UK General Election 2010

[emigre]

The election got confirmed the other day so I thought we may as well have a thread on it.

Basically this the biggest election of a lifetime, we're in a economic mess as the country's debt as nearly doubled in recent from 43% of the country's GDP to currently around 15%. However the current Labour government who have been in office for the past thirteen years still have a chance, as the Conservatives have failed to really provide an alternative.As polls from recent months indicate that we're likely to see our first hung parliament since the 1970s.

For those who have a slight interest and but don't know too much I'll give a brief background. Labour are in power, the traditional left wing party. They made shift towards the centre-right so label them socialists wouldn't be correct. However they have precided over a period of high expenditure into health and education though there has been complaints that too much money has been spent on bureaucracy. Though they have done some good such the signing of the social chapter (introduced the minimum wage and other worker's right), seen a decline in reported crime and Peace in Northern Ireland. Thought it hasn't been great eg the economy and Iraq. Currently led by Gordon Brown who is disliked by the majority of the British public though whilst I'm no fan of the man; I do feel that people use hyperbole in describing thier feelings about Browny.

Whilst in the blue corner we have the Conservatives led by David Cameron. Under Cameron the Tories have shifted to more compassionate conservatism which is somehwat akin to one nation conservatism, practised by the likes of Disraeli. However many are critical of the Conervatives as they are hell bent on cutting government expenditure now, especially as the prospective finance minister George Osborne hasn't impressed many at all. However despite the compassionate conservatism repeated by Cameron there are members of the party who do not suscribe to those views, such as MEP Dan Hannan who described the NHS as sixty year mistake despite Cameron praising the NHS for the care it gave to his late son Ivan who had celebal palsly.

Whilst the third party are the Liberal Democrats who did very well at the last Generl Election currently led by Nick Clegg. Clegg hasn't impressed too many including myself though he does have some fans (I swear some Guardian columists love him). However the gem in thier party is thier finance spokesman Vince Cable. Unlike the current finance minister Alaister Darling and George Osborne, Cable is actually an economist and has pretty much owned his rivals. In addition his personal credability is higher than anyother british politican in teh current climate in my view.

There are also parties such as the three nationalsit parties, the SNP (who want independence for Scotland), Plaid Cymru (independence for Wales) and the BNP. THe first two can win seats in their respective country as they viewed as alternatives to main political parties especially the SNP who are currently government in the Scottish parlaiment. The BNP have no next to no chance in winning a seat, the electoral system we use means they have bugger all chance. If we used a PR system than they would but I doubt it. Other parties include the Greens and UKIP who I doubt willwin a seat and htere's Northern Ireland who have thier own party system.

Fuck that was meant to be short.

Personally I think the Tories will be the biggest party but most likely with in a hung parliment or with a small majority of less than twenty. So this could mean we have another election later on if parliament fails to function. However I'll probably vote Labour. In my constituency its really between the Tories and Labour so I'm going for the lesser of two evils. Also I'm not convinced at all by the Conervatives at all, I would regard myself as socially progressive and I think Labour are slightly better than the Tories in that regard. In addition I'm viewing this election closely as I'm politics student at university so I'm interested in the campaign and interpreting the eventual results.

Sorry for the long post but feel free to post even if you live abroad, can't vote etc. I also have to admit I'm interested in what Trolly thinks about this.

(Even if you can't vote in the election, you can vote in the poll)

 

[Hadrian]

If anything I wont vote for Conservative, ever.

Labour well they're slightly better, I really feel that despite them being shit, they can not cock up things any more than the Conservatives and I don't see this form of the Conservative party causing much of a positive change.

That pretty much leaves me with the Lib Dems. They are well meaning and all that, and I have voted for them before but this lot seem more amateurish than the last few Lib Dem teams so I can't say I have much faith in them.

Its difficult for me, also what I see is people thinking near enough the same. Instead of Labour, they'll go Lib Dems while the Conservative faithful stick by Cameron and some uninformed people just go Conservative. Not for their policies but just because its not Labour, and they're the next main party and I can see Cameron getting in just because of this.

I'm not saying those who vote Conservative are uninformed, I'm talking about those people who don't really follow any news that is political.

I can't say I know everything about this, but I do try and follow all parties, what they are doing and so on but at the moment Nick Clegg seems genuine. Tony Blair was when he started and despite a few things he did improve a lot of things for the British people, especially concerning unemployment, unfortunately the people involved with carrying that on fucked it.

 

[Danny600kill]

I don't think ( if I were allowed ) I would vote for Labour or conservatives but I wouldn't vote Lib dem either. The only party after that worth voting for it the Green party and there not my favourite so its basically no vote.

I can see David Cameron and the Conservatives winning the election as most in informed voter will go for as because even if you hate him you have to give him the fact that he is a great public speaker.

 

[Pliskron]

Isn't it Labor that brought the new anti piracy law that's being passed right now. They certainly aren't doing doing anything to stop it.

 

[Thoob]

After the Digital Economy Bill has been passed, if I could vote I'd vote Lib Dem, who are currently the only major party opposed to the bill.

 

[TrolleyDave]

I'm gonna be voting Plaid Cymru, mostly because they've done a good job in Wales. There could be improvements of course but there's a whole heap of reasons beyond what they can control for them. When I moved back to Wales after living down South for years I noticed a pretty huge improvement in the local area.

That being said, if I was still living England I'd probably vote LibDem. They're a little too softly softly for my liking on alot of issues but this election is an important one and every vote counts. I really don't see LibDems getting in power either so it's a safe protest style vote. I definitely wouldn't be voting Labour as they're not exactly what I would consider a Socialist party, they're basically the Conservatives only less honest about it. I could never vote Con, unless it was a Con or BNP situation.

I also wouldn't count out the BNP getting a few seats. They won't get into power obviously, and thankfully, but the amount of support they have is shocking. It's a mix of better propaganda, less racist sounding policies and they're constant spouting on about Patriotism. Of course the whole Collett/Griffin thing on at the moment might change all that. It's shown the party to be the violent Fascists that they actually are. Oh and one their candidates getting arrested for threatening to kill someone recently will do alot of damage as well. The mood of the general public is an odd one at the moment though.

 

[UltraMagnus]

won't vote labour because of dark lord Mandelson, and won't vote tory because they side with nazis in europe...

I will be voting for the UK pirate party or the Lib Dems.

 

[xangelinax]

Dont know who I'll vote for this time around, kinda like what the SNP have done for Scotland.

 

[emigre]

Dont know who I'll vote for this time around, kinda like what the SNP have done for Scotland.

I've been wondering wheter the SNP will do that well tbh considering Labour have beaten them in last two scottish by-elections.

ALso may as well update this thread

I'm wondering what people think about the Lib Dems surge in the polls and wheter it'll actually be long lasting. To me, it seems that the Lib Dems' boost is due to those who never acknowledged as a serious political party, actually starting to listen to them. I watched the debate and I thought is was pretty meh, I didn't learn anything new but I would concede that Clegg was the winnder. Not becasue of his being good but becasue this was the first time he was put on an equal footing as Brown and Cameron. I'm going to say that the last TV debate will be most important as it will be fresh in the electorate's mind.

 

[xangelinax]

Not looked at political things recently but wasnt it 33 for cons, 27 for labour and 31 for lib dems.

 

[alidsl]

Note: I'm too young to vote but I still follow the election

From watching the live debate I would say that the Lib dems have a good chance of getting into power because he just sat there throwing stones at the other two parties, if Brown and Cameron started picking on Clegg then the press would be calling them "bullies".

The debate was rather awkward for a bit (the host guy was telling what to do and it looked terrible) only at the beginning though, I think it's hard to say who I would vote for right now.