British General Election

[Critch]

Come on, you've all been waiting for this thriller. Thanks to the wonder of CSPAN2 and modern satellite technology you can all sit back and enjoy the wonders of the British democratic process from the comfort of your own home! Wow! CSPAN2 have also arranged a nifty 5 hour time difference thing between the east coast of the US and Britain, thus ensuring that their viewers can watch the whole thing right up to the acceptance speech and still be in bed by 10.30pm. This is a service that's unavailable in the UK where they'll have to sit up til the 'wee' hours of the morning before falling asleep in front of the tv and not knowing who wins til the buy the paper while making their bleary-eyed way to work tomorrow morning.

Doesn't look like it's going to be a thriller this year though, the Labour Party's Tony Blair (aka Tory B. Liar) looks to be unbeatable, opinion polls have had them between 4 and 9 points ahead over the last month. Yesterday one poll came out with a 14 point lead for Labour. So they'll win again.

Up against them there's the Conservative Party (The Tories) led by Michael Howard (though how he got the job is anybody's guess), kind of like the British Republican party only without the charisma or competence. The gap in the polls is more down to the Tories being unelectable than to Blair's popularity.

Third party are the Liberal Democrats, they used to be the boring party of the center, but with 'New' Labour and the Tories both squeezing more into the center ground, the Lib Dems have kind have popped out and are actually more 'leftist' than the main two on a number of issues (legalizing drugs, defence). If the Labour party are the Democrats and the Conservatives are the Republicans, the Lib Dems are the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. No chance of winning anytime soon.

After that there's a buttload of minority parties, there's the 'one issue' parties (the Greens, UK Independence Party), a slew of Nationalist (SNP in Scotland, Plaid Cymru in Wales, Sinn Fein and SDLP in Northern Ireland), lots of Loyalists in Northern Ireland (PUP, DUP, UUP), fringe parties (Scottish Socialist Party, The Alliance Party, Monster Raving Looney Party). A party for everybody.

So get the beers in (unless you don't drink, then get something else), kick back on the recliner, and watch the drama unfold.

[st.cronin]

I'm pulling for the Silly Party.

[fantastic flying froggies]

You know what, I actually voted in the British General Election in 1992. Completely illegally of course, since I am French and have absolutely no business voting in an English election. Voting security was an utter joke and I voted for one of my flatmates who was away...

Wonder if they changed the voting process...

[AlexB]

You know what, I actually voted in the British General Election in 1992. Completely illegally of course, since I am French and have absolutely no business voting in an English election. Voting security was an utter joke and I voted for one of my flatmates who was away...

Wonder if they changed the voting process...

Still ridiculously flawed - I moved house 6 weeks ago and although I advised the council immediately, they have not registered me on the electoral roll yet at the new one. As a result I don;t have a voting card.

But I went down to the polling station, explained the situtation - without asking for any ID whatsoever (I'd gone prepared with passport, driving license, old utility bills, etc) gave me the ballot paper.

People I know have been sent two voting cards, some postal ballots were issued with instructions to vote for two candidates, a councillor in the West Midlands had 13 votes associated to him from one single person at one address (he didn't even have the sense to use fake names and addresses, simply used the same real person at his real address 13 times!)

Still an utter joke.

[Kokoshin]

I still root for Alan B'staad

[AlexB]

I still root for Alan B'staad

Our main client looks exactly like Piers Fletcher Dervish, and is a bumbling wreck at times! :D

One of those things: mention it or leave it alone?

"Piers Fletcher Dervish? Yeah, he was a simpleton on a 1980's comedy show, always got taken for ride and was the butt of all the jokes...

What? You're taking you hundreds of thousands where? Why - was it something I said?"

[Crapshoot]

To me, it will be interesting to see if the Lib Dems can establish themselves as a credible third party - Labour going to win a canter, but how far behind will the Tories and the Lib Dems be ?

[Super Ugly]

It's not just general elections - some towns are voting for their mayor as well. A few years ago, the people of Hartlepool elected a monkey as mayor:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1965569.stm

That's British democracy for you, for better or for worse (in fact, the monkey did a pretty good job, from what I hear).

I'd like to see the Lib Dems make a big impact this election, but under the present electoral system voting for them is like pissing into the wind.

[st.cronin]

It's not just general elections - some towns are voting for their mayor as well. A few years ago, the people of Hartlepool elected a monkey as mayor:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1965569.stm

That's British democracy for you, for better or for worse (in fact, the monkey did a pretty good job, from what I hear).

I'd like to see the Lib Dems make a big impact this election, but under the present electoral system voting for them is like pissing into the wind.

More evidence that the British system is vastly superior to ours. We've actually elected monkeys as GOVERNORS!!! (Minnesota, California)

[AlexB]

To me, it will be interesting to see if the Lib Dems can establish themselves as a credible third party - Labour going to win a canter, but how far behind will the Tories and the Lib Dems be ?

I think they already a credible third party, in as much as they're well ahead of anybody else bar Lab/Con, but the nation hasn't yet ready to allow a third party to the level of the latter two. This could be their best chance.

Despite having to wait at least a couple of years to find out if Blair is lying(Campbell and Mandelson have put so much spin on Labours fuck-ups that I genuinely don't think Blair himself knows what the truth is half the time), much of the electorate appear not to mind and they will win, but with a reduced majority.

The Tories will make some gains, but not as much as they would do if they ANYBODY who was a credible leader, but while the LibDems have always been hamstrung by people's reluctance to move away from what has in reality been a two party system, beacuse of the untrustworthyness of Blair and the basic incompetence of the Tories, this could be their chance to become more of a contender.

Having said that, it appears to me that the LibDems are beginning to get a little bit frightened of this prospect: they come across as kind of British eccentrics playing politics without the confidence to actually become a major part of the process, content to snipe around on the sidelines, with occasional successes, in a kind of guerilla politics...

For me, none of main three appeal as they all are either keen on further integration into European government or (in the case of the Tories) have simply thrown up their hands and said well we've gone so far, it'd be a little tricky to pull out now...

I firmly believe if the Tories had strongly stated their opposition to European government, they would have won at a canter, but they still, after two terms, haven't got the hang of being an opposition party.

[Desnudo]

It's not just general elections - some towns are voting for their mayor as well. A few years ago, the people of Hartlepool elected a monkey as mayor:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1965569.stm

That's British democracy for you, for better or for worse (in fact, the monkey did a pretty good job, from what I hear).

I'd like to see the Lib Dems make a big impact this election, but under the present electoral system voting for them is like pissing into the wind.

How could you not vote for him? He's adorable!

[AlexB]

I'd like to see the Lib Dems make a big impact this election, but under the present electoral system voting for them is like pissing into the wind.


But that attitude is why it's like pissing into the wind: many people vote for the opposition rather than LibDem because of this thought process - if they voted for who they wanted, maybe Kennedy would have been a player by now.

Having said that, they are grossly under-represented according to the percentage of the vote they recieve, as are all bar Lab/Con

[Super Ugly]

As long as Robert Killroy-Silk stays the fuck out of government, I'm happy.

[Super Ugly]

Although he may be an MEP already, I forget ...

[sterlingice]

Still ridiculously flawed - I moved house 6 weeks ago and although I advised the council immediately, they have not registered me on the electoral roll yet at the new one. As a result I don;t have a voting card.

But I went down to the polling station, explained the situtation - without asking for any ID whatsoever (I'd gone prepared with passport, driving license, old utility bills, etc) gave me the ballot paper.

People I know have been sent two voting cards, some postal ballots were issued with instructions to vote for two candidates, a councillor in the West Midlands had 13 votes associated to him from one single person at one address (he didn't even have the sense to use fake names and addresses, simply used the same real person at his real address 13 times!)

Still an utter joke.
So, it's like voting in Florida or Ohio?

SI

[st.cronin]

So, it's like voting in Florida or Ohio?

SI

Or Wisconsin. I joked to everybody this year that I couldn't decide, so I voted for Bush and Kerry - lots of people believed me. It's totally possible to vote over and over in WI.

[sterlingice]

It's not just general elections - some towns are voting for their mayor as well. A few years ago, the people of Hartlepool elected a monkey as mayor:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1965569.stm
I don't know which is scarier- that they elected him or that second part of the story (Mr Drummond being the monkey):

"Mr Drummond is well-known in the town for his frolics as mascot for Hartlepool United Football Club, nicknamed the Monkey Hangers by their rivals.

He has been thrown out of two away games, once when he simulated sex with a woman steward in Scunthorpe in 2000 and a year ago for his antics with an inflatable doll at Blackpool."

SI

[Ryan S]

A few years ago, the people of Hartlepool elected a monkey as mayorAnd they have just re-elected him to a second term. :)