Ok, well firstly my name is “Letters”, so it should be “Letters’”.
Secondly, I’d rather someone who understands what they’re voting for but doesn’t speak English have a say than someone who speaks perfect English and doesn’t have a clue what they’re voting for.
That said, I do think we pander too much to people who can’t speak English over here. You don’t get that shit in France and fair enough, I reckon.
That isn’t quite what I was getting at.
But agreed.
I’m a product of an educational system that prizes literature analysis over reinforcing correct technical English.
I could perhaps accept that if I hadn’t been made to read Thomas Hardy
Most likely Naz Shah is pandering towards her base who do speak English but speak Urdu as their primary language, now if these people are first generation immigrants ok fine. But if they were born here and indeed their parents were born in this country this is in my view an utter failure of integration which in my mind is a far bigger concern than number (although one does effect the other)
Also what are the chances someone who can’t speak English is going to have a greater understanding of the intricacies of our electoral system and what exactly they are voting for.
If I was an eligible voter in say India, apart from knowing that Modi was prime minister and that the BJP was the largest party by some considerable distant…I wouldn’t know what the fuck I was doing.
Last edited by HCZ_Reborn; 30-05-2024 at 09:29 AM.
Well, sure.
My point was in terms of what I think is most important when it comes to voting, I’d suggest that an understanding of the runners and riders and what they’re standing for is higher up than a perfect command of the language.
Although if someone doesn’t speak good English then they wouldn’t pass my very clever test idea anyway. The system works!
And my assertion still remains that like the American guarantees of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness voting is a right in a free and democratic society and whilst I’m not entirely unsympathetic (just mostly so) with your concerns I’d no sooner dilute that right than I would dilute any other.
Why can’t under 18s vote then?
And you literally just finished saying people should be able to speak English.
You say you don’t want to dilute what you see as a right, but your previous post implies you do want to dilute it, just in a different way - in my view a more arbitrary and less useful way.