VOTE2005 - Britain's voters heading to polls

Britain's voters heading to polls

Voting is under way in the UK election 2005.

To vote in a general election you have to be:
# Aged 18 or over on election day
# On the electoral register
# A citizen of the UK, resident in a constituency or living abroad for less than 15 years
# A Commonwealth or Irish citizen living in a UK constituency
# Not in a category barred from voting, which includes members of the House of Lords, convicted prisoners in custody and psychiatric patients detained under the Mental Health Act.

I'm American and from what I can see the Brits are as bad off as we were in the our last election, not much of anything good to vote for, just the lesser of two evils. I do know that they actually talk to their politicians and tell them what they think. It was very interesting to watch apparently over there you don't have to sign a paper you'll kiss the head guys butt otherwise you are put in the free speech zone blocks away.

Originally posted by goose
I'm American and from what I can see the Brits are as bad off as we were in the our last election, not much of anything good to vote for, just the lesser of two evils.

i see your point, the fight is mainly left vs right.
There are good things to vote for, cut down on immigration, crime, NHS, economy, etc. So there are good points.

I wouldn't presume to give Brits any suggestions in THEIR
election. It's obnoxious when foreigners try to tell Americans
how they think we should vote. I'm not going to try to tell
the Brits how I think they should vote. It's their country ...
they can do what they want. I hope everyone makes it
to the polls and back home safely. Congratulations to your
country for having safe and free elections in which so many
of your citizens can vote. There are still countries on this planet
where that doesn't happen. (women in Saudi Arabia for
example).

Its almost a waste of time.

Labour will win again, with a slightly reduced majority.
Conservatives will get nowhere as noone likes them.
Lib Dems will gain seats, perhaps at the expense of some high up Conservatives.
UKIP, Veritas, Respect and Green will go nowhere as ever.

Having called it a waste of time I voted for the first time today! Go Labour!

(Edited for spelling)

[edit on 5-5-2005 by Uncle Joe]

I voted conservative.
I want Tony Blair out, he disgusts me everytime I look at him on the tv. Although the polls suggest LAbour will win with another large majority, im certain its wide open.

www.belowtopsecret.com...

Vote anyone just not labour!

The irony is Tony Blair is an evil man that has sent thousands of innocent citizens and 80 plus British and 2000 plus US servivcemen to their deaths.

The man is evil egoist and a traitor.

I work with the public and 90% of the people ive spoken to all say either Lib dem or conservative. the chap a couple of posts above mine is the first ive seen to say labour!

I predict a win for TB but his majority will be gone.

[edit on 5-5-2005 by rustiswordz]

Labour will still win,
i voted UKIP for the main election and i voted conservatives in my local council election.

I'm not about to tell you brits to vote after what we did in this country. It probably won't matter anyway, who win. Things will pretty much stay the same--Bush will own him in a few hours, or vice versa. Its all the same.

Well im of to vote in a little while!

its amazing how popular politics is becoming,

Even the schools are having there own lil debates ect,

Every vote counts!!

Originally posted by asala
Well im of to vote in a little while!

its amazing how popular politics is becoming,

Even the schools are having there own lil debates ect,

Every vote counts!!

Yeah, did you hear on the news about that school holding its own elections to encourage them to vote when they are older? i think its an excellent idea.

its amazing how popular politics is becoming,

If by this you mean that more people are complaining about how rubbish these politicians are, and how more people seem to be waking up to the fact that even the politicians don't actually call the shots, then yes, you are correct.

Personally, I am not going to vote today (first time I won't have), although I may spoil the paper because, apparently, the returning officer must show all spoiled papers to the candidates.

It doesn't matter who rules because A) There is no room for ideology in British politics anymore, and B) the people who REALLY run the place are unaccountable shadow dwellers.

('Shadow-dwellers'. I'm quite pleased with that...may use it elsewhere)

We wont know how popular politics is until we see the turnout tomorrow!

Originally posted by KhieuSamphan

its amazing how popular politics is becoming,

If by this you mean that more people are complaining about how rubbish these politicians are, and how more people seem to be waking up to the fact that even the politicians don't actually call the shots, then yes, you are correct.

Personally, I am not going to vote today (first time I won't have), although I may spoil the paper because, apparently, the returning officer must show all spoiled papers to the candidates.

It doesn't matter who rules because A) There is no room for ideology in British politics anymore, and B) the people who REALLY run the place are unaccountable shadow dwellers.

As long as you can sit there for another five years and not complain about the government that we get then I have no argument with this at all. However, I cant bear people who constantly whinge and whine about how crap our politicians are, all the same etc etc etc then dont bother to vote !

[edit on 5-5-2005 by Argus]

Listen to everyone, vote this, vote that. oh puh'lease like it makes a blind bit of difference.

Even if the Con artists do get it its still going to be the same except a different face and a few monetary changes. Nothing Really changes.

I HATE POLITRICKS!

I cant bear people who constantly whinge and whine about how crap our politicians are, all the same etc etc etc then dont bother to vote

My point is that they are all as bad as each other.

ONLY APATHY CAN SAVE US IN THE LONG RUN!

Your vote does count, provided of course you live in a marginal constituency...

Only around 800,000 to 1 million people will make a real difference with their vote today. Most seats are a foregone conclusion, decided by traditional class-based loyalties. The marginal constituencies are the ones which really matter, and that's why if you don't live in one, you probably haven't seen a politician in years.

This is one rather undemocratic aspect of the British system, the first past the post system means that only a handful of "floating voters" make a difference, and so the three mainstream parties have been competing for the middle ground - hence the mediocre and indistinguishable policies.

The majority do not change their vote - the working classes vote for Labour, regardless of the current party's detachment from it's traditional socialist principles, and the upper-middle classes vote Conservative. The three main parties therefore target only the undecidied minority, with identical promises of "improving the NHS", "controlling immigration", and "putting more policemen on the beat" (this policy in particular is exactly the same in every manifesto).

If a party has a considerable majority in your constituency, they don't give a toss about you. They don't have to.

If I wasn't 11 months too young to vote, I'd be voting Lib Dem, simply because they are in favour of proportional representation, which would effectively put an end to tactical voting and allow more representation for real ideology, rather than mediocre policies designed only to avoid offending the undecided few. That, and they're against tuition fees.

Unfortunately proportional representation is a joke, it doesn't give a fair representation at a local level in parliament and it makes for very weak governments. Prime example from the 20th century was the shambolic Weimar Republic which gave rise to desperation and the Nazis.

Germany had much more severe problems at that time. The economy was crippled by reparations payments demanded by Britain and France in the Versailles treaty, and by the Great Depression. The nature of government was not the real problem.

Perhaps more power should be given local councils, while parliament is made up of MPs elected in a PR system?

There are plenty of examples of succesful government where PR is used, either fully or to some extent alongside plural systems. The UK, USA, Canada and Mogolia are the only countries whose electoral sytems are entirely "first past the post".

www.fairvote.org...

Just thought I would drop in and let everyone know that the creator has voted Labour.