and off elsewhere.

But it's abundantly clear that this was a desperation announcement in order to pre-empt a decapitation, so I doubt much thought was given to the date at all.

I see Sunak has already this morning asked people in Wales if they are looking forward to this summer's football. The guy is utterly oblivious.

I used to work in the civil service (NDPB) and thought I had to be politically impartial at work. Then one of my colleagues was elected as a Labour councillor and ended up making the front page of their local rag for a perceived conflict of interest. I wouldn't even put a party poster up in my house in case it got me in trouble.

So not knowing much about politics won't necessarily be a hindrance to your career. You're not meant to be political.

I also was part of the bonfire of the quangos and got made redundant as a result.

@HollyMollyDolly you might do well to listen to some episodes of podcasts like Newscast on BBC Sounds (which I suggest because it is quite accessible).
You could ask your colleagues what they like to watch or read to stay up to date?

Perhaps twinkl should do some worksheets on the civil service seen as people don't have even the slightest understanding of what the civil service actually encompasses.

Give me somebody who is happy to admit what they don't know and ask questions over half the idiots on this site who believe they are cleverer than they are and post all kinds of ill informed bollocks like advice on the legal section of Mumsnet when they don't actually know what they're talking about.

I answered you kindly earlier on but you didn't acknowledge it but never mind.

Just as you didn't answer someone who asked if you've ever voted, and another who asked if you really thought general elections were every year.

She did acknowledge it. Not long after your post actually.

The impression I got from watching the news is that Rishi's announcement seemed unexpected, why is that? Does it not happen at exactly the same time each year?

PM (after getting Kings permission) can call a general election anytime - always held on a Thursday in UK.

By Law this Government couldn't go past January 2025 - so expectation is they'd call one in Autumn/Winter 2024.

They've decide to gamble and call one now - speculation is inflation is down and economy show signs of picking up and nothings budged the polls ( I wonder if there are plots to oust Rishi and they think what's the point hanging on)

TLDR on you tube good

There's quite a few YouTube political/news programs also podcasts - Radio 4 Today or PM also good.

I responded to say I was aware of purdah (which is actually now referred to as pre-election period). I also thanked your second comment. I'm sorry if I've missed any further comments, but I've just had a quick check and I can't see that I have?

I haven't responded to the votes question or the general elections question because I don't think my response would prompt anything positive. It seems some posters are out for blood and I feel that my answer, regardless of what it is, would be picked to pieces.

Considering I've been open about suffering from anxiety, I'm very grateful I'm in a better place than I have been previously, because some of the posters on here are awful and their comments would have sent me into an absolute spiral in the past.

There are local elections every year, so that's maybe what you're thinking of.

As people have already pointed out, general elections are less frequent and they are a bigger deal as they can result in a change in government. Most people expect Labour to win the upcoming election and so that would mean a completely new government with a new Prime Minister and a new set of policies for civil servants to implement.

To be absolutely straight @HollyMollyDolly's question was about how government works. That's not political and it's a big gap in our education system .

There is a world of difference between understanding (or indeed caring) about the minutiae of political discussions, and a broad brush strokes grasp of the basics of the UK constitution. Which - IMHO - no child should get to 16 without attaining. Although I am aware that's a niche view these days.

There are local elections every year, so that's maybe what you're thinking of.
https://www.gov.uk/elections-in-the-uk/local-government

Local government elections take place at least every 4 years. Not all local government elections take place at the same time.
Your local government will do one of the following:

• elect all the local councillors every 4 years
• elect half the local councillors every 2 years
• elect one third of the local councillors every year for 3 years and hold no elections in the 4th year

We had no council elections here but did have a police commissioner one.

@HollyMollyDolly Many schools are used as Polling Stations.

John Swinney (Scotland) is 'offended' by holding elections in school holidays of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Postal votes are easily organised if on holiday or working away.
The exam period is over and often there will by annoyance that the children lose a days schooling if in term time.

Shocking tbh. I worked in central government in the 80s and very interesting it was. What a shame not to know what’s going on in the country x

There are elections for Councils most years but that's not the same thing as every Council having elections every year. As@HotApplePiePunch points out there are several permutations.

My first job after leaving school at sixteen was for the CS. I knew nothing about anything and certainly wasn’t asked anything political.

Is that a recommendation for universal ignorance then ?

I wouldn’t assume that you’d be asked questions about politics in a CS interview, especially for some areas of the civil service (eg: DVLA) that are quite ‘removed’ from central government departments.

But I would expect someone who had grown up in the UK (I note that you haven’t said if you did or not) and wanted to work for the CS to have some awareness of how government works, and know the difference between general elections (voting for the government who runs the country ) and local elections (voting for the councillors who run your local council), and that general elections are not every year.

@HollyMollyDolly I just wanted to say …

good on you for asking!!!

and

you have handled yourself with grace and decorum in your responses to some unpleasant posts.

There is a cognitive bias called “the curse of knowledge” which means that sometimes people with knowledge about a subject assume it must be all actually be simple and very obvious to other people too. (Ironically some studies have found that this is more common in people who have just gained their knowledge and are insecure about it). I think that probably explains some of the more unpleasant posts.

Right?!

Might be worth a read op - I wouldn't ask at work : https://amzn.eu/d/2aeRfzN

Someone didn't RTT 🙄

I hope your shitty comments makes you feel better as a person though, it's clear you need it. I'd rather be in a position of wanting to better my knowledge than be in a position of having a vile and nasty personality 👍