Voting, is it just me?

mcast123

mcast123

mcast123

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I'm pretty sure there's a general election sometime this week, although I'm not sure which day without google (seriously). I also think there are three parties that seem to be favoured, conservative with the guy that FT thinks is good for the economy, labour with the scottish current PM and liberal democrats have a guy that did well on the telly. All parties seem to have leaders that went to "hand movement" school, (I sometimes watch the news with the sound off) and there's a strong possibilty of none getting full power.

The only reason I remotely care is a hung parliament will be bad for the UK economy. You can criticise me, but this is honestly the extent of my knowledge of British politics.

I'm going to hell :eek:
 
mcast123 said:
The only reason I remotely care is a hung parliament will be bad for the UK economy. You can criticise me, but this is honestly the extent of my knowledge of British politics.
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Why would a hung parliament be bad for the UK economy? Because someone said so? Do the shops have to be ready to board up their premises on May 7th just in case?
 
An OP clearly designed just to provoke a reaction if you ask me.

That's is fine if that is the extent of your knowledge, democracy is such that you dont have to care if you dont want to.

I'm not going to patronise you by telling you you cant complain or have a say if you dont vote or remind you that people died for that vote. It's your choice.
 
The election is tomorrow, Thursday 06 May 2010.

You will be directly voting for who you want to be a Member of Parliament (MP) to represent your electoral ward/parliamentary constituency.

There are many parties from whom you can choose. However, many constituencies are historically strongholds for one of the big three parties, who are: Labour (currently in power), Conservatives (also known as the Tories), and Liberal Democrats (this party hasn't been in power for a long time but are currently experiencing a resurgence of sorts thanks in part to the televised debates and Web 2.0.). For the past few generations, Labour (who are now a weird evolution of themselves known as NuLabour) and the Tories have effectively taken it in turns, with the third major party, the Lib Dems, effectively being sidelined.

The parties usually have a colour to identify them: Labour (Red), Conservative (Blue), Liberal Democrat (Yellow), etc.

Whoever wins the the election in your local area will become a MP representing your consituency.

Each MP will as a consequence be a member of a politically aligned party.

Whichever party gains the most seats in parliament gets to form a majority government and the leader of the party becomes Prime Minister (PM), so don't make the mistake of thinking you're voting for a President; you're voting firstly for the MP in your area and by consequence their party. If there is no party that holds the majority of seats, this can lead to a minority government whereby legislation will become much harder to push through. In such cases, governments often try to make bargains with other parties so that their numbers will become a majority and thus push through certain legislation.

Each party has a manifesto (their proposed policies for the future) on their website. The BBC have also included an election section where policies and differences have been simplified. It will also explain the difference between a majority/minority government, etc.

I suggest you read up on the three major party's manifestos. If none support your views, you may belong to a more fringe party, such as UKIP, Green, or BNP, etc. who realistically do not have any real chance of forming a government this election. You have a day to do this.

If however, you failed to register or are not already registered, you will not be eligible to vote anyway. You will know if you're eligible as you should've had an electoral-roll card come through your letter-box by now.
 
mcast123 said:
a hung parliament will be bad for the UK economy.
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And you know this becuase?

There are plenty of countries around the world where coalition are formed and the country contiues on rolling and the world doesn't end. Dont beleive it just because it's what Cameron says.

What it actually means is that instead of the wishes of the winner of the election making all the decicions without opposition regardless of the fact that the MAJORITY of the country didnt vote for them, the sides that work together get things done that the MAJORITY wants done.
 
mcast123 said:
I'm pretty sure there's a general election sometime this week, although I'm not sure which day without google (seriously).
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Me too but I don't live in the UK any more so I don't really care ;)

Pretty sure the Conservatives will win the election anyway not because of their policies but because the general public (from what I have heard) think they would do a better job than Labour have done.
 
I don't know who I'm going to vote for. I don't think I fit into either camp (left or right wing) and I don't know enough about economics to form an opinion on the state of the economy.

All politicians annoy me, as do most party members. I don't understand how anyone can possibly feel strongly enough about one particular party when so many policies are so similar, and there are bound to be some that you disagree with.

I've done numerous online surveys and had a different result each time. I find myself clicking "skip", or "open-minded" on 80% of the questions.

The only thing I think I care enough about is that I'd like to see some form of proportional representation.

I don't want to not vote, but I don't know who I should vote for. Anyone else in a similar situation?
 
p4radox said:
I don't know who I'm going to vote for. I don't think I fit into either camp (left or right wing) and I don't know enough about economics to form an opinion on the state of the economy.

All politicians annoy me, as do most party members. I don't understand how anyone can possibly feel strongly enough about one particular party when so many policies are so similar, and there are bound to be some that you disagree with.

I've done numerous online surveys and had a different result each time. I find myself clicking "skip", or "open-minded" on 80% of the questions.

The only thing I think I care enough about is that I'd like to see some form of proportional representation.

I don't want to not vote, but I don't know who I should vote for. Anyone else in a similar situation?
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Yep, although I'm voting Lib Dem since they plan to replace the Digital Economy Bill with "something better", and almost anything will be better than the way it currently is. Apart from that the parties are pretty similar. I would have voted SNP if they had a chance of forming a government and with someone other than Salmond... But lets not open that can of worms xD
 
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p4radox said:
I don't want to not vote, but I don't know who I should vote for. Anyone else in a similar situation?
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Many.

The problem is really that they are all in the middle somewhere between interventionism/socialism and capitalism/liberalism - and unless you read and take in fully each of their manifestos, you couldn't hope to see any real idealistic difference between them.

In the past it may have been more obvious - Labour's socialism & nationalisation vs. Tory capitalism & privatisation (with the Lib Dems squeaking somewhere behind them).

Now, well, they're all middling in terms of ideology. What's the REAL difference?
 
Also don't forget that older historical leanings still heavily influence the vote. Up here for example there are predominantly labour flyers in windows. Maggie Thatcher is a hated name (still) up North.
 
mcast123 said:
The only reason I remotely care is a hung parliament will be bad for the UK economy. You can criticise me, but this is honestly the extent of my knowledge of British politics.
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It’s finally arrived. For just the second time this decade, you are finally allowed to make a choice and have your voice heard by the 646 Members of Parliament who are supposed to represent you in our democracy. For the rest of time, you may rest assured they will be working furtively for their Parties, big business, Unions or Lobbyists whilst stuffing as much of your cash into their own pockets as possible.

And if on Friday, you awake to find nothing has changed, to find the culprits, you need only look in the mirror.

You’re never going to be asked or consulted. Think tanks and focus groups exist to do that. Armies of special advisers and policy analysts, career politicians and vested interests will beaver away making sure that your voice is not going to be heard.

And when, as Greece is finding out, it finally dawns on you that it was all just the false promises of an overstretched double glazing salesman, desperate for you to sign on the dotted line so he could claim his commission, it will be you and your children who will have to pay yet again to get out of the mess they got us in to in the first place. And promise to get us out of it they will. As long as you’re the ones paying. Just sign here, Madam, and all will be well. We’ll keep the draughts out.

So make your choice wisely today. They won’t be asking us, the people, what we actually want for another half a decade and in the meantime our wishes, our dreams, our aspirations and yes, our solutions will count for absolutely nothing. Because only they matter.

You’ll continue to be monitored, recorded, assessed and legislated against. You’ll continue to work even harder to feed the ever growing behemoth that is the State as it lumbers clumsily and expensively along. You’ll continue to lose your rights to live as an individual as Government puts its own needs above all else and you’ll continue to be treated with abject disdain by those we supposedly elected to represent us.

Remember, we are where we are because of Politicians. Don’t look to them for the answers.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss (the Who – Won’t get fooled again, 1971)

^^ Summed up perfectly
 
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mcast123 said:
I'm pretty sure there's a general election sometime this week, although I'm not sure which day without google (seriously). I also think there are three parties that seem to be favoured, conservative with the guy that FT thinks is good for the economy, labour with the scottish current PM and liberal democrats have a guy that did well on the telly. All parties seem to have leaders that went to "hand movement" school, (I sometimes watch the news with the sound off) and there's a strong possibilty of none getting full power.

The only reason I remotely care is a hung parliament will be bad for the UK economy. You can criticise me, but this is honestly the extent of my knowledge of British politics.

I'm going to hell :eek:
Click to expand...

You seem annoyed that our possible future PM's had a good education.. why?
 
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