Vote For Sale

The latest eBay controversy is that a London resident has tried to auction his vote in the recent London elections. The Department for Constitutional Affairs (crikey, who are they?) condemned the auction, as did the Electoral Commission, who branded it illegal (though tactical vote-swapping is apparently okay).

For some reason, the media never seem to tire of reporting strange, unusual or illegal items that have been put up for auction on eBay. Past items include a channel tunnel drill (with the winner scrapping it), a passenger ferry, a bucket of tap water, a castle, Swansea University, one of Elvis's teeth, and I could go on...

Some of the items though are reported on with horror, not amusement, such someone's daughter, a kidney or various other body parts, with the finger being pointed at eBay. However, eBay invariably steps in very quickly to stop the auction, most often before anyone reading the report can even visit the link. eBay has a comprehensive list of prohibited items, and usually the media report just gives free publicity to eBay, who are now the de facto name associated with internet auctions.