United Kingdom General Election 2015

[Warwick Hunt]

As of 0001 today (30 Mar 15), Parliament has been officially dissolved and the official run up to the 2015 General Election begins. It will be the most unpredictable election in decades as, at this point certainly, there is no clear indication of who is most likely to win power on 8 May 15. Certainly at this point, a coalition is probably the most likely outcome either Con/Lib Dem, Con/UKIP or Lab/SNP. I have stated before that the vote is important but over the last 10-15 years, we are seeing lower voter turnouts, however 2010's 65.1% was greater than 2005's (61%), though many people, particularly those influenced by the likes of Russell Brand either not voting, or planning to spoil their paper. We could also be seeing the rise of the minority parties, such as UKIP, SNP, Green, as there is a perceived voter dissatisfaction with the mainstream parties. Could we be seeing one of them prop up a coalition?

The next 40 days or so are going to be interesting, indeed.

 

[Kryten]

Yep...cue 6 or so weeks of photo opportunities, sound bites, endless spin and promises from all of them which we all know they are never going to keep....I wonder who will be this Elections "Bigoted Woman" and which politician will fall foul?

Incidentally, if you aren't too sure who stands for what, the BBC have pulled together a rather concise overview of the major parties manifesto pledges.

 

[Cake or Death]

It's 6 weeks of retards acting like kids in the playground. Shouting Louder than the other one, my ideas better than yours but we can't say how or why. and basically claiming my dads better than yours. When really the dads are equally stupid.

Having said that I think this years election is rather important. The results could potentially be disastrous. I genuinely fear that people have very short memories and that labour will get the nod but have to have a coalition. Despite them saying no if they have a sniff at being in charge they'll jump into bed with SNP quicker than a WAAF during bop night.

 

[Fu Fu Valve]

at the moment no idea who i'm voting for.
Personally i'd rather the Cons were in power than Liabour and their spend, spend answer to everything (if it's NHS or welfare).
Though i think my choices of candidates will be limited by living in the wilds of Aberdeenshire. I will have to look at my postal vote when it arrives.
SNP can poke off though and take the bloody greens with them

 

[muttywhitedog]

Hopefully the Tories will be left around 25 short again and Labour will ditch their leader after failing to get enough seats to form a govt. That will pave the way for another election in 2016/17, when there may actually be a leader of a party who inspires me to vote for them!

 

[FOMz]

Sod nationally.. I am thinking locally. Which person will work hardest for the area I live in.

I have had a Tory MP in my area for the last 5 years and he has less than fcuk all for the city, prefering to go fox hunting and on 'trade' junkets to China. Oh and the cnut claimed to have served in the RAF. I did some digging and it turned out he was a member of OUAS for 2 years whilst at University. The guy is a cnut, I can't stand him. Standing against him is an ex-RAF Wg Cdr who I have known for a long time. She's a top girl, makes a cracking brew and I know will work hard for the city. Bit of a no-brainer for me.

 

[Stevienics]

It doesn't matter. A vote legitimises theft by taxation.

It merely decides how much is stolen from you, and to whom it is subsequenly given away.

A comedy cock and balls are in order.

 

[busby1971]

This year my vote would have been decided on who I wouldn't vote for, rather than why I would vote for them, as I can't vote this year I'll watch out for the result, luckily I don't have to put up with the pre-election shenanigans and preening.

 

[briggfairy]

This year i'm more undecided than i've ever been, I can't stand cameron, there's something about the smarmy git i just can't stand.

on the other hand my local mp is a tory and does a lot of work for the local area and is even a first responder.

6 weeks of mulling things over coming up I think

 

[Witty_Banter]

I've been trying to make a decision based on policies only, but whenever I look at the current leaders all I see is:

Posh (proven) useless pr!ck - only ever answered one question directly, and that's because it was engineered!

Wannabe (wants to prove it) posh useless pr!ck - completely walked into asking an engineered question, didn't have what it takes to recover

Silent-partner-in-a-coalition pr!ck - so astounded at being voted for in the first place, actually forgot what his job was. Hasn't said anything since joining the coalition

Del Boy - trashed his own (2010) policies as bizarre - he hadn't even read them! (however, seems the most honest of the lot?)

Evironmentalist loony who doesn't think before opening her mouth - utter moron, simple as that

....are there any more?

 

[Gonterseed]

So a snapshot after 14 votes looks like we have a potential coalition of UKIP/Tories with Farage as PM.

If nothing else, it looks like a good p!ss-up is on the cards...

 

[Jim_P_Pulfrew]

I am in a dog in a red rosette constituency, but will be making the effort to go and put my cross in the Labour box, as I have a sneaking fear that it could run close with UKIP. They appeal to a lot of the tattooed feckwits who live near me and I would be mortally annoyed if they got in because they will do absolutely nothing for the working man/woman and will be on a 'we are in parliament' jamboree until the next election.

I genuinely fear for the Lib Dems as whilst they monumentally screwed the pooch on tuition fees, they have kept the brakes on the tory greed is good mob. They can continue in the same vein for the next five years if they keep enough seats and the blue mob get back in on a coalition ticket. If they go into a coalition or vote by vote basis alliance with Miliband, they will at least provide a huge dose of 'are you feckin' serious' to Mr Balls and his borrowing tendency (If Danny and Vince keep their seats).

It makes my piddle boil to admit it, but the political fate of this country is held in the SNP grasping mitt at the moment. Never mind Wee Eck's bluster, to get what he wants they will sell their soul to the highest bidder and if that is the much hated Tory Party, ho hum, that's politics. He would love it to be Labour but I am less convinced they will dance to his tune as much as he thinks they will.

We need Scottish referendum size turnouts across the nation but the apathy less than 24 hours in probably means we will struggle to get 30%.

I love politics me and will be like a kid in a sweetshop for the next six weeks following the twists and turns. All this and then the RWC in September makes for a very happy Jimps I can tell you!

Jimps

 

[XVR RA RA RA]

Personally i'd rather the Cons were in power

How many cuts to the armed forces do you want? We've been absolutely shafted in the past 5 years or so. And they are planning even more extreme cuts that would be catastrophic. There's no votes in defence (partially thanks to the guys I work with who decide not to vote).

 

[Kryten]

I am in a dog in a red rosette constituency, but will be making the effort to go and put my cross in the Labour box, as I have a sneaking fear that it could run close with UKIP. They appeal to a lot of the tattooed feckwits who live near me and I would be mortally annoyed if they got in because they will do absolutely nothing for the working man/woman and will be on a 'we are in parliament' jamboree until the next election.

I genuinely fear for the Lib Dems as whilst they monumentally screwed the pooch on tuition fees, they have kept the brakes on the tory greed is good mob. They can continue in the same vein for the next five years if they keep enough seats and the blue mob get back in on a coalition ticket. If they go into a coalition or vote by vote basis alliance with Miliband, they will at least provide a huge dose of 'are you feckin' serious' to Mr Balls and his borrowing tendency (If Danny and Vince keep their seats).

It makes my piddle boil to admit it, but the political fate of this country is held in the SNP grasping mitt at the moment. Never mind Wee Eck's bluster, to get what he wants they will sell their soul to the highest bidder and if that is the much hated Tory Party, ho hum, that's politics. He would love it to be Labour but I am less convinced they will dance to his tune as much as he thinks they will.

We need Scottish referendum size turnouts across the nation but the apathy less than 24 hours in probably means we will struggle to get 30%.

I love politics me and will be like a kid in a sweetshop for the next six weeks following the twists and turns. All this and then the RWC in September makes for a very happy Jimps I can tell you!

Jimps

Agree with your last point about following this campaign closely - I just worry that if Milliband gets into power we will see a return to the Labour of the 1970s - dominated by the unions, taxing anyone who dares earn a bit more to death, nationalising everything in sight and fermenting industrial unrest....and if he does a pact with the SNP then I fear whatever recovery we have had under ConDem will be stifled..

And I think we are long overdue a referendum on EU membership - something the Labour party will not give us.

 

[Tin basher]

I've been trying to make a decision based on policies only, but whenever I look at the current leaders all I see is:
Posh (proven) useless pr!ck - only ever answered one question directly, and that's because it was engineered!
Wannabe (wants to prove it) posh useless pr!ck - completely walked into asking an engineered question, didn't have what it takes to recover
Silent-partner-in-a-coalition pr!ck - so astounded at being voted for in the first place, actually forgot what his job was. Hasn't said anything since joining the coalition
Del Boy - trashed his own (2010) policies as bizarre - he hadn't even read them! (however, seems the most honest of the lot?)
Evironmentalist Nazi who doesn't think before opening her mouth - utter moron, simple as that
....are there any more?

I can think of one
A short Scottish bird with ideas of getting back at the hated FEB's by making parliament dance to the tune of the pipe band she conducts.

 

[Stevienics]

How many cuts to the armed forces do you want? We've been absolutely shafted in the past 5 years or so. And they are planning even more extreme cuts that would be catastrophic. There's no votes in defence (partially thanks to the guys I work with who decide not to vote).

EVERYONE will sever the armed forces - name one MS party that won't? That ship's sailed.

 

[Fu Fu Valve]

How many cuts to the armed forces do you want? We've been absolutely shafted in the past 5 years or so. And they are planning even more extreme cuts that would be catastrophic. There's no votes in defence (partially thanks to the guys I work with who decide not to vote).

None of them will be any different... Liabour were cutting everything while sending folks off to Afghan and Iraq. The only thing they did for defence was sign us up to the 2 carriers - and that was nothing to do with them being built next Gordon Broon's constituency at all, was it!
I haven't heard Liabour say anything on defence so far and with their track record i'm not sure i want to. They most likely won't get in unless they go into coilition with the SNP and their thoughts on defence are mental.
The only party who have said they will keep the 2% is UKIP. Can't see a UKIP guy getting elected where I am not that i'd vote for one anyway.
As you said there are no votes in defence, simple.

They're all the same, they'll protect the NHS budget, give billions in aid, give the fecless wasters loads of £'s in benefits and cut from defence to pay for it.

 

[Witty_Banter]

Pretty sure I read somewhere that Ukip were planning to increase defence spending (along with border control, not sure if they're counting them both as the same thing!) and bolster the UK's rather poor defences (let's be honest, if it came to 'defending the realm, we don't have a lot to throw at anyone)

 

[Witty_Banter]

Jim_P, I take it you're not assuming that they're feckwits because they have tattoos, and that they are feckwits that just happen to have tattoos?? Given how tattoos are about as closely linked to 'the scum of the earth' as they are to moonwalking dogs...

 

[Blue72]

We're fortunate to have an extremely good local MP - he's just served his first term and we can only cross our fingers that the voters in our locality do the sensible thing and keep him in place. He works his backside off for the area, campaigns tirelessly for the things he believes in on not only a local but also national level, and in his short time in the house has already begun what I suspect is going to be a rise through the ranks, potentially ending at the very top.

Something people are quick to forget is the "10 year cycle" that generally applies to financial matters in the UK - ie we reap what we sow approximately 10 years after the decisions are made. Invariably people blame the party in power at the time of a financial crisis for that crisis, but in actual fact in recent times it's not necessarily been the case that that blame is placed on the right people. Personally I'm not a fan of Labours tendancy to try to spend their way out of trouble - my understanding is that when you are in debt, you need to be tightening your belt, not just throwing non existent cash about willy, nilly.

This is going to be an interesting 6 weeks, I suspect.