UK Elections

[Doctor Floptopus]

As many people may be aware, the uk general election is upcoming. This is a thread to discuss the parties, their policies and leaders. All parties, including minority parties such as regional or protest parties.
Remember to respect other people's views and avoid flaming/baiting.

 

[dig]

Voting SNP.

I have great faith in Nicola Sturgeon, I believe her to be a strong leader completely capable of standing outside of Alex Salmond's shadow, I agree with a lot of SNP policies and I feel they have my interests at heart.

I want Scottish Independence, I agree with their economic promises, and I have faith that a vote for the SNP is a vote to keep the NHS as a public service. My mind was made up before the referndum, and I can't imagaine any other party will be able to sway my choice away.

I predict that Conservatives will win, but not as well as they did in the previous election. Labour will obviously be the main opposition, Lib Dems could really go either way but I see their number of MPs decreasing a bit. The threat of UKIP will probably lead to just one seat.

 

[Beth Pavell]

I predict that Conservatives will win, but not as well as they did in the previous election. Labour will obviously be the main opposition, Lib Dems could really go either way but I see their number of MPs decreasing a bit. The threat of UKIP will probably lead to just one seat.

I reckon that'll be about right. My current guess is that we'll see another coalition government. I'm not convinced that any party really has the support to win outright - as far as the minor parties are concerned (Especially UKIP), relative to their size it might well prove a good election for them, but in the big scheme of things not good enough to make a significant difference to the final result

 

[dig]

Yeah, it's unlikely that any one party will get in with a majority. I could definitely see us getting Tory & Libs again, and David Cameron is a good politician and leader but I just don't find myself agreeing on his policies that much.

 

[Rainbow Cloud]

I voted for the Conservatives in the last General Election and I'm going to vote for them this time too. I'm voting for them becase I trust them more with the economy, I think things might get better if the country is able to pay off all its depts, I don't really think borrowing more money is a good idea.

I think we'll probably get another hung parliament though, I think it will all come down to how many votes Labour loses to the SNP and how many the Tories lose to UKIP.

 

[Doctor Floptopus]

If I could vote, I'd vote green or Plaid Cymru. It seems to me that their policies are the best.
Or I would vote loony, especially what with this:

Gotta Catch 'em all
Pokemon to be considered an endangered species.

But never ever UKIP.

 

[Beth Pavell]

I might end up voting Green out of spite, rather than for their policies. The Greens don't really have much of a coherent roster of policies - though I am yet to read through manifestos, admittedly

 

[dig]

I might end up voting Green out of spite, rather than for their policies. The Greens don't really have much of a coherent roster of policies - though I am yet to read through manifestos, admittedly

I'd read up on them before casting your vote.

What turns me away is their sexist policy of abolishing prison sentences for women that commit small crimes, the argument being that women can develop mental health issues whilst in prison, and also cannot take care of their children whilst serving a sentence. I shouldn't need to spell it out for anyone why that's a horrible policy to support. In many ways I like the Greens, but with a policy like this I'd lump them in as unelectable as UKIP.

 

[Muur]

Labour because screw Cameron. They also believe in the NHS and low Uni fees.

 

[CrackFox]

Yeah, it's unlikely that any one party will get in with a majority. I could definitely see us getting Tory & Libs again, and David Cameron is a good politician and leader but I just don't find myself agreeing on his policies that much.

I think the Labour party coud have the majority. Labour is always heavily supported due to the huge amount of lower/working class people in Britain today. I think David Cameron has done a terrible job, everything he stands for is wrong. Cutting vast amounts of NHS services, cutting disability benefits, bedroom tax, he's done so much damage to the common man. The Tory party serve their own kind which are the minority in this country.

I really think Labour have got it in the bag this year. UKIP is a joke and the others have the interests of the rich.

 

[Beth Pavell]

I really think Labour have got it in the bag this year. UKIP is a joke and the others have the interests of the rich.

I wouldn't be so quick to call it just yet. Don't forget that lower class people don't vote as much, even less so in recent years now the Brand-esque idea of abandoning democracy in favour of placard-waving has started to sink in. Labour could form part of a coalition but I would be astounded to see them get a majority

 

[Muur]

Well Cameron screwed over my age age group when he tripled uni fees and guess what... we're all old enough to vote now! they were increased for what would've been my first year at uni. Instead, I didn't go cuz who want 30 grand debt after getting out?

I've said it for years but the conservatives are screwed. I'd be shocked if they won.

 

[Beth Pavell]

I'd say he screwed you over when he started churning out unregulated Apprenticeships at half of minimum wage instead of creating real jobs. The Uni fees thing has been blown out of proportion - yes, on paper it looks like a lot, but you also have to actually earn a decent amount before you even start to pay it back

 

[dig]

I think the Labour party coud have the majority. Labour is always heavily supported due to the huge amount of lower/working class people in Britain today. I think David Cameron has done a terrible job, everything he stands for is wrong. Cutting vast amounts of NHS services, cutting disability benefits, bedroom tax, he's done so much damage to the common man. The Tory party serve their own kind which are the minority in this country.

I do generally agree with you, I'd vote Labour if SNP wasn't an option for me, I've voted Labour in the past. I don't think Cameron's done a terrible job, it's not like he's caused a world war, but he's generally a leader by and for the wealthy. Too many cuts that affect the working and middle class, privatisation of the NHS for sake of selling it off - not improving. Austerity hurts the common folk, not the wealthy Tory voting landowner employing apprentices in lieu of paying a proper wage.

I wouldn't be so quick to call it just yet. Don't forget that lower class people don't vote as much, even less so in recent years now the Brand-esque idea of abandoning democracy in favour of placard-waving has started to sink in. Labour could form part of a coalition but I would be astounded to see them get a majority

I think it's too close to call, we can only speculate. Conservatives could very well win since they actually have a leader that doesn't look constantly unsure of what he's doing. Ed Milliband is awful, IMO, he really does just come off as a man in shoes far bigger than his feet.

I've said it for years but the conservatives are screwed. I'd be shocked if they won.

I wouldn't be too shocked, too many young'uns don't vote, whilst older people will make more effort to vote. That and most PMs get a second term.

I'd say he screwed you over when he started churning out unregulated Apprenticeships at half of minimum wage instead of creating real jobs. The Uni fees thing has been blown out of proportion - yes, on paper it looks like a lot, but you also have to actually earn a decent amount before you even start to pay it back

Don't get me started on these hopeless apprenticeships - getting paid a tiny amount to "learn" something as menial and simple as shopfront work. I think its disguting that businesses can't get away with advertising an apprenticeship when they're really just looking to cut costs.

 

[Rainbow Cloud]

To me it seems like Labour only cares about the middle classes these days, they haven't cared about the working class for a long time. They just take the working class for granted and assume we'll always vote for them. The Conservatives are fundementally flawed as well, I think there good with money and economics, but they tend to favour the richer people in society, I guess I just see the latter as the lesser of two evils.

 

[Jolene]

This election is basically my Superbowl. I've been following closely and I predict another Hung Parliament with a Conservative victory, albeit with a smaller majority. You guys somehow manged to break Duverger's Law because FPTP isn't resulting in 2 party results anymore.

If I lived in Britain I would most likely vote Tory. Based on the debate, the leftist nationalists and greens all echoed each other, Labor is Tories ft more spending and the Lib Dems just seem to have lost direction. UKIP impressed me the most in the debate, however due to strategic voting by the right I doubt they will get a lot of seats.

I am honestly excited to watch this play out, as an Anglophile American.

 

[Beth Pavell]

To me it seems like Labour only cares about the middle classes these days, they haven't cared about the working class for a long time. They just take the working class for granted and assume we'll always vote for them. The Conservatives are fundementally flawed as well, I think there good with money and economics, but they tend to favour the richer people in society, I guess I just see the latter as the lesser of two evils.

You can partly blame the Unions for that. The Unions have had all of Labour's hypocrisy, but worse (They don't represent the working class, they represent their members. And mostly those members at the top of the Unions), persist in their belief that they own the party. On thing I like about Labour at the moment is this attempt to move away from the idea that they're a party serving the interests of the connected public sector.

I can't stand the Conservative way of doing things. It's not the economic prudence that gets to me so much as the blatant hypocrisy. They're a party that wants all the trappings of power whilst selling off their responsibilities - a party that gives income tax breaks to the rich with the excuse that the revenue's not worth collecting ... but that same revenue is apparently worth squeezing from people who can barely afford to pay their rent. Presents and new toys for London and the South East, slashed budgets for the Midlands and the North.

So for me, as far as the economic issues are concerned, neither Labour (With their suspicious raft of promises) nor the Conservatives cut the mustard

 

[Majestic-Six]

Labour will definitely win this year.
As long as UKIP don't win I'm happy.
Lib demand don't even stand a chance.

 

[The Thin White Duke]

Labour will definitely win this year.
As long as UKIP don't win I'm happy.
Lib demand don't even stand a chance.

My thoughts exactly. I never liked UKIP, they keep digging themselves into trouble, and I remember the Lib Dems had a discussion a few years ago about the defunct letter zog. That was the best thing they could talk about?

 

[dig]

Lib demand don't even stand a chance.

Yeah, at the end of the day they sold out many first-time voters by promising no increase to uni fees, and then going back on it. I think for a generation, this is Lib Dems' parallel to Scotland's Poll Tax as introduced by Thatcher - an additional fee for people that mostly could not afford it, albeit on a much smaller scale.

I remember the Lib Dems had a discussion a few years ago about the defunct letter zog. That was the best thing they could talk about?

I googled zog and it turns out it's used a bit in Scotland, as in the 'zee' sound in MacKenzie & Dalziel. That's mildly interesting.