UK General Election 2015 "p.g. 12 DOOM!"

[Badnik Mechanic]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pji_IX-UacM

If you live in the UK and have the slight interest in the news or politics, odds are you've probably noticed that whilst it's not been announced, the General Election campaign has more or less been started by all the main political parties.

Unless you think that reduction in tax on beers and smokes was just George Osborne being nice the other week?

I figured that whilst the election is in a few months time, it would be good to have a topic on it. You might have seen it, but there was a TV debate tonight, well you can call it that, it was more an interview session with Jeremy Paxman then an audience Q&A. Cameron and Milliband, but not at the same time, they took it in turns.

I'm going to try and keep this opening post as neutral as possible so from now on jokes and cynical content will be down to a minimum.

Anyway.

The Main Parties:

Labour, Conservatives/Tories, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party (SNP),

The not quite main Parties:

Green Party, UKIP,

The 'oh yeah I forgot about them parties':

English Democrats, There's a Welsh party whose name totally escapes me.

Parties we'd like to see win because they sound funny and wear silly hats:

The Monster Raving Loony Party (Yes my US friends, this is a real political group).

TV Debate Dates:

26 March: Live Q&A on Channel 4 and Sky News with Cameron and Miliband separately, presented by Paxo and Kay Burley

2 April: Debate with seven party leaders on ITV, hosted by Julie Etchingham

[Brad]

Green is the only one with a majority of policies I agree with, so I'll be voting for them. They're very liberal and I'd like to see them shake things up.

 

I can only hope UKIP crashes and burns. Don't fuck this up United Kingdom, please.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Green is the only one with a majority of policies I agree with, so I'll be voting for them. They're very liberal and I'd like to see them shake things up.

 

I also liked the idea of Green.... but the more I've looked into them, the more I don't like them/think it's a good idea.

 

I'd love the idea of no tuition fees, yet at the same time I look at that 50% tax rate for high earners, and I just think 'that's a REALLY bad idea' also I'd quite like to see how they answer some more tough questions, especially after that new housing disaster.

 

Though personal prediction on how this year will go.

 

Hung Parliament. It'll either be Labour or Conservative with a majority, no clue which though

[Wentos]

Man, I might actually follow politics if they sounded as entertaining in the US as they do in the UK.

[iDEATH]

I've no idea which way I'm voting, but I'm looking forward to seeing the debates, not that I think they'll matter much in the long run. 

 

Missed last night's but I'll catch up on it at some point.

[iDEATH]

 

Here's last nights debate for anyone who missed it.

[SuperLink]

Man, I might actually follow politics if they sounded as entertaining in the US as they do in the UK.

Believe me they're not entertaining in UK at all ^^; because like the title says "whoever wins we lose", it's a time where everyone in britain comes together in realisation that our country is fucked no matter what we do.

 

I'll probably be voting Green too simply because I hate most of the other parties so much. There's no way Green will win but if they did perhaps the pressure of the reality would spur them on to think and behave more realistically without losing sight of their goals. In terms of goals, Green are probably the only "good guys".

 

Also if UKIP wins I'm going to be seriously considering leaving the country. What's really worrying is that so many people in Europe lately seem to have a hard-on for stricter nationalistic ideals which is gross.

[Stacy]

Agh sick of it already! I will be voting probably Labour but that's mostly because they pledge to ditch the bedroom tax though I don't know if they plan to alter the the complete shambles the Tories have done to the benefit system if they did I would vote for them. Dosen't help I just wish Ed Milliband wasn't sure a boring uninspiring leader why can Labour have strong leaders these days? I haven't forgotten the bad mess they've done leading Cameron to power but they have made the only pledges I am interested in. Of course no promises never trust a politician.

 

 

I will not vote Tory that is for sure. I won't vote Greens they are the left la la land just like UKIP is in the right la la land. SNP no thanks they have no interest in the rest of the country and despite them being socialist they are Nationalist party (yes I know that don't mean their fascists but they attract a lot of bigots just like the BNP and UKIP which they used to gain votes in the referendum)  so no thanks. 

 

As for the Lib Dems? Who wants to vote for the suck up party?

 

Watch one minute nineteen seconds in. 

https://youtu.be/OHOUgUBszds?t=1m19s

[Your Vest Friend]

So the first interview round was last night, and Cameron apparently admitted that he couldn't live on a zero hour contract.

I'd say I'm shocked, but that would be lying.

[Willsy]

To be perfectly honest, this election in particular just seems like a case of picking your poison. The two big parties (Labour and Conservative) both have their perks and flaws but the flaws seem to outweigh the perks. A lot of the things Labour are promising sound great on paper but are we really in any financial position to do these things? Meanwhile the Tories seem a bit sketchy to me, not only because they generally tend to appeal to the higher classes but because of further austerity and a £3000 cut in benefits per anum (which means that if my (retired) father did not have his war pension, we would be in a rough position). Also, they don't really seem to have much more going for them. They have kept the economy stable in the very least but that was through a lot of cutbacks in law, health, and defense (and given the tension between NATO and Russia at the moment, we can't afford to lose our defenses). UKIP is an absolute no go (lol UKIP), and I am yet to look at the other parties. 

 

But when it comes to Tories vs Labour, niether win. Hopefully by the next general election after this one both parties will have gotten their acts together, because that's when I will be eligible to vote. One thing is for sure though, Cameron needs to get the fuck out. On the other hand, I'm just hoping to god that nobody worse get's elected.

[Stacy]

I'll probably be voting Green too simply because I hate most of the other parties so much. There's no way Green will win but if they did perhaps the pressure of the reality would spur them on to think and behave more realistically without losing sight of their goals. In terms of goals, Green are probably the only "good guys".

 

I am sorry but this is what I have problem with just because they seem morally good doesn't me they are good for the country. They admitted they have no solution to the housing crisis. When asked difficult question they can't seem answer its embarassing. The housing crisis is a major issue that most British people are interested in and its terrible that they had no answers for it. Greens policies seem to attract hippies, students, eternetal students and most likely they'll be going for the youth Social Justice crowd surprised they haven't started an aggressive Tumblr campaign. 

 

They said they would force the Queen to live in a council house? LOL! Would any of the wealthy privileged Green leaders like to share the burden and live a council house too with the people? I think not.

 

I voted Greens once myself never again, you may as well not vote.

 

They not interested in swaying Misses Johnson who is a single parent trying to make ends meet or Mr Smith the laid off working class man trying to get somewhere to live.

 

Morally they seem great they really do. But they are in my opinion terribly unrealistic along with UKIP.

 

As for UKIP they blame everybody else for the country's problems, the EU (which I admit is faltering under terrible leadership and direction but we still have more power than we realize and I think its terribly unwise to sever ties with Europe) and of course *rolleyes* Immigration. Once they tackle these they'll blame the disabled, LGBT. You won't being getting Adolf Hitler but you'll Margaret Thatcher 2.0. UKIP are basically Thatcherate era Tories. No thank you. Make excellent TV satire though.

 

I wish we had something better than Red Blue and Yellow. But these Alternative parties are much worse and completely unbalanced to British society.

[SuperLink]

Yeah I know Green isn't all there financially but they're not going to win anyway. We've had a big increase in the "abstain from voting" and "protest vote" movements lately in UK because the system is so bad (thanks Russell Brand), and while I don't fully agree with these movements myself (people "protest voted" UKIP which was a laughably bad idea and only added to their popularity) I do think there's value in showing parliament that there needs to be a change somewhere in how this all works (lol "democracy").

 

So while I'll vote Green for their humanitarian policies I'll also be voting them in protest of the system we're stuck in. Will it do any good? Maybe not, but I'm not voting for any of the others anyway and I still think it's better than an abstain vote. Either way, there's no chance of Green winning. However, their support this time is much greater than it has been in many past votes so if they happen to get a greater number of seats than they usually do I think the chances that they'll start to take themselves a little more seriously and realistically are high. I really like the idea of Green so I hope that some day if they're taken more seriously they'll become a party I like the practises of too.

[Delta Starfire]

For me, it's very simple. I do not want the Conservatives in power for another five years; the only party that can defeat them is Labour. Ergo, I'm voting for Labour. 

 

Now, for a more complex look at it. I didn't used to be a Labour supporter; as a matter of fact, I used to be a card carrying Liberal Democrat (literally, I carried a card). But I feel the Lib Dems have failed tremendously in their coalition with the Tories. The only noteworthy thing they achieved was getting a referendum on the alternative vote, which failed spectacularly. Apparently the British public simply doesn't want an objectively fairer voting system than first-past-the-post. And the rest of what they've done in office, frankly, has amounted to nothing more than propping up a Conservative government that most of us actually voted against. In hindsight, they should have refused a coalition and forced the Tories into a minority government where they would have had to seek parliamentary consensus to get anything done. Of course, whatever they did, the Lib Dems would've been damned. In the coalition, they're blamed for allowing the Tories to fuck over the most vulnerable in this country; but if they'd refused a coalition, they'd have probably been blamed for a government that had a much harder time of getting anything done in the midst of an economic crisis. So, I don't envy the Lib Dems. I expect this election will, sadly, see UKIP replace them as the third biggest party in Westminster. And that's just frightening. 

 

Now, I didn't become a Labour supporter overnight. Indeed, when Tony Blair was Prime Minister, I hated Labour. I hated them so much that I sincerely believed I would rather the Tories were in power than them. I know better now, having actually lived under a Tory government as an adult. Still, it was with great reluctance that I decided (over two years after the last general election) that I could no longer support the Lib Dems. And the only rational choice that was left to me, if I didn't want another five years of David Cameron, was Labour. However, I have since warmed to Labour. I took the I Side With test and was surprised to find that I had a ninety percent match with Labour, which I never expected and was higher than any other party. The Lib Dems were languishing down around eighty percent. And, looking at Labour's platform, I do agree with most of what they're offering. I wish there would be more focus on helping the unemployed, rather than constantly talking about "working families", which frankly sounds like too much of a concession to the right-wing, but I have noticed that they've started talking about that horribly under-represented segment of society more recently. But there you have it. If I don't want the Tories to win, it stands to reason that I should vote for the party most able to defeat them; so I should vote Labour. That's a decision I made years ago now. It is fortunate that their policies now are policies I largely agree with. But even if they weren't, even if they were still operating under the auspices of Blair/Brown third way economics, rather than having apparently returned to Old Labour principles, I would still sooner have that than the Thatcherism of the Tories. 

 

As for the other options on the table, well let's see. 

 

UKIP? Hell no. I will not vote for a party whose entire platform is essentially built on prejudice. They represent the worst of what Britain has to offer and I wouldn't even consider voting for them. Moreover, in addition to their hatred of foreigners and thinly veiled racism, they're also some of the biggest opponents to LGBTQI rights in the UK. So there's no way I would ever vote for them. They're the nastiest elements of British conservatism wrapped up into one ugly package; they are antithetical to everything I believe in. 

 

Greens? Well, when I took the I Side With test, the Greens did come up as the second party I most strongly align with. But even if they came in first place on the test, let's get real here; they're not going to win. Moreover, Scottish Greens are not the same party as the Greens in the rest of the UK. I'm sure they'd work with the rest of the UK's Greens in the unlikely event that the Greens somehow won in May, but I could never vote for them, because they supported Scottish independence and they still do. They're not as obsessed with it as the SNP -- indeed, their leader, Patrick Harvie came out after the referendum to say how important it was for everyone to move on and start working together for the good of Scotland -- but it is still a part of their platform, and I will not vote for any party that supports Scottish independence. That is a deal breaker for me. I will say, however, that the Greens have one policy I would very much like to see, which is the citizen's income. Unfortunately, I doubt most people would be willing to get on board with the idea, but I think we're heading to a point where unemployment is going to start spiralling out of control and some of us will simply never be able to get jobs. We'll have to rethink our model for welfare then and I personally think that a universal basic income would be the most humane way of ensuring that people's basic needs are met. So, I'm glad at least one party is talking about it, even if they're not a party I would vote for.   

 

SNP? Well, I think I just covered this, didn't I? I won't vote for any party that wants an independent Scotland. But I also despise the SNP. I despise nationalism of any stripe, frankly. They are a single issue party that wrap themselves up in populist policy (some of which, don't get me wrong, I do agree with), but it's all just window dressing to attract votes. At their core, the only issue they sincerely care about is Scottish independence, which I absolutely will never support; and they consider every single vote for them a vote for independence too (which is actually not the case; as many as forty percent of their supporters in 2011 opposed independence). Moreover, the independence referendum campaign was one of the most unpleasant periods of the last few years for me. The sheer level of drama it created, the friendships it ruined, and the level of hatred and vitriol that was flung around (by people on both sides, but mostly by people on the Yes side, in my experience) was just horrible. And worse, it's not over. The referendum has left a gaping wound on Scotland and one that refuses to heal, because so many people just refuse to accept the result. I fear this will leave a rift in Scottish society for a generation, or more. And I hold the SNP completely responsible for that. They did this to Scotland. And, worse, they're still doing it; they revel in it. In many ways, I like the SNP even less than I like UKIP; at least UKIP is fairly toothless. The SNP have managed to do tremendous harm to Scotland and they came close to destroying my country. I would never vote for them.

 

Scottish Socialists? Again, pro-independence. But they're also noisy extremists. Now, I identify as a socialist (I also identify as a liberal, a progressive, a republican, and a democrat), but I do not identity with the angry extremist wings of socialist thought that are represented by the Scottish Socialists. So, no. Plus, never going to win. Entertaining stalls on Princes Street though.

 

BNP? Are they even relevant any more? I think UKIP has kind of superseded them. But where people are fairly ambivalent about whether or not UKIP is actually racist or just has racist members, I don't think anyone (other than members of the BNP) would really question whether or not the BNP are racist. They're a band of racist thugs play-acting at being a political party, and obviously not people I would ever vote for.

 

I think that's everyone? I imagine some weird parties I've never heard of will show up on my ballot paper, but, well, if I've never heard of them, I can hardly comment, can I? Again, it's very simple for me. I don't want the Tories to win; only Labour can beat them. I support Labour anyway, so I'm voting Labour. Don't like that? Well, it's my vote and I'll do with it as I wish. I'm not coming back to debate my views, however. The referendum has left me really quite sick of political drama; I just wanted to say my piece. 

[Stacy]

I Abstained last time (I honestly wanted to vote but I didn't feel mature enough to vote its a big responsibility) and I absolutely regretted it in hindsight. But at least I learned from it. I don't think protest voting is a good idea either (the big three know they're unpopular regardless polls tell them that) it doesn't matter if you vote Green UKIP SNP. Its a terrible idea because they all still gain some form of power as a consequence which I feel would bring more instability than balance.

 

Most people that claim to protest vote say they'll vote Green or UKIP but most blink in the end. As for those that did I feel ironically protest voting helped lead to the shitty result of the last election it didn't help with my abstain either but I've learned.

 

I've thought about protest voting but I may as well not bother and I don't want to do that again.

 

The Greens won't take themselves seriously that's their problem if they get any major form of power I don't think they would know what to do with it, like I said they know their kind of voters another reason why most people won't vote for them.

 

I guess like title says whoever wins we lose so cynical but so true. 

[SuperLink]

The Greens won't take themselves seriously that's their problem if they get any major form of power I don't think they would know what to do with it, like I said they know their kind of voters another reason why most people won't vote for them.

 

I guess like title says whoever wins we lose so cynical but so true. 

Yeah which is precisely my problem with Greens, and precisely why I think if they saw that their support base has grown substantially they might actually do something about it.

 

If it does grow substantially and they still don't take themselves seriously then I'll probably change my mind on them but for now I'd rather vote Green than abstain and like you said "whoever wins we lose", I really am not into any of the other parties right now especially UKIP and Tory (and the Nationalist parties of course).

 

For example last time I voted Lib Dem but clearly they were happier to let their name be dragged through the mud than stand down and stand by their own policies so my faith in them is.. yeah. Just not happy with the whole picture right now.

[Delta Starfire]

I Abstained last time (I honestly wanted to vote but I didn't feel mature enough to vote its a big responsibility) and I absolutely regretted it in hindsight. But at least I learned from it. I don't think protest voting is a good idea either (the big three know they're unpopular regardless polls tell them that) it doesn't matter if you vote Green UKIP SNP. Its a terrible idea because they all still gain some form of power as a consequence which I feel would bring more instability than balance.

 

Most people that claim to protest vote say they'll vote Green or UKIP but most blink in the end. As for those that did I feel ironically protest voting helped lead to the shitty result of the last election it didn't help with my abstain either but I've learned.

 

I've thought about protest voting but I may as well not bother and I don't want to do that again.

 

The Greens won't take themselves seriously that's their problem if they get any major form of power I don't think they would know what to do with it, like I said they know their kind of voters another reason why most people won't vote for them.

 

I guess like title says whoever wins we lose so cynical but so true. 

 

If that's true (I'm evidently not cynical enough, because I don't believe it is), then you need to consider how badly you want to lose. It's the whole lesser of two evils question. I think it's blatantly obvious which of the only two parties that can possibly win this election is worse, but here's a clue; it's not the one currently in opposition.

 

Also, on the topic of protest voting, I get the appeal. But I also agree with Stacy. I think it's a waste of time and downright dangerous in a general election. Save your protests for local elections. If too many progressive, left-of-centre types decide to protest at this election, rather than voting for the only party that can unseat the Tories, we'll be looking at another five years of Britain under David Cameron. And do any of you really think he'll care if most people voted against his party, so long as the Tories have the biggest share of votes? After all, that happened in 2010; it didn't stop him then, it won't stop him now. Your vote is yours to do with as you wish, but if you don't want the Tories in office, think before you vote. Unless you're planning on voting for UKIP, your vote is more likely to help the Tories than hurt them. 

[Stacy]

I do think its important that Labour focus on the Working Class as well as the disadvantaged that have been crapped on by Cameron (who hasn't apart from the wealthy?). The Working Class are the bread and butter of this country, nothing right wing about that either, Labour use to thrive on the Working Class vote and they need them back.

[Delta Starfire]

I do think its important that Labour focus on the Working Class as well as the disadvantaged that have been crapped on by Cameron (who hasn't apart from the wealthy?). The Working Class are the bread and butter of this country, nothing right wing about that either, Labour use to thrive on the Working Class vote and they need them back.

 

Well, if you take a look at Labour's campaign materials, that is pretty much what they're doing. 

[Gabz Girl]

This will be my first year voting at the General Election and already I'm having a really tough time figuring out who to vote for because they all sound so bad! You got UKIP who is gaining popularity for some unexplained reason, Labour who is meh, Lib Dems who are non trustworthy and the Tories who I don't like much either. I guess the only Party left then that I can tolerate is Green, so...I might end up voting for Green actually. XD I won't abstain or put a non-vote, because like they say your vote is important! Green party is not going to win obviously, but them gaining extra votes is always good.

 

Like SuperLink said though, if UKIP wins I'm leaving this country and going back to the Netherlands. There's no way I'm living in a country where even people who are half English like me get screwed over.

[Delta Starfire]

This will be my first year voting at the General Election and already I'm having a really tough time figuring out who to vote for because they all sound so bad! You got UKIP who is gaining popularity for some unexplained reason, Labour who is meh, Lib Dems who are non trustworthy and the Tories who I don't like much either. I guess the only Party left then that I can tolerate is Green, so...I might end up voting for Green actually. XD I won't abstain or put a non-vote, because like they say your vote is important! Green party is not going to win obviously, but them gaining extra votes is always good.

 

Like SuperLink said though, if UKIP wins I'm leaving this country and going back to the Netherlands. There's no way I'm living in a country where even people who are half English like me get screwed over.

 

UKIP's not going to win. 

 

Only the Tories or Labour can possibly win. 

[Gabz Girl]

Well then...erm..I guess one of those is better, Labour possibly. 8I I just don't like their leader and can't imagine him running our country.

[Stacy]

Well then...erm..I guess one of those is better, Labour possibly. 8I I just don't like their leader and can't imagine him running our country.

 

Don't worry Gabz I think he's bland and uninspiring too but I think their pledges outweigh him. Its just so frustrating were so skint as a country. The whole of Europe is, this unfortunately is why people turn to nationalistic and far left socialist parties, you only have to look at history I'm afraid. Let's hope it doesn't repeat.

[Delta Starfire]

Well then...erm..I guess one of those is better, Labour possibly. 8I I just don't like their leader and can't imagine him running our country.

 

I hear this a lot about Ed Milliband. The thing that bothers me about him (and Nick Clegg) is that they feel like David Cameron knock-offs. Politically, they're very different people, but they have a similar look about them -- young, energetic, good looking, etc. It feels like very shallow politics to try and appeal to the public through the image of a party's leader rather than focusing on the policies of the party. And, evidently, it's not working for Labour, because the public seems to want more substance from Milliband than what he's offering. 

 

If it were down to me, I might suggest Scottish Labour's leader, Jim Murphy take the reigns. But then, there are some very funny people in England who will point-blank refuse to vote for a Scottish Prime Minister. (Even though Tony Blair was born and raised right here in Edinburgh and England voted for him three times.)

[Stacy]

I'd probably vote for the Greens, as they seem to have the actual Labour policies that's not written by a 12-year old lad. Less testosterone in the parliament, thank you!

 

I did love their campaign they had that said "What are you afraid of, Boys?". Absolutely hilarious and the butthurt from both the right and the left was glorious. 

 

If they serving SJ style gender politics I definitely will not be voting them for them, this is the kind of crap I have no time for their are people on food banks, violent crime, force prostitution and human trafficking for crying out loud priorities please. I don't care what the leader and politicians have between their legs its no excuse either way, either you're a good leader or you're a rubbish leader.  

[Delta Starfire]

Y'know, Stacy, it is possible to care about more than one thing at once. The Middle East is on fire right now, with thousands of people dying every day. Saudi Arabia's bombing Yemen. Iraq and Syria are falling apart because of ISIS, and America's fighting an undeclared war against them (while doing everything possible to avoid voting on it). And yet you're worried about food banks and human trafficking? Where are your priorities? 

 

Now, don't mistake me. I'm being deliberately facetious here. The point I'm trying to make is that just because people care about issues that you think are minor, it doesn't follow that those people don't also care about the issues that you think are major. There are always going to be major issues that are hugely important and everyone should care about (the situation in the Middle East springs to mind), but there's no reason they can't also focus on less huge issues as well. An injustice is an injustice, however slight, and there's no reason any injustice should be ignored. It's all very well objecting to aspects of the social justice movement, but I feel compelled to advise you that, if it weren't for movements like theirs, places like this wouldn't be safe for either of us to be out in.