UK General Election Thread!

[PlasmaTwa2]

Not to be that guy who doesn't read the thread or anything, but have any of the votes been coming in yet?

 

[BlueBalls]

Not to be that guy who doesn't read the thread or anything, but have any of the votes been coming in yet?

The polls close at 10pm (BST). There won't be any actual results until about an hour or so after that.

 

[marquis2]

Tories will always be the party for the rich (just look at their funding). You don't even need to listen to what they say as they are unlikely to care much about state education and the NHS as they represent people who go to private schools and have BUPA healthcare. That said I think Labour are far too liberal in terms of penalising criminals and handing out benefits to whoever plays the system (regardless of race or colour etc as i've seen people of all colours/ethnicities abusing the system which takes help away from the people genuinely disabled or unemployed but looking to work), this any party should be tough on whether liberal or conservative. Abandom the Trident system as it's £97 billion (Greenpeace estimate over 30 years) that WE DON'T HAVE, we can't even afford armour and equipment for our troops and the NHS is on the brink of collapse, international affairs need to be dealt with through dialogue.

I agree about Trident , although we need a nuclear capability simply because we live in a world where they exist.But a system like Trident doesn't seem to fit any present or more importantly future situations.
You are too sweeping about the Tories and the NHS-historically they were the prime movers in getting the Welfare State on the road.Surprisingly, though they won't admit it nowadays Labour dragged its heels. Because Labour was actually in office when the NHS began in 1948 it claims all the credit but in fact all three parties were committed to setting it up once the war ended.The only party to have actually make cuts EVER in NHS funding was Labour in the 1970s.You might find it interesting though to compare NHS spending in Labour strongholds with that in Tory ones. Or road improvements for that matter.
Your view that the Tories are the party for the rich looks a little strange when the gap between rich and poor seems to widen with each Labour government. Bankers seem to have done remarkably well. Have you noticed that the scare stories have been circulated-that they will stop the winter fuels payment and free bus passes ? - total fabrications as these have been specifically safeguarded.

 

[marquis2]

They'll be getting my vote as well. I just got here, and I already want electoral reform!



This is exactly the problem with the current politics, marquis - you're stuck defining one party simply as the opposite of the other. And with the mentality of your first statement, nothing will ever change. The thing is, you no longer have to do that - there's a third option. I've been telling people left and right to vote LibDem if for no other reason than electoral reform - and to end this tactical voting for 'the lesser of two evils'. Why not pick someone else for a change? They may not have a chance of being properly elected, but they do have a chance of being big enough to push through some key things - like reform.

Just think: everyone's vote counting. Yep, even the whackjobs. But if the BNP can muster up 1 or 2% of the vote, they deserve 1 or 2% of MPs - just as the LibDems deserve just under a third. That sounds like democracy to me.

As someone said, anyone can write a good menu but it's what comes from the kitchen that matters.
I'm ambivalent about electoral reform , on the one hand we are effectively disenfranchising a large part of the population , on the other hand countries using the system don't seem to derive much benefit from it.
As for accusing me of polarity, New Labour pinched many of the best ideas from the Tories, which is one of the reasons we were able to benefit from the global boom early on. It's been very difficult for David Cameron to come up with radical new ideas for opposition.In a sense circumstances and events dictate policy. Strangely enough Blair talked about the Third Way in 1997 and so did Hitler back in the 30s.Not a good augur.

 

[sexmadwife]

The UKIP guy got more publicity than he bargained for in the plane crash. He was very lucky to survive.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/northamptonshire/8664260.stm

 

[mrtrebus]

The UKIP guy got more publicity than he bargained for in the plane crash. He was very lucky to survive.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/northamptonshire/8664260.stm

let's hope his political career goes the same way!

 

[mrtrebus]

 

[Ulysses31]

I agree about Trident , although we need a nuclear capability simply because we live in a world where they exist.But a system like Trident doesn't seem to fit any present or more importantly future situations.
You are too sweeping about the Tories and the NHS-historically they were the prime movers in getting the Welfare State on the road.Surprisingly, though they won't admit it nowadays Labour dragged its heels. Because Labour was actually in office when the NHS began in 1948 it claims all the credit but in fact all three parties were committed to setting it up once the war ended.The only party to have actually make cuts EVER in NHS funding was Labour in the 1970s.You might find it interesting though to compare NHS spending in Labour strongholds with that in Tory ones. Or road improvements for that matter.
Your view that the Tories are the party for the rich looks a little strange when the gap between rich and poor seems to widen with each Labour government. Bankers seem to have done remarkably well. Have you noticed that the scare stories have been circulated-that they will stop the winter fuels payment and free bus passes ? - total fabrications as these have been specifically safeguarded.

Labour are just getting desperate and all they can use is scare tactics, the tories will win not because they are any more popular but because the Lib Dems will take a lot of Labours vote. Whoever gets in will have an uphill struggle (like Obama) as the economy is still bad and most policies will involve cutting jobs and services. On the whole they were all pretty boring and whiney and none really worthy of leading this country but I think Clegg was best of the bunch, wud've been great in Menzies Campbell was still leader.

 

[mrtrebus]

It begins, Ch4 Alternative Election Night!

 

[mrtrebus]

Exit poll for BBC, Sky and ITV News predicts a hung parliament with the Conservatives the largest party. The poll puts the Conservatives on 307 seats, Labour on 255, the Liberal Democrats on 59 and others on 29.

 

[Ulysses31]

So boring already I feel like killing myself

 

[mrtrebus]

So boring already I feel like killing myself

 

[mrtrebus]

The first result is in - Houghton and Sunderland South - Labour win.

 

[GregCentauro]

People are being denied the right to vote. What is this? Burkina Faso?

 

[sexmadwife]

Loads of people couldn't vote! First I thought well they should have gone earlier but they just had a women on the TV who went 3 or 4 times to try voting. They are also saying different polling stations used different rules!

 

[PlasmaTwa2]

So I heard you guys have a hung majority?

 

[sexmadwife]

It's still very early but that's what the exit polls say.

 

[Ulysses31]

Thatcher loving Joan Collins is on tv praising Cameron for his family values, this from a woman who's been married like 6 times and her latest toy boy 32 years younger than her. She'll p#ss off back to the states tomorrow to sunny california where she actually lives.

 

[sexmadwife]

Thatcher loving Joan Collins is on tv praising Cameron for his family values, this from a woman who's been married like 6 times and her latest toy boy 32 years younger than her. She'll p#ss off back to the states tomorrow to sunny california where she actually lives.

I know I hope she's not getting any licence fee for this appearance!

They just said that Caroline Lucas might win in Brighton - the more MPs there are from minor parties (except the BNP) to shake up the cozy London club the better.

 

[mrtrebus]

Well, we still don't know whats going on?!? Keep counting folks!
Has David Dimbleby had any sleep?