Poll: The official I voted/election results thread

[D.P.]

It is very different, we have no way whatsoever to influence the election of non UK meps literally zero say. We do however get a vote in UK elections.

An English voter has zero way to have an influence of SNP seats.

There are 650 seats in the UK, an individual person only has democratic control over one of them.

 

[McPhee]

Percentage of English speaking population in UK is approx %97, the equivalent for the EU as a whole is approx %50, so no its not the same.

Regardless of SNP willingness to join the EU, it does beg the question, if a union between nations that have a lot in common is struggling. How will the EU endure in time.

Also, this is very important I feel. Today we are voting for the government, and they are accountable to the British public.

But the European parliament makes judgements that affects Britain deeply. These decisions are made by MEPs from across Europe. But with the exception of our own MEP's, they are not accountable to the British public.

To me this seems deeply un democratic.

That just doesn't make sense. You'd want an MEP from Germany or Greece to be accountable to the British public? Isn't that a bit like all MPs being accountable to the constituents of Brighton Pavilion? I guess we can sack all of the Tories now then?

Our problem with Europe is the British public can't be bothered with it. We don't seem capable of participating in it sensibly. UK elections are serious business, but the EU elections are a joke by comparison, with the stance of a large block of the electorate being ill thought out at best.

We are under-represented in Europe. This is largely the fault of the public and the MEPs that we elect, not Westminster. Instead of blaming the MEPs, the public seem intent on blaming Westminster and Brussels. As a result, every time there's a European Election we send more Eurosceptic MPs in the hope of making our discontent clear to Westminster and Brussels. The result is even less representation because a certain percentage of those Eurosceptic MEPs are happy to take the salary while doing the bare minimum job.

The sensible solution would be to stop electing the MEPs that don't work hard for us and start electing ones that will. That's the sensible position for everyone in the UK, whatever your view on Europe and whichever party you support. Even UKIP has good MEPs. Want out? Want a referendum? Then vote for UKIP in the general election.

 

[D.P.]

Minimum wage is pathetic. It should not be a 'survivable wage' but should be a 'family wage'.

It isn't even a survivable wage for many. For example if you have 2 unskilled laborers with a children, then if on1 parents has to stay at home (Since child care costs several times the minimum wage), then is extremely difficult to support the family. hence the massive rise in food bank usage just to feed their children.

The minimum wage should not put people below the poverty line.

 

[D13]

What you are forgetting, are these country are very different to the UK. Very small population, with large natural resources. That is very different to the uk.
Every small country with large natural resources does well. It's very easy for such places to have large wages and ample government budgets.

That's a fair point (though as fas as I'm aware Switzerland do not have significant natural resources)?

Either way it's not enough to convince me that Britian cannot exist quite happily outside of the EU, to trade with it, to ally itself militarily. But not to be governed by it.

That's just my opinion, but ultimately we should get the opinion of the rest of the country through a referendum.
Something that almost the entire political spectrum is against. With the exception of UKIP and the Green party.

 

[Tunney]

Yes MEPs are accountable to their respective electorate. But decisions are made that influence the UK, and these decisions are made by MEP's from other nations.

The British public do not select these MEP's yet they have a large say in the laws that govern our country, this to me is deeply un-democratic.

Decisions are made that influence London by MPs from rural parts of Britain. I don't help select the MPs in Cambridgeshire the same way that I don't help select the MEPs in Germany.

What difference does it make?

 

[D13]

That just doesn't make sense. You'd want an MEP from Germany or Greece to be accountable to the British public? Isn't that a bit like all MPs being accountable to the constituents of Brighton Pavilion? I guess we can sack all of the Tories now then?

Our problem with Europe is the British public can't be bothered with it. We don't seem capable of participating in it sensibly. UK elections are serious business, but the EU elections are a joke by comparison, with the stance of a large block of the electorate being ill thought out at best.

We are under-represented in Europe. This is largely the fault of the public and the MEPs that we elect, not Westminster. Instead of blaming the MEPs, the public seem intent on blaming Westminster and Brussels. As a result, every time there's a European Election we send more Eurosceptic MPs in the hope of making our discontent clear to Westminster and Brussels. The result is even less representation because a certain percentage of those Eurosceptic MEPs are happy to take the salary while doing the bare minimum job.

The sensible solution would be to stop electing the MEPs that don't work hard for us and start electing ones that will. That's the sensible position for everyone in the UK, whatever your view on Europe and whichever party you support. Even UKIP has good MEPs. Want out? Want a referendum? Then vote for UKIP in the general election.

Yes I agree, the British people should have a referendum on this issue. The Labour party and Lib dems are committed Europhiles and do not offer a referendum. Cameron is a Europhile and his promise of a referendum means nothing.

So the only choice is to vote UKIP.

 

[Glaucus]

They have a lot of hydro power.

And no we should not get the opinion of the country via referendum. We need to get away from popularity contests not encourage them. The public is clueless about such things and can not make an informed choice.
We need to move towards governments embracing expert opinions, rather than sacking them, when they don't tell govermwnt what they want to hear.

 

[D.P.]

If you compare us to other places in Europe, you can't solely blame that on the Conservatives.

I didn't, just like the recession had relatively little to do with labour.

Employment has gone up.

That is what happens after a recession. And how many are on zero-hour contracts?

Wages are slowly creeping up in areas where they were traditionally lower.
(Where I live)

they haven't kept up with inflation though, minimum wage is unchanged. The wages of the highest earners have increased though, so the average wage is of course better because the rich get richer. And I say that say a high earner.

The 5% first time buyer housing scheme helped my family out a fair bit.

It also raised housing and rental prices.

Retail inflation hasn't been kind to us, but things have been steady and we know where we stand.

And that is the pint, what is needed is economic growth beyond inflation, salary growth beyond inflation for the lowest earners.
Letting people find their feet and just maintaining some stability isn't the worst thing. The growth will come once the market trust improves across the board.

Steady and careful.[/QUOTE]

 

[D13]

Decisions are made that influence London by MPs from rural parts of Britain. I don't help select the MPs in Cambridgeshire the same way that I don't help select the MEPs in Germany.

What difference does it make?

The difference is that the MP's governing our country are being elected in Britain by the British people.

How on earth can we possibly expect a e.g German MEP or a Lithuanian MEP to put Britains interest first? Or even to understand what is in the British interest or what the British public would want?

 

[dalehitchy1]

Yes I agree, the British people should have a referendum on this issue. The Labour party and Lib dems are committed Europhiles and do not offer a referendum. Cameron is a Europhile and his promise of a referendum means nothing.

So the only choice is to vote UKIP.

......................

 

[elmarko]

I disagree, I think the employment demographic of our nation has changed to the point where we don't have the clear-cut working class vs ruling class we had 30 or 40 years ago. There are more shades of grey now and a lot less 'manual labour' jobs which were typically described as 'working class'.

I have an office job and despite only earning around average wage I don't really consider myself as "working class" which in my head is lorry drivers, builders, factory workers etc.

The reality is you are working class, as are a vast majority of the population. Convincing the white collar working class they are 'middle class' was a deliberate tactic to split the public against one other.

 

[D.P.]

Yes I agree, the British people should have a referendum on this issue. The Labour party and Lib dems are committed Europhiles and do not offer a referendum. Cameron is a Europhile and his promise of a referendum means nothing.

So the only choice is to vote UKIP.

Since you clearly don't understand how democracy works why should there be a referendum?

 

[ghutchison14078]

Be sick if SNP and Labour get married!

Given your other recent thread I doubt you should be commenting on marriages

 

[MikeB]

Voted, voted Tory, and if I could I'd love to see Boris Johnson as PM, let's face it, they all suck, some less than others though

 

[D.P.]

The difference is that the MP's governing our country are being elected in Britain by the British people.

How on earth can we possibly expect a e.g German MEP or a Lithuanian MEP to put Britains interest first? Or even to understand what is in the British interest or what the British public would want?

Why should we expect a London MP or a Cornish MP to put Glasgow's interest first?

 

[MikeB]

I thought the Jocks had their own parliament, the English don't!

 

[D13]

Since you clearly don't understand how democracy works why should there be a referendum?

Looking at you're replies I think it is you that is struggling to understand the very basic point I am making.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Since you clearly don't understand how democracy works why should there be a referendum?

I find it quite amusing that you have the second highest number of posts in a 'I voted' thread about an election in a country you live thousands of miles away from and therefore didn't vote in.

 

[D13]

Why should we expect a London MP or a Cornish MP to put Glasgow's interest first?

Well clearly there should be an expectation that MP's while working for whatever constituency, works towards a better and fairer Britain for all.
The Scots decided that wasn't happening so now they are punishing the Labour and Conservatives with their support for the SNP.

If we are not happy with decisions made in the EU parliament we have far less say and influence.

 

[Neil King]

No not at all the reality for most people in this country is earning about 26k per year if they are lucky. I suspect most people in GD earn much more than that, including myself.

The reality for most people is a daily struggle to pay bills have a decent home to live in and to bring up kids.

Tories don't represent that group of people or those below them. Hence why all the polls on GD have been massively skewed; hence GD does not represent the reality of the UK.

I think somebody already mentioned what's missing here is empathy and compassion for your fellow man who for whatever reason may not been as lucky as some of us. Tories do not represent compassion and empathy they represent selfishness, fear and me me me.

I'd rather not put a tick against a party which has such selfish and insular views of the country.

Great post which i completely agree with, I will never vote Conservative in my lifetime, how people can vote for David Cameron is beyond me, he's just a horrible human being with no redeeming qualities whatsoever and completely represents the me me me me society we have today.

I can't be the only one who would love someone to wipe that smug look off his face.