2015 Election

[LeMarchand]

I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but to me UKIP are simply the face of what has become an increased form of "acceptable racism under the banner of free speech". Just astonishes me that it's become acceptable to behave this way because people think the country is too "politically correct"!

 

Something else to blame Clarkson for - the vilification of anything seen as "politically correct" .

 

I believe that you should get out what you put in with hard graft. I believe that if you put in x hours work, you should get a reasonable wage for those hours based on your skill-set. I believe if you work hard you should be compensated better, and allowed to live a better quality of life, than those who choose not to. I believe if you can't work, or can't find work, or fall on hard times through the actions of others, you should be supported to a minimum living standard that is necessary to provide a roof over your head, food, and warmth. I don't believe people should expect others to maintain their life-style because they chose not to work, or because they are not able to get a job that pays enough to support the life style they want.

 

 

I really don't see where slavery comes into it... In either side of the fence, it would be an extreme example, although I think an analogy would better fit my point.

 

I think I'm going the opposite way to the way people are "supposed to" as I get older. "When I were a young lad" I used to hold much the same views but as I get older I realise that "working hard" doesn't often pay off; you have to be prepared to be pretty ruthless (or be incredibly lucky) to "win" the game - and I'm neither. The odds far too stacked in favour of the existing rich and if you want to get rich, you're going to have to screw over a lot of people to do it.

 

Yes, there are people playing the system, but the cost to the country is far less than that of those at the top who are playing a similar game.

 

As for slavery, while those at the bottom are getting paid and so aren't technically slaves they are being paid as little as possible by their "masters" and so might as well be slaves.

 

I think you should vote Saxon

 

We already have an evil crook who'd sell us out to the highest bidder in Number 10.

[Lone_Ranger]

I don't doubt UKIP has racists in the party, more so than the others, but this does not mean the party is racist.

 

Also the other main parties seem to have a high share of child abusers, should we assume those parties are full of them?

 

I think to simply say UKIP, their a bunch of racists, is quite an easy thing to do.

[difinity]

To me they are different colours, they for as long as i can remember they have argued that it's the other parties fault. They have a history of lying, covering up (Mr Blair and your missing WMDs), blaming and having met my local MP Mr Vaz, can say he's the most arrogant bloke i have ever met. Standing at a fire escape wanting to be let in "Do you know who i am" he was bellowing "No, and i don't care, the proper entrance is down there"

The government even sacked their chief drugs adviser as they didn't like the facts he presents. The Millenium dome. total farce under the government, a brilliant venue in private hands, the many failed IT projects costing millions, i could go on but will stop as this is getting a little ranty.

 

It feels sometimes we are just characters in a SIMS game. Those in charge don't really have a clue what they are doing and as long as they have their own thing going on it doesn't matter if they get things wrong, it's not their money they are wasting.

[ChickenDhansak]

Tories; "We're all in it together" Well, no we aren't with the divide between rich & poor increasing reflected in the dramatic rise in people relying on foodbanks (Trussell Trust Foodbank Statistics). Not to mention fat cat bonuses, tax avoidance, Welfare cuts, ATOS, MPs fiddling expenses, offering their services for cash etc

Labour; Incompetent at best towards the end of the last Parliament-have they changed enough to trust them with my vote? I don't know.

LibDems; I can see them being decimated in this election.

Greens; Having watched Natalie Bennett's recent interviews I can't see them doing very well - bring back Caroline Lucas.

UKIP; I'd like to vote for Nigel, and I think this country could survive 5 years of them being in office if they could sort out the mess that is Europe.

I would just like a change from the same old rubbish we're going to get. I can't see anything really changing and that's depressing.

[speckytecky]

Interesting thread. However I'm not ticking the poll unless you change it to realistically reflect the lay of the land.

 

In England and Wales alone The Greens have considerably more signed up current active members; closing on 55,000 than either the Lib Dems or UKIPPERS do throughout the United Kingdom; both with membership in the lower 40 thousands. The Greens are also fielding candidates in over 90% of Westminster seats. About 550 last time I looked with a few selections still ongoing. As for BNP I don't think they any longer count in any realistic manner so why you have included them baffles me.

 

Greens for me - I am actively involved. Scrap tuition fees - fully costed policies mostly written with deep input from The New Economics Foundation. A very different Green Party in 2015 from the Green Party many people remember from the Early 90s.

Edited March 31, 2015 by speckytecky

[elsiegee40]

Unless @ZeroHour can adjust the poll, we will have to start a new one. I tried and failed using my mod powers, but suspect that polls can only be changed as long as nobody has voted.

[speckytecky]

It's not too late to sign up and put yourself forward as a candidate yourself @StevieM

 

The only party I can vote for with a clean conscience is Green. Unfortunately, they don't appear to be fielding a candidate in my constituency, which just so happens to be one of, if not the safest Labour seat in the country. So, once again, I shall be spoiling my ballot paper.

[StevieM]

It's not too late to sign up and put yourself forward as a candidate yourself @StevieM

 

I'm certainly considering signing up as a member (I'm already a member of both FOE and Greenpeace), but putting myself forward as a candidate... I wouldn't want to bring the party into disrepute!

[sonofsanta]

There is a Green candidate in my constituency, and whilst I don't agree with some of the policies* and find them perhaps a little naive and optimistic about what they'd actually be able to do if they were in power, I'm thinking that a vote for Green would demonstrate that I want the country to be more left-leaning, not more right-leaning - as all the current politicians assume thanks to the rise of Farage.

 

*e.g. the absolute stance against nuclear power; all the arguing over that has meant we've kept on building coal & oil plants and done more harm to the environment than nuclear would, which is the cleanest form of energy we have in the UK alongside wind

Edited March 31, 2015 by sonofsanta

[StevieM]

I'm certainly considering signing up as a member...

 

Update: I am now a member.

[JRowley]

Update: I am now a member.

 

If you can convince the Green Party to making fibre to the property a thing by 2020 then they can have my vote, no one else seems to give a damn about our broadband infrastructure.

[Gatt]

*sigh* if Labour get in we are screwed - again! we'll be back in a recession by the end of their 5 years spending spree.....

[sonofsanta]

If you can convince the Green Party to making fibre to the property a thing by 2020 then they can have my vote, no one else seems to give a damn about our broadband infrastructure.

 

Yeah, scrap HS2 and HS3 and spend all that money on a massive nationwide roll out of FTTH. Would be cheaper, would be a massive boost to our economy both in terms of the work (like motorway-building projects used to be) and in terms of positioning us for the future, and would completely undermine the need for a stupidly expensive rail network built on the premise of getting businessmen to meetings quicker.

[Garacesh]

Yeah, scrap HS2 and HS3 and spend all that money on a massive nationwide roll out of FTTH. Would be cheaper, would be a massive boost to our economy both in terms of the work (like motorway-building projects used to be) and in terms of positioning us for the future, and would completely undermine the need for a stupidly expensive rail network built on the premise of getting businessmen to meetings quicker.

Also give it to someone that isn't BT.

[LeMarchand]

Yeah, scrap HS2 and HS3 and spend all that money on a massive nationwide roll out of FTTH. Would be cheaper, would be a massive boost to our economy both in terms of the work (like motorway-building projects used to be) and in terms of positioning us for the future, and would completely undermine the need for a stupidly expensive rail network built on the premise of getting businessmen to meetings quicker.

 

Presumably none of Cameron's mates run fibre firms.

 

Am I the only one who misread this as a massive nationwide roll out of FILTH? I suppose good high-speed broadband everywhere would probably have that effect...

[Garacesh]

Presumably none of Cameron's mates run fibre firms.

 

Am I the only one who misread this as a massive nationwide roll out of FILTH? I suppose good high-speed broadband everywhere would probably have that effect...

I wonder what Freud would say that says about you as a person if your first thought was fibre rollout = lots of teh pr0ns? My first thought was gaming and then streaming media.

[LeMarchand]

I wonder what Freud would say that says about you as a person if your first thought was fibre rollout = lots of teh pr0ns? My first thought was gaming and then streaming media.

 

[foofighterjim]

I do like a lot of the Greens proposals but not their policy on immigration (I believe there must be some form of restriction / limit), I also wonder how they are going to pay for the proposed £10 minimum wage and free prescriptions (although scrapping HS2 will help). I think scrapping performance related pay for teachers and eliminating Ofsted are very bad ideas and as we are working in education are issues that directly affect us all.

 

That all said they are probably the party I disagree with the least (if that makes sense).

[elsiegee40]

Poll now edited to include the max possible 12 options

[Garacesh]

I think scrapping performance related pay for teachers and eliminating Ofsted are very bad ideas

I don't think OFSTED should be scrapped, I agree with the idea of OFSTED in concept, but I think it certainly needs some reform.

[sonofsanta]

Poll now edited to include the max possible 12 options

 

Thanks, but... still no Monster Raving Looney party (as said, I'm considering it as a protest vote) or Spoil My Ballot option. The former could well fall under Other, I suppose, but the latter seems an important option in these days of drudgery and all-but-identical policies & politicians.

[elsiegee40]

Thanks, but... still no Monster Raving Looney party (as said, I'm considering it as a protest vote) or Spoil My Ballot option. The former could well fall under Other, I suppose, but the latter seems an important option in these days of drudgery and all-but-identical policies & politicians.

 

Maximum of 12 options and no easy way to do it... I chose to add the greens and the major regional parties ... so Other and Won't Vote made the final 2

Edited March 31, 2015 by elsiegee40

[Garacesh]

or Spoil My Ballot option

Question.. Does spoiling your ballot actually achieve anything? Or is it just the self-satisfaction of knowing you made an obvious protest?

[sonofsanta]

Maximum of 12 options and no easy way to do it... I chose to add the greens and the major regional parties ...

 

Ah, fair enough I never make polls so I didn't know about the cap. Thanks for the edit - though I still can't vote as I still don't know!

[sonofsanta]

Question.. Does spoiling your ballot actually achieve anything? Or is it just the self-satisfaction of knowing you made an obvious protest?

 

Spoiled ballots are counted and reported as a percentage of the vote, so is acknowledged as a protest vote - that is, you actually bothered to turn up to the voting station, rather than apathetically sitting on your backside and watching Netlix instead.