General Election 2010

General Election 2010

www.telegraph.co.uk

After the most interesting campaign in more than a decade, more than 44 million Britons will today vote in General Election 2010.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
news.bbc.co.uk
news.sky.com
news.sky.com
www.itv.com

Well there is less than an hour until the polls close and the first seats are announced, i have to agree that this has been one of the most exciting elections to date. Most polls conducted by newspapers still point towards having a hung parliament despite cameron being slightly in the lead. Around 4/5am we will find out who is the new Prime Minister of the U.K unless it is decided that key marginals will be announced Mid-day tomorrow.

The atmosphere here in the U.K is great at the moment with everybody buzzing about tonights outcome,i've got into several debates today with different people on their views on the parties policies, the main point that cropped up was of scare mongering from other parties telling us that Conservatives will cut college funding. BBC and Sky News will be broadcasting the events live but you can also tune in to Channel 4's alternative election night programming which has a more humourous outlook on the events as they unfold.

Instead of the usual 4 year term it has now been extended to 5 years meaning the next General Election will take place in 2015. I hope everybody who is registered here has voted and have some thoughts to share on this thread. Will you wake up in the morning to dissapointment? or a new improved era?


www.telegraph.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Evening.
I voted liberal and i'm currently watching results on itv1 and its bugging me how they keep talking about this "Swing" to the conservatives. A con government is something i dont want to wake up to and makes me think i should have just stuck with labour.
However, i will be staying up all night to follow this through with my fingers crossed that Dave and his oxford clowns dont get a majority.
Though so far so good, 2 seats to labour. I dont care about how much % they lost!

Lib-Dems are doing far worse than I expected. So far.

As long as we dont have a labour nanny state ..er i mean government in i dont really mind who wins, i would prefer it NOT to be conservative either, but no labour and ill be happy

third constituency has just been read and the "swing o meter" has gone to conservative again, any one else think its a bit like american politics crossed with a really bad mid afternoon game show ?
i keep imagining dale winton to come on and luvvie it up with his sparkly teeth and permatan !!!
i hope the lib dem win but i doubt it , the media have set us up to accept the conservatives coming back into power,

i also think its discraceful some people were turned away from voting, whats that all about ???

peace

Looks like labour grab another seat...........Still to early but PLEASE no more labour.

Gonna watch this thread.

Peace,now wouldn't that be a fine thing.

I went with my wife to vote and at the entrance to the community centre I suddenly stopped and I just could not go in and vote. My wife all aghast tried to talk me into voting; telling that people have fought for our right to vote and so on but I just could not muster the effort. I even had my voting card with me but standing there watching others wander in I had this “weird rebellious moment” and I ended up waiting for my wife to vote before we walked home.

I did not ask and she did not tell.

Now I am left with a rather serene feeling that I stepped off the merry-go-round and I feel a sense of a personal achievement that I took an epiphany-like decision to stop playing this stupid game of vote for change and get more of the same – rinse and repeat.

Flame me if you wish I am happy to take it because I feel great that my decision feels right for me

reply to smokejaguar

you didnt vote ? funny thing, this is the first time ive been arsed to vote, hhmmm

good to hear it felt right, did for me too


peace

reply to post by warsawprice


This is also my first vote......Even though I know it won't change a thing. I just felt I had to try.

Apparently where I come from in the North West of England we have a different age limit to be eligible to vote. Lots of under 18's have got voting cards including a friends niece who is still 16 and lots of the kids in her year got polling cards to.

reply to post by ALOSTSOUL


yeah i know the feeling, this government has done more to hinder your average working bloke than any other, stupidly over-inflated taxes on fuel, beer, fags, etc. hits evryone in the pocket , then the inadequacy of brown to sort out the finances and his continuing arse licking of america was enough to get me (haha) excited about the voting process

lets hope things change for the better with the next lot, we can but hope....

I have not voted in the last three elections where I live.

On the contrary to popular opinion, I feel it gives me the ultimate voice in that I believe that the true problem lies with the political system, and not the politicians.

I have witnessed politicians here becomming corrupted by politics, where, for some strange and unexplainable reason, they no longer have time for the people and therefore cannot see the tree for the woods!

Therefore, I reserve the right to refuse to legitimise what cannot be democratically effective.

There. I said it.

reply to post by Slowpoke


No, you don't have a different age limit, it's the same nationwide.

Anyone over 16 has to be included on the electoral registration forms sent back by the head of household, this is why they may get polling cards but they are not actually elligible to vote.

As for the "exit polls" so far, looks like the Lib Dems wishy washyness has outshone the Clegg factor and surprisingly the Cons have a workable minority. However, the discrepancy between the share of the vote the Libs got compared to their seats is a good example of the need for electoral reform.

reply to post by Breifne


All fine and dandy in theory, but in practice where they will carry on without you, there is a situation of unrepresantive government.

Imagine if all of you "the system is broke and I am not playing" types actualy voted! The Libs may get in and the system would be reformed or what have you.

At the moment though, all you're doing by not voting is giving other people a louder voice while yours is ignored.

reply to post by stumason


Yeah... Its looking... Well. Its still early yet.
But those figures are high for Torries and libs not faring as well as theyd thought. But still early.

And talking about votes, im sure some 8 month old kid got a polling card in the post a while back.

Originally posted by stumason
reply to post by Slowpoke

 

As for the "exit polls" so far, looks like the Lib Dems wishy washyness has outshone the Clegg factor and surprisingly the Cons have a workable minority. However, the discrepancy between the share of the vote the Libs got compared to their seats is a good example of the need for electoral reform.

I agree wholeheartedly.

Further proof is the complete farce that this election has become.

People locked out of polling stations the length and breadth of the country and postal ballots going missing.

What ever the result this election has no credability whatsoever!

Originally posted by stumason


Imagine if all of you "the system is broke and I am not playing" types actualy voted! The Libs may get in and the system would be reformed or what have you.

At the moment though, all you're doing by not voting is giving other people a louder voice while yours is ignored.

Totally agree.... It's not because "people died for the right to vote" it's because exactly as you said, it would make the difference... it would stop the same people deciding who runs our country year after year.

And then all these people who didn't vote will bitch about whoever gets in and moan that they're all the same...

Apathy man... it's why we're in the situation we're in.

reply to post by Esrom Escutcheon Esquire


Yeah, because his dozy dad put his name on the form despite it clearly stating over 16. He denies he did but that is the only way he could have got on the system.

I have just reached my 40th year of existence and have never voted.

If there had been a box on the ballot, saying,"for none of the above" I would have taken part.

A lack of voting response is often seen as a show of support for the residing government...if you don`t vote, you must be happy with the current state of affairs, completely ignoring those that have wanted electoral reform for years.

A turnout of 45-60% of the electorate, in this global climate, is absurd...and the lack of a, `Green Party` drive, is bizarre.

I was kinda hoping for a reduction of wind farms and an increase in wave energy research, considering I live on an island...but nobody was pushing this idea, looks like nuclear builds for the next 4yrs.

reply to post by ironbutterflyrusted


Seems you are unaware of a great British institution, despite your years!

Since Victorian times, it has been quite common that as a sign of protest and not wishing any candidate you would deliberately spoil your ballot, either by writing a witty comment or just signing it. The vote is still counted, but as a "rejected" ballot, so your voice would be heard. Imagine if everyone did that and you hadf a pile of rejected ballots outweighing a single candidate? There would be a basis for a legal challenge to the result (as enshrined in Election law) and you could have it overturned.

Again, a lame excuse for not voting. I'm sorry, but it is.