The General Elections in the UK, to determine the new Members of Parliament and the Government, will take place next Thursday 6th May. It seems that the result will be very close this time, so the three largest parties, Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat, each have the chance to be a part of the new government. Also, for the first time, the three main party leaders - Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg - have taken part in live TV debates. It also gives me the chance to make a poll :p. So, what do you think will happen in the elections next week?

As this is the H&D section, also leave your comments about the elections/politics, "bigoted women" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbhPWAMx2y0&feature=related), Tory election posters (http://mydavidcameron.com/) etc...

I'm really scratching my head over this election. Not sure who to vote for. I did a survey recently which apparently helped you to decide who to vote for (it gave extracts from all the parties manifestos). It was a four-way split! lol (Green, Lib, Labour and Conservative).

I will definitely vote - just don't know who for yet :eek:

The election has been quite fun to follow, all the gaffes, eggs etc... The debates have been a good thing I think. I hate all that "I met a ..." (http://www.fridgemagnet.org.uk/toys/dave-met.php) stuff they all kept doing in them though. It's the first one I get to vote in so I'm pretty excited to do that. I'm pretty confident of my political convictions sooo it's easy for me to decide who to vote for. I did a bunch of those policy survey things too and it always came out overwhelmingly the same thing.

I don't think we'll end up with a majority government though, at least that's what the polls suggest. It appears the turnout will be a lot bigger too, so that's good. I'm nervous as to how it will all turn out.

I don't think we'll end up with a majority government though,

I quite agree, although I don't understand most of the stuff to do with politics. I think we will get that rare outcome in the UK of a hung Parliament, only because many people are talking about it.

Does anybody have decent links for the second and third debates (not cut up)?

Oh, and I like Nick Clegg although it seems like David Cameron has the lead.

One opinion poll showed that Cons would have a majority of 2! And on a facebook poll, Nick Clegg was voted the leader most people wanted as PM (Brown 2nd, Cameron 3rd)...so it all seems up in the air!

Yeah, the opinion polls aren't much help really, but I hope you don't get a hung parliament.

I notice you haven't got an option for labour/conservative coalition - why's that?

I don't think a hung parliament (with a coalition government) will be so bad. With our current system, if we get a majority government, one party controls both government and parliament and so has a huge amount of power and can pass through legislation that may be unpopular to the public. This can still happen in a coalition government but having two parties in it will hopefully account for more viewpoints.

I notice you haven't got an option for labour/conservative coalition - why's that?
Because hell hasn't frozen over yet :twisted:. The last time that happened was during WWII and, although the centres of each party are much closer now than they have been in the past, each party would lose a lot of their non-centrist support and members would probably break off to form "real" Conservative and Labour parties. Short of a national emergency, I can't see it happening.

Obviously I know nothing about UK politics, but I've never heard of a hung parliament that actually does something worthwhile. Maybe I shouldn't draw parallels between the Indian and the UK politicians, but yeah.

I've never heard of a hung parliament that actually does something worthwhile.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing depending on your perspective and the alternatives available. Some Labour figures are trying to get people to vote tactically for Lib Dems to stop a Conservative majority for example.

So I voted! It was fun, went to some creepy school (all schools are creepy when they're empty). Suspicious about doing it in pencil, why not pens? The Labour candidate was outside in the rain looking a bit miserable and gave me a mini ballot paper telling me where she on the ballot paper... But they ticked it instead of crossing :o There was even a car with people shouting out from loud speakers going around. Does last minute electioneering work?
Is it worth following the coverage tonight and where? From what I understand most of the results wont be declared until tomorrow morning anywayyy

Seems a bit strange that that they asked you to use pencil. Doesn't that rub off quite easily?

I normally don't bother watching it, they usually do it over night and once all the votes are in you cannot do anything to change the result, so I don't bother watching it as it unfolds.

Good question... so I googled it :razz:

According to BBC News:


DO I HAVE TO MARK MY CROSS WITH A PENCIL ON A STRING?

No, the election is not being electronically counted. So if you prefer you can use a pen. You can even mark the box with a tick instead. The important thing is that your voting intention is clear.



However... some local authorities insist that you can only use a pencil. It really depends on your local constituency.

I have also provided the link as it makes some fascinating (and comical reading - lol).

CLICK HERE (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk_politics/election_2010/8661984.stm)


I voted after work this evening. There was the usual gaggle of desperate candidates (who you never see any other time). One of the cheeky beggars asked for my ballot number and the first line of my address! My husband gallanty intervened and said "No... it's private".

I will be watching the results - so a long night for me!

So the people have decided and it looks like a hung parliament.

According to the BBC (www.bbc.co.uk/election) at around 4:45pm with only 2 constituencies still to be decided, the Conservatives are short by 21 seats, and David Cameron has offered a deal to the Lib Dems to try and form a government.

What do you guys think they will do?

So the people have decided and it looks like a hung parliament.

What do you guys think they will do?
The Lib Dems are considering Cameron's offer and it'll take a day or two before they announce their decision. I have a feeling that if the Tories have offered a referendum on voting reform (one of the Lib Dems' key policies) they'll accept the offer because they cannot form a majority with Labour... but who knows? :p

One of the cheeky beggars asked for my ballot number and the first line of my address! My husband gallanty intervened and said "No... it's private".
Lol same thing happened to me (without the husband bit obviously :p).

when will people understand that the Conservatives only have the super rich at heart .
When it is to late !

possibly a lot of new voters were way too young to remember what it was like living under Thatcher..:(
Now we all have to pay I guess..cheers guys :P

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/4706/thatchercameron.jpg

LOL!!! Oh mooby... that says it all!!! :eek:

Gordon Brown has gone (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8672859.stm) (well almost :p)! Probably the worst thing that could happen to the Tories as Clegg will now seriously consider joining forces with Labour...

Lib Dem supporters would be absolutely furious if they formed a coalition government with the Conservatives - hence why I think (and hope) that's not going to happen.

Lib Dem supporters would be absolutely furious if they formed a coalition government with the Conservatives - hence why I think (and hope) that's not going to happen.
Famous last words? :o

I think, given the election result, the Con/Lib Dem coalition was the most viable and I hope the Lib Dems can provide some balance to the Government.

As long as this coalition Government can help sort out our economy and work together like any other single party Government in the past, I don't see any trouble :)

40k spent on this quality logo
http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/7537/torylogoo.jpg
lets see how many other bargains David Cameron will get when shopping in the world markets

:shock:As long as this coalition Government can help sort out our economy and work together like any other single party Government in the past, I don't see any trouble :)

CUT CUT AND THEN CUT A BIT MORE ! Even the USA are suprised about the depth of cuts made. Peoples lives destroyed, houses being given up because people can not pay their mortgages.

Peoples pensions decimated !

THIS GOVERMENT IS A JOKEhttp://www.isketchforum.net/images/icons/icon13.gif

I'm not sure who I'm going to vote for tbh.

Oh wait! The election was over a year ago?