Thetownend.com

If you are going to vote for a particular party, then why?

One i disagree with the least

I'll read through the policies (and I will).

However, I feel the Conservative Party do not represent me.

bnp

other.
time for change is the tories line and i agree with it,but i'm not going backwards by voting for them.
 lib dem it is.plus it would be funny as fuck to see them come from nowhere and beat the other two

A Lib Dem victory would be the biggest thing in U.K. politics for generations... and reason is purely down to television coverage.

How different could this nation be had we done this decades ago?

lib dem for me, i think realistically if change from the standard two parties isn't going to happen this time then it'll never happen

Anyone who thinks a Lib Dem victory will see a massive change in British politics is deluded. It will be no different than when the Tories came to power in 1979 or Labour in 1997. They start off talking a good game and doing good things and then end up corrupt from top to bottom and their motives change from doing their job to staying in power by any means.

Why do you think the Lib Dem's want proportional representation? Because it is a better and fairer system? Of course not, it's because it will get them more seats. If they were to win the election with a majority, all talk of electoral reform and especially proportional representation will be conveniently pushed to one side and then eventually forgotten about.

I'm desperately looking for a party that isn't making the sort of promises made from the elections you mention.

In the late 70's the Liberals were doing really well until the Jeremy Thorpe did an impression of Captain Kirk, and at that point Thatcher took office for the first time.

Replace Brown with a Tony Blair circa 1997 and you would have three leaders of three different parties who all did a mean imitation of each other. The sudden Lib Dem popularity is because they finally have a face who can talk the talk. Many seem to be warming to the idea of a 'revolutionary' change (yeah right!) rather than getting into the policies - the tv debate is just a way of proving media relations and sucking up to the general public. The programme's format doesn't help, but the occasion overshadows anything meaningful.

All this talk of change and alternatives, it feels like 1997 again. This election will be won through style (sic) over substance, if it's won at all. Will there be change? A change of party perhaps, but not in the way politics has headed in recent history.

In a way I'd like it to be a hung parliament so to shake things up a bit. If I vote, it will be on the consideration of each party's policies, which will require a fair bit of reading over the next week or so.

Policies:
Conservative: We've got dosh, we want more so the rest of you can pay more taxes so we can pay less (usual ploy provide tax cuts that are worthless to the middle classes and strongly benefit the wealthy, works every time).  Trickle down the wealth from the less taxed wealthy and that will benefit the lower earners and provide more jobs.  Unfortunately this only tends to wreck the balance of payments because the wealth trickles out.  The wealthy are very happy.

Labour:  We don't have enough dosh, lets get dosh from the wealthy and spread the wealth around and help the less fortunate.  History tells us that the usual outcome is higher taxes and the economy going in the red.  Nobody appears to be happy.

Dems: Haven't been in government, pro Europe. Some people happy, a lot of people not happy at all.

No offence, but I wouldn't base my vote on what any person on here had written.

Why would you?

Genuinely undecided, although leaning towards the Lib Dems.  The Lib Dems represent my views better than the other parties with the exception of their take on Europe/the EU, where they are a little too pro-EU, pro-Euro for my liking.

As I have said in other threads, however, the First Past the Post electoral system effectively disenfranchises me though.  We fall under the Aldershot constituency which has been solidly Tory since the War.  The incumbent is Gerald Howarth, a vile gay-hating, immigrant-bashing worm of a man who will almost certainly be re-elected.  My wife and I are both hoping he will come to the front door canvassing because we have a competition to see who can be the first to kick him squarely in the bollocks.

Crozzer's post implies that I needn't read the policies of the various parties as his (probably) semi-tongue-in-cheek post has some lovely generalisations in it to save me the bother.

Thanks for that Mystic Meg. Tell me, do you consider you ability a curse or a gift? And why didn't you post something helpful in the Grand National thread? :)

Oh, and the poll missed out any consideration of individual candidates, either strongly wanting to vote for the candidate or (more likely) a massive antipathy to one or other of them

First, the prospect of the Lib Dems winning a majority is simply too remote to consider, so I can't see that happening.  And to be honest, I'm not really interested in the Lib Dems' motives here.  Voting for them would be more a means to an end of delivering a better electoral system.  Proportional Representation would deliver more hung parliaments...it's true.  But the Tory scaremongering in this regard is, frankly, disgraceful.  Most other western European democracies manage perfectly well.  Coalition government would require more compromise, but it would also be a damned sight less arrogant.  (For example, Blair's second term of 2001-05 has been widely derided as one of the most arrogant governments in living memory where he was able to do pretty much as he pleased because of the size of his majority...a majority that was artificially inflated by First Past the Post and which did not reflect the popular vote/will of the people.)

Nick Clegg had it right yesterday when he said that the expenses scandal came about, in large part, as a result of too many politicians having an effective 'job for life' under the current system where they occupy a safe seat without fear of displacement.  I want to see all that changed.

I vote according to the "ethos" that I feel the party has. I believe that "Big" Government is wasteful, self serving & controlling.  The book Animal farm springs to mind.
To my mind Labour believe that they should take my earnings & spend as they see fit. I will vote Tory on this basis. Lib Dems change their policies to suit the audience on a frequent basis. Clegg was arguing FOR trident when standing for leader of them.
I also would not vote for a candidate who has "Studied/ learned" politics. (Career politicians). I want someone to represent me who has experience of the real world, & preferably run their own business. You can't successfully run the country unless you have experience of running anything else.

As for a hung Parliament, it would  be a disaster for the country. I remember the last one in the 70's

Other. We don't live in a democracy, we live in an illusion created by the ruling classes to make us plebs think we have a say.

I will not be voting.

And before some clever twat says "you don't vote, you can't moan..." JUST FUCK OFF YOU TWAT

If you don't vote, you can't moan.

I'm voting for the one with the nicest smile.

I agree.

So doesn't the second statement mean that you WON'T be voting Tory (or indeed any of the 3 main parties) as by your criteria Cameron wouldn't be successfully be able to run the country? I agree, btw, I think he'd be an absolute disaster :)

52 seconds in.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVVzUxXxQZU

I was talking about my local MP actually, & both candidates in Chippenham who stand a chance fit the criteria in not being career politico's.

Right, so you think it's wholly unacceptable for some back-bench seat-warmer to not have any experience of working in the real world but quite OK for the man who wants to rule the country? Bit bass-ackward, don't you think?

Just coz you are a commie Paul  :D

I'm with you on that. A business man needs to run the country, someone who understands money, profits, loss, assets, can balance the books and make the country work. The only politicians in my lifetime (that i have been old enough to know anything about) are business incompetents, they run the country like an MD who uses his company to pay for his toys and making himself look the bollocks, purely because he's limited liability.

Therefore they run the country as such. They treat the encomy and the country with total contempt. It's like we've [remember it's our fucking country, not those arsehole cunts who lord it over us] given them some fat credit and it's theirs to waste as they see fit. They don't balance the books, they get more credit cards and more loans and buy loads of shit which serves no purpose other than keeping up the façade. It makes my blood boil.


Truest words i've read regarding politics on this forum. Hence why i also will not be voting. Well no, i will make the effort to go in ruin my ballot paper and right fucking cunts on it.

Meh, the bloke's just not making any sense. No wonder he's planning on voting Tory :)

Any party advocating electoral reform gets my serious attention.  I live in an area that has been tory for all but two years since the early 1880s (yes, 1880s).  I will always vote as I feel it is a responsibility, but I am completely disenfranchised by the current system.

I was there, but don't remember it other than having a right good time. Couldn't get a job because of Grocer Heath's government, and the OPEC oil embargo had just kicked in. Heath however was a One Nation Tory....not something you hear about anymore.  Cameron isn't fit to lick his organ pipes.

Yes, many years of cynicism after hearing the same rhetoric and seeing the same chronic lack of results.   

The reality of being in the EU and having a large debt means that for whichever government is elected there isn't much room to maneuver.  When in power, policy will be dictated by circumstances. 

ok so I tend to be Lib Dem by ethos but what really narks me is the "hung parliament would be a disaster" line.

Let's say that view is sincerely held, how about tweaking the electoral system so that this election it is Lib Dems 30% = 300 seats, Tories 30% = 200 seats and Labour 30% = 99 seats and having a majority Lib Dem governemnet....

or are the old parties' votes worth more every election for some reason? 

A hung Parliament would be an excellent outcome. 

i eventually get my polling card and it tells me i had to have registered to vote by post by the 20th, tremendous

The News of the World is hoping for a well hung Parliament.

If anyone likes Jon Stewart, his take on the last few days of the election campaign is well worth a listen.

http://tv.gawker.com/5527780/jon-stewart-mocks-the-laughable-tameness-of-british-political-scandals

That's splendid.

I liked this headline on the BBC "Brown 'to dig deeper' before poll". Isn't that the exact opposite of what you're supposed to do when you're in a hole?

Seems reasonably accurate, if startlingly honest.

I've stuck a poster in our window alleging the current bath MP eats babies

Take THAT world

I think you're mistaking him for the local bishop.