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As the British elections "don't" approach us on may 5th i was wondering where do those Brits who can vote or would vote cast there ballot and why. I believe any poll results from this forum would be an very very accurate prediction for the Elections.
I would cast my vote, but im not british and I don't know who's running.
Im going to a pollstation, to vote Libral Dem. at the moment Labour and Conservatives are in a close running and the many smaller partys are winning more seats then ever before, Green Party, even BNP. Hope Blair gets his arse in gear and announces the election soon. Its a good thing he has to answer to the queen if he doesnt. With luck he may be out this time. Im voting Lib dem, because I agree obviously with there policies and there leader is a good and mildly humourous man, Its tempting to vote for Conservative because they have a chance of winning.
I'm voting Conservative, as I will be 18 and 5 days old when the election happens. I absolutely despise Tony Blair and his government with smarmy idiots like Prescott, Brown and Milburn in tow. I agree with the Conservatives' policies, and where I live, the Conservatives are the only party that are likely to take out Labour (I think last time Labour gained 5,000 more votes here than the Conservatives, and the Con gained 15,000 more than the Lib Dems, so it's a clear gap.)
As for predictions: Labour will win but their current massive majority will be heavily reduced.
I'm curious what British political policies are like. For instance, is an American Conservative party very similar to a British Conservative party, or radically different?
Do you read the Daily Mail?Quote:
Originally Posted by Psychotic
Where I live, in Hastings, Labour got around 85% of the vote last time around. So even if I did vote (I'm still a bit young to vote) there wouldn't be much point.
do you read the guardian.Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Manus
Do you read Escort Readers Wives?Quote:
do you read the guardian.
I'll be voting Liberal Democrat. I would vote for Labour but in my constituency Labour have never won, and until recently mine was a wholly Conservative area. However after winning by a small majority, followed by a massive majority, our local MP, Edward Davey has done an absolutely superb job and by voting Lib Dem, the Conservatives chances of getting Kingston Upon Thames back are severely reduced. That's a good thing for me. In my constituency, Labour MP's knock on your door and encourage you to vote Lib Dem, that's how far behind the conservatives they are in Kingston!
Sometimes, yeah, but I prefer The Times. I loved Monkey Dust's satire of the Daily Mail: PAEDO ASIAN INVASION! Greatness :laugh:Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Manus
In all seriousness though, what have Labour done to earn my vote? It appears to me that their entire campaign is based on insulting the Conservatives. OK, they think the Conservatives are awful. Great. But what can they offer as an alternative? Nothing, apparently.
But like I said, I agree with the Conservative policies. Controls on immigration? Yes please. I don't think the NHS can handle more people, especially as a lot of people who immigrate are unwell and want to take advantage of the free system. No to the Euro and EU Constitution? Thank you very much Mr. Howard. Better disclipline in schools? Good, should hopefully cut down on the number of thuggish little chavs running around thinking they're the hardest people in existence.
Plus I've had the displeasure of meeting my local (Labour) MP a number of times and he's an idiot. Absolutely dreadful man. And he's a terrible MP too. Never dares rebel against the Government whips, and never speaks in Parliament (And he will admit to not speaking in Parliament if you ask him about it).
If anyone can give me a reason why I should vote Labour instead of Tory then I'm all ears.
hehe, i agree Psy. The MP for my area (which isn't where i am now cos i am at university at present) is Labour, and completely rubbish. I have also met the Conservative candidate for my area, who's plans for the area seem to be better.
On a grander scale, Michael Howard doesnt strike me as being fantastic but he's not that bad.
And I certainly agree with Psy in that most of Labours campaign seems to be negative at the moment, wheras the Tories are at least attempting to address some of the issues.
So, as far as things go so far, Im probably gonna be voting Tory.
I agree, yet I read the Daily Mail. *ashamed*
Blair will win it again. More to do with the inadequecies of the opposition than anything else. It's more-or-less a certainty.
I read An Phoblacht. :D
I'd agree there. To be honest, I don't think many people voting labour are head over heels in love with them - it's just that compared with the Tories' current record and the current 'obscurity' of LibDem (sadly), I don't think many people are going to waiver.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cuchulainn
You could stick a labour rosette on a donkey around here and they would vote for it..
I'm still too young to vote but in a year and a month, I'll be 18, yay woohooo, anyway, I don't know who I'd vote for, probably not Conservative (sp??) they say they're going to lower taxes but that doesn't take place until next year, I really dislike Tony Blair, so not Labour. Didn't there used to be a monster raving loony party, I'd vote for them if they were still running :love: .
Used to be? They still exist, and I think we should all do ourselves a favour and vote for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.Quote:
Originally Posted by louby_4eva
Psy, about your "Labour just seem to be insulting the Tories" comment, the Tories are doing the same to Labour. Not that I agree with them having a go at each other instead of going on about issues that matter, just thought I'd bring it in.
I'm siding with your prediction however, that Labour will win but with their majority cut down a lot. I'm not sure who I'd like to see in power, I think the Lib Dems would be a nice change, but realistically this election is only ever going to come down to Labour and the Conservatives. Wouldn't mind some more Lib Dems in parliament though.
The points you put across about voting for the Conservatives, I have to agree with. Discipline in schools is something that's really needed. Society needs a bring change in general. I do not enjoy seeing year 7 kids bragging about smoking and being so insolent as to insult teachers. When I was in year 7 (4 years ago) no one would dare say anything against a teacher. Funny how times change. I'm just waiting for a toddler's first word to be a swear word. I would support re-introducing the cane into schools, because let's face it, actions speak louder than words.
Immigration is again, something that I hate the fact we have to put up with here, and that British citizens have to suffer because of it. NHS hospitals aren't as bad as they are made out to be in all cases, I'd like to bring up though. My mother is a cleaner in a local NHS hospital (one that doesn't have an A&E and isn't really the major one in the area, granted) and even Conservatives I know agree it is a clean hospital.
Michael Howard doesn't strike me as being a great leader, so I'm not entirely sure if I would want him as PM. I know Blair's made a rather large number of... errors, we'll call them, yet I think with a reduction of Labour and more Lib Dems and Tories in Parliament, perhaps these errors would be decreased and fixed with the lack of own-party support.
Yes, they have indeed, but I have actually seen the Conservatives give information out on their policies. I may have to look harder, but I haven't yet seen any Labour propaganda about their policies yet. The leaflet that came through the door the other day was filled with lovely "praise" for Michael Howard, calling him a Thatcherite among other pleasant things, with a section on our useless MP.Quote:
Originally Posted by Heath
He doesn't strike me as an especially great leader either, but I've seen plenty of Parliamentary sessions where he has torn strips from Tony Blair in the debates, so it looks like he is at least quick-witted enough to handle Parliament and the Media. He was the Home Secretary in the last Conservative government, so he has held a Ministerial position before, so I do have some confidence in him as a Prime Minister - at least to be better than Gordon Brown (It's only a matter of time) - although I somewhat doubt we will ever see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Heath
I haven't really watched many recent Parliamentary sessions to be honest, been too busyQuote:
Originally Posted by Psychotic
pretendingrevising. Though I didn't know he was the Home Secretary under John Major, though I really don't know a great deal about many politicians. Experience is always good. Though what I have seen of Howard is promising. Howver, it is much easier to be the Leader of the Opposition though. Let's face, it Blair says he'd put 5000 more policemen on the streets, Howard says he'd put 5500. Just to give a made-up example.
About Brown, he's really one of those people I don't like in politics. There's just things about him that I really dislike. Such as the little fits he was throwing about Blair stepping down so he could be Labour party leader. I don't like the idea of someone being the leader of something merely for the title when it should be the responsibility and the want to do good that should earn it. I'd much prefer Howard or Kennedy to Brown.
One thing I really thing the Conservative party need to do is actually branch out to more common people. The public generally have a view of the Conservatives as being more "upper class". What has worked for Labour in the past is generally being seen as more accessable and supportive of the average British person, like they were in the past, yet in reality they aren't really doing that much good. Things such as University top-ups and the NHS are certainly things that aren't going in Labour's favour.
So, any thoughts on the Manifestos that have been released recently?
Lib Dems - lots of medical benefits for everyone, at the expense of 50% on income tax (ridiculous, in my opinion) and also accepting the Euro.
UKIP - Taking Britain back for Britain! I think that's their phrase. I think pulling out of the EU would be disasterous.
Had to laugh at charlie kennedy messing up his lib dem manefiesto launch the drunken scotish midget, how can anyone seriously consider voting for these guys.
I think I'll be voting conservative, IMO Labour have had plenty of time to do a lot of things, but not done too much...For the first time in a while the conservatives look like they could mount a decent challenge, and I agree with a lot of what they are saying.
For the benefit of all the people who don't live in the UK
The General Elections of the United Kingdom (Not just Britain) will have the three main players:
Labour - our current government under Tony Blair, who took an almost reasonable left wing party and turned them into the Conservi-clones we know today as "New Labour".
Conservatives (Tories) - our party officially on the right hand side of the spectrum, and the party that was in power for... well, forever, before Labour won the massive landslide in the 90s. This party still echoes with the memories of Margaret Thatcher, and still seems to stick to the same idea.
Liberal Democrats - These guys are a smaller, less popular party than the two big ones. They used to be the Libra of our political spectrum, trying to achieve balance with their centrist ideas. However, with both the Tories and Labour firmly entrenched in the right side of the line, the Lib Dems are now as leftie as you can get without going to a much smaller political party.
That might be a load of nonsense, but it's UK politics as I understand it, in my own limited way.
The outcome (in my opinion) is pretty easy to guess to be honest. There is no way that the UK is prepared to vote a Conservative government into power yet. For one thing, only the youngest of voters might not remember ol' Maggie Thatcher and her handbag, and that's reason enough for many. The current leader of the party, Michael "something of the night about him" Howard is a...
Well, I've been five minutes trying to think of something polite to say about him, and can't. The guy has fallen to the Dark Side.
The Lib Dems are too small a party to get in - the public just don't seem to think they're viable candidates. If people thought the Lib Dems would win, then faaaar more people would vote for them. However, at the moment a lot of people see a vote for the Lib Dems as a wasted vote. Which is a shame, because it's not.
Labour will win again. Even though Tony took us to war. Even though Tony and his second in command (the Chancellor Gordon Brown) hate each other. Even though the NHS is in pieces (although I can hardly lay the blame for that at labour's feet). Even though all the bad stuff that's happened, and in spite of all the things we have to complain about (and we love complaining) Labour will win. Most voters will still go with Labour, because they have actually done good stuff.
However, things aren't looking nearly as secure this time round for them. And we've got a second vote now, our Proportional Representation vote, that little thing Labour had been fighting tooth and nail for while they were in opposition, but quietly forgot about when they came into power. Our little extra vote that gives the little guys bigger clout. Also, people don't like Labour any more, and they're going to suffer for it. Expect Labour to win, but also expect the Lib Dems and the Tories to really pick up a lot of seats, and Labour's majority in the house to be severely culled.
By the way, Michael Howard's (Tory) idea that Immigration is crippling the NHS is quite possibly the daftest thing I've ever heard him say. Without immigration, the NHS would be well and truly fubared. Totally stuffed. Next time you're in hospital, do me a favour and count the number of doctors and nurses working there that are immigrants. Generally professionals from abroad are cheaper to train, prepared to work longer hours and work harder. They do not come here to live off the fat of the poor hard working white Brit.
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Oh, btw, Lankyman? I love the sig! The Blade Runner script always says c-beams though, for some reason, not Seabeams.
They aren't right. Look at their social, tax and welfare policies. Not very right-wing at all. Definitely left of centre - slightly, yes - but still left.Quote:
Originally Posted by StooJ
What Proportional Representation? The General Election is a First Past the Post system, and always has been. Labour did demand for a FPTP system while out of power, and they did employ a commission to look into it, but nothing has been enacted. However the European and Regional Parliaments use PR. If there is one and I haven't heard about it, I profusely apologise (And please can you give me a link or something explaining it?)Quote:
Originally Posted by StooJ
Most of the doctors who are immigrants have been here a long time, certainly before the Labour party's current spell in power. Recently we've had to employ many more doctors from overseas (From places like Poland) because of asylum seekers and immigrants coming in especially to use the free NHS, and overwhelming it. There's no difference between Britain and France, Germany, or any of the other "Free" countries they have passed through to get here, besides the NHS. Next time you're in hospital, do me a favour and count the number of patients there that are immigrants. Bonus points for those just out of the Channel Tunnel.Quote:
Originally Posted by StooJ
Well, I've got a second vote.
Too tired for the rest just now, but as far as I can recall there were actually very few Poles that entered the UK when the border was opened to them - and most of them were here temporarily for work, not planning to stay permanently.
Unfortunately, I live way up North, so we don't get many chunnelers up here. However, a good chunk of the medics in my year ain't from around here...