Election!

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Fri May 07, 2010 4:07 pm

Well, we got a proper MP out of it (that's right - [composite word including 'f*ck'] off, Galloway) so that's good. The Green victory in Brighton is even better.

Disappointing for the Lib Dems, and it's truly depressing how much of England has turned blue. But six months ago I thought that a Tory government was a given, so this is much better than I expected.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Fri May 07, 2010 6:21 pm

Jack Cade wrote: Disappointing for the Lib Dems, and it's truly depressing how much of England has turned blue. But six months ago I thought that a Tory government was a given, so this is much better than I expected.

Agreed. Always surprises me (don't know why) how conservative the country we live in actually is.

And that 1 in 5 people would *consider* voting BNP.

I've always suspected people are stupid. Maybe only the clever ones should be allowed a vote? Actually, no, that would count me out.

Voted Lib Dems where I am but it's as safe a Tory seat as they come...

JawBreaker · Post by **JawBreaker** » Sun May 09, 2010 4:42 pm

Having only truly seen the country under Labour I’m hopelessly optimistic in the potencial change in management.

Which is why I voted Labour.
I don't even make sense to myself.

Post by **Best First** » Wed May 12, 2010 2:09 pm

Coalition eh? Interesting times.

Not sure how i feel about it - as a long term liberal voter and conservative hater it's all rather confusing.

But a better outcome than a true blue government in my view.

If they can pull it off it will be a real credit to all involved.

But my cynic sense is clanging rather loudly. Clangalangalang.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Wed May 12, 2010 2:27 pm

Best First wrote:But a better outcome than a true blue government in my view.

^^ this.

To be perfectly honest, as much as I'm happy to see the back of Brown, I wouldn't trust any of the parties in sole control of the country. This is probably the least evil of the plausible outcomes (I don't regard a LD government as plausible, sadly).

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Wed May 12, 2010 3:29 pm

It's funny how everywhere I turn, I seem to be among a crowd of like-minded sensible people who are pretty apprehensive, to say the least, about the Tories taking over. Where are all the Conservative voters hiding?

Post by **Best First** » Wed May 12, 2010 3:33 pm

Jack Cade wrote:It's funny how everywhere I turn, I seem to be among a crowd of like-minded sensible people who are pretty apprehensive, to say the least, about the Tories taking over. Where are all the Conservative voters hiding?

In the home counties where YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed May 12, 2010 4:15 pm

Does anyone else think of the stripey effect of a spectrum loading a program when they hear about the blue'n'orange? Or is it just me?

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Wed May 12, 2010 5:29 pm

I think there's a whole generation (who outnumber us) that just vote Tory out of habit after being conditioned to do it in the 80s. Back when if you didn't vote Conservative Maggie Thatcher would come round your house and privatise you.

Then there's the kneejerkists who think "well, Labour were obviously rubbish... the Tories can fix it because they're the opposite aren't they?" and don't really pay that much attention to actual politics.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Wed May 12, 2010 5:52 pm

Somebody give me a quick 'splanation of this. Because three parties is a little too much for my little brain. Who speaks for Jesus if you don't have a Sarah Palin?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed May 12, 2010 7:16 pm

We had two main parties, Tories (Conservatives) and Whigs (Liberals, later Liberal Democrats), back when only rich men could vote. There was political reform: poor people and women were given the vote. A third party, Labour, began to represent their needs. A couple of World Wars and most of the voting populace bought into Labour's Welfare State (i.e. NHS, etc.). The Conservatives kept the rich vote, while the Liberals just weren't liberal enough to compete with Labour and were relegated to third place.

Quick and simplified enough?

Oh, and as for the Jesus vote, well, it's Her Majesty's Government and I think she's an Anglican.

Impactor returns 2.0 · Post by **Impactor returns 2.0** » Wed May 12, 2010 10:40 pm

Thankfully UK politics dint play the god card to often as allot of people obviously think it's BS or support a different god...

Jack Cade · Post by **Jack Cade** » Wed May 12, 2010 11:26 pm

The UK is secular enough for Tony Blair to be extremely cagey about his religious beliefs. I think he said after he resigned that people would worry he was a bit of a fanatic. (The irony!)

Rebis - you missed out the best part. Since Labour came to power in 1997, they've moved increasingly towards the right on issues such as civil liberty, while the Conservatives have tried desperately to change their image from pro-rich, anti-minority, anti-civil liberty to something more modern and beguiling, meaning that many people struggle to tell the difference between the two parties.

To my mind, the major distinction is that while Labour are full of pompous, slick, disingenuous characters who can't see the woods for the trees, the Tories are the ones sheltering actual bigots, and are still secretly allied with the upper middle class.

The Liberal Democrats are now the wild card third party who are sufficiently different that (a) lots of people who want real change vote for them, and (b) most people don't believe they have a realistic chance of governing, so vote for whichever of the other two parties they hate least.

As of today (or was it yesterday?) we have a coalition government made up of the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives have the most seats but not enough to pass legislation without LibDem support, so they've formed something official in the hope that some work can be got on with.

Shanti418 · Post by **Shanti418** » Wed May 19, 2010 7:33 pm

Jack Cade wrote: Rebis - you missed out the best part. Since Labour came to power in 1997, they've moved increasingly towards the right on issues such as civil liberty, while the Conservatives have tried desperately to change their image from pro-rich, anti-minority, anti-civil liberty to something more modern and beguiling, meaning that many people struggle to tell the difference between the two parties.

To my mind, the major distinction is that while Labour are full of pompous, slick, disingenuous characters who can't see the woods for the trees, the Tories are the ones sheltering actual bigots, and are still secretly allied with the upper middle class.

I must admit, that does sound a lot like American politics, with Clinton & Blair seducing the moderates but succeeding in cutting off their ideological nose to spite their power face. The difference over here I would imagine is the polarization caused by Bush.

So I read this morning that plans are underway to fundamentally change the House of Lords and to scale back your Big Brother state. Then I see this afternoon that the Olympic mascots for 2012 are a pair of essentially large, all seeing eyeballs (from drops of steel!). Interesting.

Personally, I think we'd get a LOT more done over here with a parlimentry system.

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