Britain: General Election 2010

[Elliot Kane]

My favourite campaign poster so far. Sums up the whole thing very well:

[ss]

Does SOD the Lot mean to bury them neath the sod.?? or does it have a different meaning..?

[Elliot Kane]

The really polite version would be 'blow the lot of them' ;D

[Cat]

I can't vote... by 2 days
):
now I shall have to wait another 4 years.

[Elliot Kane]

2 DAYS?!? That's harsh!

With that said, though... You may be lucky. In all my experience, there's never been a less edifying choice than the current one. I'm still not sure who I'll vote for - or even if I will, and I've voted in every general election since I first was eligible. Every single party seems either completely worthless or an utter waste of time.

Labour are certainly unfit to govern, having disintegrated into the kind of utter shambles it'll take them at least a generation to recover from. No policy, no ideas, just rampant lunacy running wild. But the Conservatives are spineless, gutless and possibly just as unfit to govern. The Lib Dems are all posturing and no substance. The fact they think Clegg is any kind of leader says everything you need to know about them (Though, yes, the same could easily be said of Labour & Conservatives, too). None of them are interested in discussing the actual major issues of the day, which surely proves their lack of fitness to run anything.

Of the minor parties, I'd probably vote SNP if I were in Scotland, as they are at least organised and capable of running things to some extent. To vote BNP is unthinkable, to vote UKIP is a waste of time and as for the Greens, well... They're kind of the 'alternate universe party' ;D

So the 'least worst' option would be if I had a good local candidate who I knew could be counted on to be a good MP - but I don't. So I'm stuck.

Not a good time to be voting, overall...

[Dark Phoenix Rising]

is that because you turn 18 on the 24th?

[Terrordar]

But Elliot, why don't you and your British friends just vote for the BNP, they are progressive right?

[Elliot Kane]

It's that whole combination of 'National' with 'Socialist', Terror. That never goes well

[Elliot Kane]

Well, that's interesting. Watching the first leader's debate now and the only one I think is fit to run anything is Nick Clegg, leader of the Lib Dems. If he can keep that up, he'll get my vote. I may fundamentally disagree with him on a great deal, but the same is true of all the others...

[Terrordar]

Have the Liberal Democrats ever even won an election?

[Elliot Kane]

Not since the 1800s when they were the old Liberal party. Or maybe the early 1900s. It's been 100 years, roughly, give or take. They're in no danger of winning this time, either. But a resurgent Liberal party might replace the current Labour party as the second major party in Britain, which would be no bad thing.

Britain really needs the balance of having a good centre Left and a good centre Right party and currently it has neither. Getting the Left one might force the Tories to shape up, so restoring proper balance to the system.

[Cat]

One thing you can be sure of; at least BNP would actually keep their election promises.

[Elliot Kane]

Whether anyone wanted them to or not, yes!

[Terrordar]

Thats the sad thing, the party with the worst values of them all is ironically the most honest. Go figure. >.>

[Elliot Kane]

I guess they're the only party not afraid to alienate or horrify the electorate with their policies, on the grounds that so many people are already horrified it'll make no difference.

[ss]

Hey EK,
There is the suggestion in the wind over here that there might be a viable third party in the British political arena...?

[Elliot Kane]

It's possible, ss, yes. The Lib Dems look like they MIGHT get more votes than Labour, which could ultimately lead to them taking over as the second party. Considering what Labour has done to Britain over the last 13 years, I really hope so!

It's a very rare event in British politics for a truly significant new political force to emerge, but it's not unknown. The Labour Party first emerged in the late 19th century, IIRC (But I'm going on memory so don't trust my word entirely!), and won their first election in the early part of the 20th century. They replaced the Liberal Party, which was the second main party up until that time.

The Liberal Democrats are sort of the heirs of the original Liberal party, but they've been through a few permutations and never really looked like getting their foot back under the door... until now.

Thing is, the current Labour govt are totally hopeless, but there's not much evidence the opposition - the Conservatives - are much better.

Fortunately for the Lib Dems, their leader, Nick Clegg, comes across very well on TV and has managed to seize the moment. Many and perhaps most Brits are seriously disillusioned with politics, and Clegg has managed to look and sound like a new broom, as it were, ready to sweep the 'old politics' away. He's not all that great, don't get me wrong, but measured against Cameron (Conservative leader) and Brown (Labour leader), well... Let's just say that in the home of the pygmies, a five foot nothing guy looks like a giant... ;D

[ss]

Thats interesting..seeing as more people here are completely dissolusioned with both the Republicans and Democrats, more are (like Florida's Governor Charile Chris) opting to run as Independents..(him for the US Senate)..

I don't believe that it will work well, but there have been viable canditates in the Independent political realm..Ross Perot for one back when..

We seem to work better with a two party system, but it doesn't work when each party member sells their souls for money and special interest groups. I automatacally rule out those who call us a "democracy" and being just simply to illiterate to hold the job...seeing as we are a "Republic"...not a democracy...and if they don't know the difference...what chance do we have...

everyone (maybe not) knows that we work on democracy principles, but the form of government is NOT a democracy.!

One of my "pet peeves"

I am crying for some real "Statesmen/women" to stand in the gap and actually do what is best for the country--win, lose, or draw...but it probably won't happen in my lifetime..

hope it works well for you guys...

[Elliot Kane]

Britain is not a 'pure' Democracy, for that matter. We are a 'Parliamentary Democracy', which means we elect a Parliament which then rules on our behalf. Well, in theory on our behalf, at least. There's not a lot of listening to the electorate going on right now, though.

I'm not sure there's no room for another party in US politics, more that no-one has yet gotten round to creating one. A new party needs some kind of grass roots movement, after all. Your 'Tea Party' movement might well end up creating something new, but right now its dedicated more to NOT gaining power, from what I gather. A most unusual idea, though certainly one with merit as it keeps a great deal of integrity that way.

I remember Perot. I think I would have voted for him, if I could have. He always impressed me as a man of genuine conviction.

The man I think would be your best future President right now is Schwarzenegger, but sadly... Well, a commitment to equality is hardly going to include giving Arnie a shot at power when there's every chance he might be able to unite Democrats & Republicans under one banner, is there? Repealing that particular outdated law is the last thing on anyone's minds. A shame, as I suspect it is very much America's loss.

[ss]

I concur..always thought it is a shame he can't run for prez..

Not trying to stir up controversy, but there is still law suits trying to make Obama show his American birth certificate...which to my knowledge has never been produced...lots of urban legend out there, but he could resolve it by producing it..which he never has. IIRC...

Would make interesting constitutional questions if he could not..