So sorry for your loss. RIP Chelsea

If only there had been some way to know sooner, maybe like approximately seven years in advance? Though most of those people could be given seven decades and still wouldn't get their act together in time

Aside from anything else, right-wing and indeed reactionary candidates can and do already get nominated (see the 2018 ballot paper for evidence). The idea that the nomination process was the reason for a short ballot paper this time out is just ridiculous, it was the dearth of plausible candidates

Presumably it will *not* be FF's people correcting the record, as they try to forget the whole thing ever happened, but perhaps a journalist might see it as their responsibility?

Would the secret ballot be in jeopardy under Baxter's beady eye?

Keep going, it only makes me stronger! 🤣

In that we wouldn't have an arbitrary age barrier that has nothing to justify it, yes, for sure! As for whether it would have resulted in extra prospective candidates who would have added gravitas to proceedings… no idea :-) But presumably not worse than the exploding clown car we've witnessed.

I don't disagree, but that's not what I'm asking. In this race alone, plenty of unsuitable potential candidates have been prevented from reaching the ballot paper despite clearing the age bar, though the process still looked like a farce at times. Would it really have been any less dignified?