Forum:UK General Election 2010

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Aaaand they're off...

I know most of you in the US are more concerned about the 2012 elections, but here in the UK, the starting gun has been fired for our General Election on 6th May. We only get a month for our elections, and even then people will be complaining they are bored with the never-ending political process.

Until then, we can look forward to campaigning from the Natural Law Party, The Monster Raving Looney Party, and other unelectable parties, such as Labour.

So pity us poor Brits as we get canvassed to death, or otherwise elicit a collective "meh." Bondurant (talk) 12:44, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

Meh. Javasca₧ the houseplant of all tires! 12:45, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

As an American, it will be interesting to see how elections in the UK compare to those in the US. Ours are dirty, expensive, and the intellectual equivalent of a pie-throwing contest. Thankfully, though, we only have two parties to listen to. Tetronian ^{you're clueless} 12:55, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

Pies? What a waste. Over here we just throw eggs. Anyway, for those of us in the UK, how does the crucial RationalWiki voting demographic break down? Me, I'm happy for Shinyface to get in, and tempted to vote Libdem to give them a miniscule push towards the main two, but i'll probably just go with my personal ideology and waste my vote on the green party. ^{ONE / TALK} 13:14, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

Politics are krap. Having said that, I do think that it's sad that the younger generation is disenchanted with politics. (meh!)

I've been around long enough to learn that politicians, no matter how altruistic they begin, are, by and large, in it for one thing only: their own personal advancement.

If it was a condition of standing for parliament that they should have held down a non-political job for say ten years, I'd have more respect for them.

Everything's run by parties and an individual has little to input if elected. The greatest anti-democratic threat is the party whip. A vote for a non-major party is almost always a vote thrown away. Dunno if PR'd be better but it might change something. ^yummy &  ^honey_{(or marmalade)} 13:20, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

For a dyed in the wool socialist like myself this is one of the most difficult elections ever. One the one hand

• I've voted Labour all my life and, however bad they are, I believe they're better than the others.
• David Cameron - say no more.

On the other hand

• This administration has been in power too long and it's showing. It's arrogance and corruption is reminiscent of the Tories in '97.
• This administration needs a kick up the arse to get it to listen to the people - and I don't just mean the readers of the Daily Mail
• This administration has forgotten - even if it ever knew - what a mixed economy should be about.
• Iraq.

So, although I know where my vote will fall in the end it's with a massive reluctance. Jack Hughes (talk) 13:31, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

Hmm, you're a "dyed-in-the-wool socialist" but you seem to believe in a mixed economy?  Lily ^{Inspirate me.} 11:27, 7 April 2010 (UTC)

I agree almost totally with you, Jack, although I have found myself leaning towards the Lib Dems in the last few years, particularly since Iraq. Bondurant (talk) 13:39, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

I've always seen politics as a balance between one's rights as an individual and one's duties as a citizen. In very broad brush terms the parties on the right are focused on the rights and the parties on the left are focussed on the duties. Each stands just slightly to one side of the median view of the electorate as determined by their focus groups. As such each country has its party of the left and its party of the right and, without proportional representation, there is no room for others. Ever since the party of the left moved from being the Liberals to the Labour party in the mid 20th century the Lib Dems have been also rans, and, unless we change our voting system, will continue to be so. Maybe in a local election... Jack Hughes (talk) 14:02, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

In my constituency, the Lib Dems were the second place party behind Labour in the last election, so even if I wasn't minded to vote for them idealogically, they would be my "not-Labour" protest vote. We have the highest possibility of a hung parliament in over 30 years, and in that event, the Lib Dems change from being also rans to kingmakers. It will be a very interesting election. Bondurant (talk) 14:18, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

In Fylde constituency the Tories got 54% of the vote in 2005 with Labour a distant second at 25%. Maybe I'll just stay home with a large whiskey. I can, however, see why you would vote Lib Dem.Jack Hughes (talk) 14:28, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

This will be my first vote, and I have no idea. There are certain issues that I can't bend on, such as gay rights (which excludes the Conservatives). In fact, I probably won't vote. A waste, but I'd rather do that than vote for a party I don't believe in. --Grey (talk) 14:32, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

Looks like I was wrong. The constituency boundary change since 2005 has strengthened Labour, which was already a 7000-majority seat. I'll stay at home with a pint of whisky on 6th May as well. Bondurant (talk) 14:59, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

This is the first election of any kind I'm allowed to vote in - I was a few weeks shy of the European Parliament Elections last summer - and it's slim pickings. Looking round people's Facebook pages I see more "conservative" political views than I do "liberal," (but mostly I see "What a load of shit," "boring," etc) and I think it's due to Brown's poor leadership in the last few years. I don't want Labour and I certainly don't want Conservative, so I imagine I'll be casting my vote for Lib Dem. Living in a Conservative constituency, it's more than likely we'll end up with the same MP again, who has notably done NOTHING for my constituency, but bitch about Gordon Brown and wipe David Cameron's arse whenever it needs doing. SJ ^Debaser 17:28, 6 April 2010 (UTC)

In 2005 Totnes had the smallest swing to the Lib Dems in the country, allowing Anthony "You're jealous of my castle" Steen to keep his seat. He's gone now, and we have a shiny new tory candidate, who actually has a proper job outside politics. De-torying Totnes just got harder. Meh. Totnesmartin (talk) 22:04, 6 April 2010 (UTC)