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Post by Fortmax2020 on Apr 29, 2015 13:49:14 GMT
No wonder I can't decide who to vote on!!
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Post by Philip Ayres on Apr 29, 2015 15:45:26 GMT
I've decided and voted. My postal vote arrived today and has already been returned.
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Post by Andy Turnbull on Apr 29, 2015 17:08:43 GMT
I've decided and voted. My postal vote arrived today and has already been returned. Same, just back from Post Box now having done my bit for democracy. Andy |
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 29, 2015 17:40:11 GMT
If it helps anyone decide, at work I saw some numbers on food banks. Over 1 million people now need to access them yearly. Figures up 618% in the last year. When I started working in social care food banks did not exist. There was no need for them. Folk in or out of work had enough money to feed themselves.
Ask yourself what the folk in power have done that there is now a need for food banks in one of the richest countries in the world.
-Ralph
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Apr 29, 2015 21:15:53 GMT
Oh don't worry. I have already excluded those responsible for that. For the first time I find myself wanting a 'none of the above' option. Never thought I'd say that but none of the parties are presenting a vision I'm wanting to subscribe to.
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Post by legios on Apr 29, 2015 21:51:41 GMT
My usual party of choice have ruled themselves out through their lap-dog behaviour over the last for years, and by confirming that their central principle is to align themselves with whomever will put them in power. Actually, I suspect my vote this year will probably end up having as much impact on the result here as it usually does - i.e none. But this year, for the first time I'm not sure who is going to win in this constituency. I think it is going to come down to a straight Labour/SNP duel, but I'm not sure who will be still standing once all twelve cylinders have fired.
(Really should cue up some Moriconne music for the walk to the polling station next week - it looks like it might bw appropriate).
Karl
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Post by The Doctor on Apr 30, 2015 7:06:12 GMT
Oh don't worry. I have already excluded those responsible for that. For the first time I find myself wanting a 'none of the above' option. Never thought I'd say that but none of the parties are presenting a vision I'm wanting to subscribe to. Same here. It really was a Least Worst option for me. I don't like any of the parties with all their 'cuts cuts cuts' crap. Remember, they all get an 11% pay rise later in the year for doing fuck all. -Ralph |
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Post by Bogatan on May 1, 2015 10:57:03 GMT
So looking at my local area I see non big three options are UKIP, Green and Yorkshire First.
Yorkshire First it turns out isn't an offshoot of the BNP as it rather unfortunetley sounds, but pro devolution in England, specifically Yorkshire. Not the worst thing in the world, or maybe it is, but once Scotland and Wales got a degree of self rule it seems only fair/inevitable for England to follow. Either way it seemed an option, then I found the candidate has previously run as a UKIP candidate for local council over the last few years.
I'm not sure that alone rules out the party as a good thing, but certainly I can't imagine voting for anyone who thought running for UKIP was a good idea. she left because the party had changed, I can't decide if that improves my impression of her or not as I can not decide how UKIP has changed in the last few years.
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Post by Fortmax2020 on May 1, 2015 14:06:33 GMT
My options are Con, Lab, Lib, SNP, Green or Communist. Not even a token independent to use as a protest vote.  |
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Post by Shockprowl on May 1, 2015 16:53:47 GMT
I'm going to vote 'Jumps Out Window' Party.
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Post by Fortmax2020 on May 1, 2015 21:31:35 GMT
You've clearly just gone for the party loyalty option then!
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Post by Pinwig on May 1, 2015 22:10:12 GMT
And what does this party stand on then? Apart from the window sill?
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Post by Shockprowl on May 2, 2015 21:52:17 GMT
The entire function of a UK under my leadership would be to enable my elevation to omnipotence.
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Post by Pinwig on May 2, 2015 23:33:42 GMT
What's that you say? You need help with your impotence? Problems with elevation? Well at least that's honest. I'd vote for you on that basis alone.
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Post by Fortmax2020 on May 3, 2015 8:06:18 GMT
Order! Order! The gentleman will withdraw comments questioning the Prime Minister's studness.
About 90% sure who I will vote for now. But still in despair about the options.
In some ways I'm hoping the SNP do sweep the board up here in Scotland. They'll create absolute havoc down at Westminster and by crippling the Labour vote let the Tories back in with a minority government. Between the two we'll soon be back at the ballot boxes and people up here might finally twig that they aren't the modern progressive party they claim to be but (still) solely obsessed with Independence despite the Scottish people rejecting that. Nicola Sturgeon can talk all she wants about not having another referendum but out on the streets it's all the saltire waving SNP foot soldiers in the campaign can (still) think about.
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Post by legios on May 3, 2015 10:00:55 GMT
I was actually thinking the other day that Scotland is probably better prepared psychologically for what may well emerge after the election than the rest of the country. I suspect we will be looking at a minority government in place on a "Confidence and supply" basis rather than a formal coalition, Scotland has already had two minority administrations since the Regional Parliament was formed whereas the rest of the country is still wired to think in terms of "one side wins a majority and the other loses". They haven't really got their head around coalition yet, if they end up with a minority administration it will be quite a shift in perception needed.
Karl
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 3, 2015 11:18:41 GMT
I think the south mayhave some interesting stuff happening too.
I don't see any Labour support from last time going anywhere else.
I do see Lib Dem support getting cut massively. I don't see Lib Dem voters last time going right towards the current administration so they'll go left towards Labour.
I think Tory support may be the VERY interesting ones. They've got problems with those who voted for them last time at either end of portion of the spectrum they represent. Those voting on a business and bank balance nature will probably stay put. Those affected by the benefits changes will probably go left. I think a significant portion, not huge, will sadly go towards UKIP. Possibly not enough to gain them many seats but potentially enough to effect the overall outcome in a number of constituancies.
As a result I think labour are the only party that will make significant gains in terms of seats. I suspect we may be looking at a Labour government Friday morning, perhaps not by very much, but possibly enough for an overall majority.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on May 3, 2015 12:34:58 GMT
I'm worried about the SNP swing in Scotland. It could keep Ed Milliband out of Downing Street, leading to another five years of Conservative / Lib Dem coalition, an EU referendum in which England takes the UK out of the EU, leading to another Scottish referendum in which Scotland leaves the UK, and what's left is stuck with a Conservative majority for the foreseeable future. My priorities being heavily weighted towards environmental issues, that would be a terrible scenario.
I don't believe it's healthy for any party to always be in power, and in 2010 Labour was in such a state that it needed to be kicked out for one term, and that being the case I think the Conservative / Lib Dem coalition was significantly better than what a Conservative majority would have been. (I will never vote Conservative.) But I do not want us out of Europe, I want a Westminster government that Scotland doesn't completely despise, and I want an easing back on austerity.
My constituency is borderline between Lib Dems and Labour. I would be happy for the Lib Dems to do well if I knew that they'd enter coalition with Labour, but I can't take the chance of the Conservatives getting more seats than Labour... so this time I'm voting Labour.
If we had proper proportional representation I'd vote Green, but doing so wouldn't help the country as things stand in my constituency today.
Martin
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Post by legios on May 3, 2015 12:58:35 GMT
As a former Liberal-Democrat voter myself, I'm less sure that their vote isn't going to fragment all over the place. I think there is sufficient dissatisfaction in multiple directions there that I can see it going both left-ward and right-ward to a significant degree. Couple that with the distaste that has built up in Scotland for both of the "main parties" (a legacy of a referendum campaign which, whilst unduly triumphalistic on the Nationalist side, was also quite unpleasantly paternalistic on the unionist side - seriously, my sympathies are with the union due to my own history and sense of nationhood but every time a Conservative or (most)Labour politician opened their mouth during the campaign I found myself muttering "please stop helping") which means I can see a fairly brutal massacre of Labour seats up here and I still think there is a very real possibility of no-one achieving a majority.
Given that the Labour party appear to have ruled out any deals with a party that could possibly end up controlling over fifty seats in Westminster that would leave either Labour managing to pull out a deal with someone else to get enough votes on a "confidence and supply" basis to form a government, going into coalition with the Liberal Democrats and whomever else will team up with them, or the Conservatives doing said.
Whichever of them form the main proportion of the government though, austerity is here to stay assuming a formal coalition or a majority government. Although only the Conservatives have talked of it being a permanent feature in so many words the Labour position in practive appears to be that it is "for as long as necessary" - which would seem to reach at least to the current horizon. It will take a political shift of truly cataclysmic proportions to move either party from those positions (and I doubt the Conservative party is institutionally or ideologically capable of it.)
Karl
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Post by legios on May 3, 2015 13:07:58 GMT
I'm worried about the SNP swing in Scotland. It could keep Ed Milliband out of Downing Street, leading to another five years of Conservative / Lib Dem coalition, an EU referendum in which England takes the UK out of the EU, leading to another Scottish referendum in which Scotland leaves the UK, and what's left is stuck with a Conservative majority for the foreseeable future. My priorities being heavily weighted towards environmental issues, that would be a terrible scenario. I'm with you on that one. In fact that was my response when someone asked me if I didn't want mine to be a fairer country in the run up to the Referendum. I observed that I did want my country to be a fairer one, but that I didn't see how part of it seceeding would make my country any fairer - and that it would probably make it less fair. Depressingly, I think the picture that you paint is a plausible one Martin. I can't say that this fills me with joy though. Karl |
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 3, 2015 16:42:37 GMT
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Post by Fortmax2020 on May 3, 2015 23:20:34 GMT
Would love to vote Green but several of their manifesto pledges are so anti-science/research and for arbitrary reasons (when given) I can't do it. Especially when they say they are a pro-science party and evidence based etc. And especially when they had the same pledges in place last time, agreed they were ill thought and said they'd rethink them for this time. Hasn't happened.
Not that I think the other parties are that helpful to research either.
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on May 7, 2015 21:15:03 GMT
Exit poll not looking good. Predicts Conservatives almost having a majority and outnumbering the combined seats of Labour and SNP.
Martin
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 7, 2015 21:18:59 GMT
Oh FFS!
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Post by blueshift on May 7, 2015 21:19:57 GMT
Exit poll not looking good. Predicts Conservatives almost having a majority and outnumbering the combined seats of Labour and SNP. Martin Ew |
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 7, 2015 21:20:56 GMT
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on May 7, 2015 21:25:04 GMT
BBC says exit poll suggests "the Tories will get 316 MPs to Labour's 239" and "the Lib Dems will get 10 MPs, the SNP 58, Plaid Cymru 4, UKIP 2 and the Greens two." Martin |
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kayevcee
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
The Weather Wizard
Posts: 5,527
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Post by kayevcee on May 8, 2015 11:51:35 GMT
Well, it's not great news, is it?
-Nick
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Stomski
Fusilateral Quintro Combiner
YOU INTERRUPTED MY SPEECH!! But don't worry. It won't happen again.
Posts: 6,121
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Post by Stomski on May 8, 2015 12:05:31 GMT
No security here. SNP in danger of sweeping the board everywhere in Scotland. Nice call there sir! |
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Post by Fortmax2020 on May 8, 2015 12:41:13 GMT
Fairly obvious given the blanket saturation the SNP have enacted here and linking it to being 'Scottish' etc coupled with Scottish Labour's ineptness and a general hatred for the Coalition (of which there were only Lib Dems to punish in Scotland).
A Conservative majority and an SNP sweep... I expect a second Independence referendum before the next General Election if it sticks to its fixed term of five years.
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