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Thread: All quiet on the Election?

  1. #1
    Master nikalas's Avatar
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    All quiet on the Election?

    Despite a flurry of threads and debates early on, everyone's gone very quiet now. Are folk completely bored of the whole thing or has everyone already decided who they're going to vote for?

    Still an undecided floating voter in a marginal constituency myself and enjoying the debates. A bit irked by the SNP moaning on about not being included in them... seems a bit wanting your cake etc..

  2. #2
    Grandmaster IanDarkpeak's Avatar
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    Re: All quiet on the Election?

    The way I see it is it isn't going to matter who you vote for,(as long as you do vote), It will be a hung parliment and so we won't get to decide which party will govern us next.

    Either way there will be another election next year as no party will have a strong enough mandate to hold on to power....

  3. #3
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Re: All quiet on the Election?

    I'm not sure if it will be a hung Parliament. Momentum is an important factor in elections.

    One thing that is for certain is that Labour do not have it. They had managed to climb in opnion polls and make a Tory outright Govt less likely until the budget and then they have slowly dropped down and are consistently under 30% now.

    The Lib Dems did have it after the first TV debate, and the big question was, could they maintain it?

    The Tories clearly had it until the first TV debate, and then lost it. Have they regained it?

    My gut feeling is (and you might say he would say that wouldn't he!) that the Lib Dems gained purely on the show of the first TV debate. The policies now have been looked at, and the instant reaction perhaps become more measured.

    I see a change over the last few days in the polls where The Tories seem a couple of % higher whilst the Lib Dem seem a couple of % lower.

    A lot will rest on the last debate on Thursday.

    My gut feeling is that the Tories will get to around 37% at the election with Lib Dem on around 29% and Labour imploding to around 24% and I think that will give us a small Tory majority.

    I question the TV debates though. The "other" seem to have been totally frozen out. There's no doubt that the Lib Dems have picked up a bit from Tory and Labour as a result, but with the recent distrust of mainstream politicians I think many were expecting "others" to poll quite high this year, as a result of a protest vote.

    UKIP, Green and BNP will be largely insignificant as the debates seem to have focussed that protest vote on Nick Clegg.

  4. #4

    Re: All quiet on the Election?

    The Lib Dems are the only party to have grabbed my attention - with their policy ideas though not with the TV debates, which I haven't watched and don't really agree with.

    Only thing I don't really like about them is their fervent pro-European-ness.

    And they are merely the best of a bad bunch. None of the parties really offers any prospect of change - or of stopping this country turning into a giant bloody Tesco with a carpark the size of Wales.

  5. #5
    Master nikalas's Avatar
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    Re: All quiet on the Election?

    OK, as I said, I'm a floating voter in a Labour / Conservative marginal. Policy and belief wise I'm probably nearest to the Lib Dems and, although a vote won't count for much in my constituency, I think that it's time for people to stop thinking like that, give them a significant % of the vote and give more credence to the obvious need for electoral reform.

    So, I'm definitely leaning yellow... convince my otherwise.

  6. #6
    Master Wheeze's Avatar
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    Re: All quiet on the Election?

    I,ve already voted....will be away on the day. So they can bluster all they want. I just zone out now.
    It's an odd time. Traditional western religions are on the decline, who gives a fig about the Monarchy and our embrace of politics seems lukewarm. Perhaps its a good thing because it means that most people are reasonably settled? But it makes you worry about what is going to be the first thing to upset the apple cart. A rise of fundamentalism leading to civil unrest? An acute shortage of oil/energy? A dramatic shift in global climate?? Or something totally unexpected. Whatever, to me it feels like a calm before a storm.
    Simon Blease
    Monmouth

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    Master Muddy Retriever's Avatar
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    Re: All quiet on the Election?

    Quote Originally Posted by Witton Park View Post
    I'm not sure if it will be a hung Parliament. Momentum is an important factor in elections.

    My gut feeling is that the Tories will get to around 37% at the election with Lib Dem on around 29% and Labour imploding to around 24% and I think that will give us a small Tory majority.
    Touch and go for an overall majority with those figures. The BBC swingometer leaves the Tories 4 seats short.

    Personally, I can't see the Labour vote falling that low. I think they have a hard core of support that pretty much supports them come what may. I think the best hope for the Tories is the Lib Dem support slipping back towards 20%. A Sunday Times poll published yesterday showed their support as being more fragile - only 40% of their supporters saying they defintely won't change their mind before polling day compared with around 60% for the other two.

    Cameron's best chance is to go for Clegg big time on Thursday when the debate will focus on the economy. The Lib Dems would like to see the UK adopt the Euro which would have been a disaster for us over the last couple of years. They also haven't come up with a credible plan to fund their planned increase in the personal allowance to £10,000.

    But on the other hand there is no doubt that Clegg has been an able performer so far. It's hard to see beyond a hung parliament really. I think the Tories have too much to do.

  8. #8
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Re: All quiet on the Election?

    Quote Originally Posted by nikalas View Post
    and give more credence to the obvious need for electoral reform.
    THis is what I don't understand.

    OK, the current system has it's flaws, but at least everyone knows who their MP is. Do you know who your MEP is?

    Look at the Euro elections and some of the EU States with PR. Our Euro elections are an open door for fringe parties, with very little support, to gain influence. Back in the 1970s, 3 Plaid Cymru MPs had the balaance of power to keepo Labour in.
    I would argue that this isn't right.

    I would maintain our current system for MPs. Balance the size of consituencies at 100,000 population +/- 5K which would mean more balanced representation and fewer MPs.

    I would have the House of Lords formed partly on the basis of PR from the General Election.

  9. #9
    Master nikalas's Avatar
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    Re: All quiet on the Election?

    Yes I do.

    Electoral reform doesn't have to mean full-on PR. The biggest flaw is that the current "Election Circus" is only really aimed at about 100,000 undecided in marginal constituencies... this is just insanity and hardly democratic. Whilst I accept the fact that lunatic fringe and single issue parties will gain representation and, as I've said before and started a thread on, was appalled that the North West sent Nick Griffin to Brussels, the more I see and hear of such parties the more idiotic/evil they seem and now I'm convinced that giving them exposure is the best way to get rid of them.

    First Past the Post isn't democratic, creates jobs for life for lazy MP's and doesn't encourage people to vote.

    We need something new in this country and a hung Parliament and subsequent electoral reform could be the catalyst for change and finally an incentive for the parties to differentiate from each other and stop the constant scrabbling for the middle ground.


    Quote Originally Posted by Witton Park View Post
    THis is what I don't understand.

    OK, the current system has it's flaws, but at least everyone knows who their MP is. Do you know who your MEP is?

    Look at the Euro elections and some of the EU States with PR. Our Euro elections are an open door for fringe parties, with very little support, to gain influence. Back in the 1970s, 3 Plaid Cymru MPs had the balaance of power to keepo Labour in.
    I would argue that this isn't right.

    I would maintain our current system for MPs. Balance the size of consituencies at 100,000 population +/- 5K which would mean more balanced representation and fewer MPs.

    I would have the House of Lords formed partly on the basis of PR from the General Election.

  10. #10
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
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    Re: All quiet on the Election?

    What is the middle ground. I find the whole left wing / right wing tagging of parties strange - and I appreciate they do it themselves. I would like more common sense in politics and more honesty.

    Brown said yesterday that he would deliver a country that was fairer for all. How can that be? Fair for all. That would be his interpretation of fair. I might not feel it is fair on me, but if Gordon says it is, then I'm being unreasonable.

    I support a return to the death penalty. I suport 5 years meaning 5 years, with time added on for bad behaviour not deducted for good behaviour. I support a return to Grammar Schools. All other secondary schools would be like the 60s, where they had academic streaming and vocational options.
    I support work fare. I support possible withdrawal of benefits even for the disabled if they refuse work that would be appropriate.


    All that would be seen as Right Wing.

    But I support a fully Public Owned Rail Network and Local Bus Network. I support a fully state owned Royal Mail. I support free NHS treatment for all including dental treatment. I support free University Tuition for all students on leaving school.

    They would be left wing - I think.

    So perhaps I'm confused?

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