So, how big will Labour's majority be?
Posted by FawnDoo (Member # 1421) on :
1) Yes. Just barely, but yes.
2) Conservatives? Corrupt? What kind of planet are you living on? Next thing you'll be trying to tell me there are gay priests! Pull the other one.
I think Labour's majority will be sizeable, but reduced from what it was last time around (167 I think?), though I wouldn't be surprised if they get another couple of terms out of it if only because they don't really have a credible opposition at this point. The Tories are, IMHO, still out in the long grass and I can see them losing some seats. Lib Dems will, I think, continue their past trend and make some solid gains.
And if in three months we're sitting under a Monster Raving Loony government then I will admit my predictions might have been a bit off. Not by much though.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Just so long as we all get out and vote! I'm worried by these latest poll results. Howard becomes PM, I'm going back to NZ.
Mind you, I'm uncertain how to vote this time. Currently I live in a safe Labour seat - 11,000 majority. I'd far sooner vote Lib Dem but in such a case there's the danger that enough people doing so would split the vote and let the Tories sneak in.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
Surely the Tories can't be worse than NewLab? Well, not substantially worse at any rate. One of the constituencies I live in is a safe Tory seat with a good MP (Douglas Hogg) and the other is currently Labour but likely to turn Lib Dem as the MP said she wouldn't support top up fees and then did. Not a good idea in Cambridge...
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
My problem with the Tories isn't so much their general right-wingness. There are some situations where I'd support a right-wing POV, and certainly Labour need some (any) competition.
No, the problem occurs with the fact that they aren't fighting over the economy, or education (in any real sense), or anything like that. They are goin on about immigration, cutting taxes, and other Daily Mail-chearing "policies". And the posters they've stuck up everywhere are just stupid.
Posted by Grokca (Member # 722) on :
I am going over there in July so assuming you can count better than Americans can, this should all be over by the time I get there, eh?
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
It will be the end of the beginning.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
quote:Originally posted by PsyLiam: No, the problem occurs with the fact that they aren't fighting over the economy, or education (in any real sense), or anything like that. They are goin on about immigration, cutting taxes, and other Daily Mail-chearing "policies". And the posters they've stuck up everywhere are just stupid.
True; this 'dog whistle' policies thing is kind of irritating. Still, they have to get out as many of their core voters as possible and that sort of thing appeals to them. The economy is difficult because Labour will just start going on about the ERM and how great Brown's economic record is.
It's not like Labour's been raising the level of debate anyway; what with the bandwagon jumping (Jamie Oliver) and the constant repitition of 'the Tories can't be trusted to run public services' and their borrowed (from the DDR) slogan.
..And then there's the Lib Dems whose main strength seems to be that they're not either the Tories or Labour. Oh, and they opposed the war. Which I didn't really, so it doesn't really matter that much.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
There's a Chris Morris board where the members did a series of photoshopped pastiches of the Tories' "Are you thinking what we're thinking?" posters. Will have to find the link, some of them are fantastic, they rival somethingawful's poverty poster pisstakes that someone, TSN I think, linked to a while back.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Ahhhhh...it's (dis)heartening to see politics suck just as bad across the pond as it does here.
Well, mabye close. Sorta.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
Well, according to the paper most drug addicts will be voting for the Greens (39%) and Lib Dems (22%). Labour have lost 19% of the druggies vote since 1997.
Also the crackpot parties (Veritarse and the Sir-I-Salute-your-Indefagitability party (aka Respect) have begun to come out of the woodwork.
And finally, the Economist reports that the current best bet is a Labour majority of 60.
quote:Originally posted by Wraith: Well, according to the paper most drug addicts will be voting for the Greens (39%) and Lib Dems (22%). Labour have lost 19% of the druggies vote since 1997.
Also the crackpot parties (Veritarse and the Sir-I-Salute-your-Indefagitability party (aka Respect) have begun to come out of the woodwork.
And finally, the Economist reports that the current best bet is a Labour majority of 60.
Oh!!!! There are really crackpot parties? I always wanted to start my own polital party and in fact have the official papers and forms to do it, but I need 85,000 signatures first.
mm
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
And �500 deposit. Well, here, anyway. 8)
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Deposit? What, you can have it back when you actually win a seat?
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
You get it back if you get a certain percentage or number of votes, I forget which. If you fail to achieve that you lose your deposit. Which put's Screaming Lord Sutch's long history of standing in parliamentary elections in perspective.
Posted by Wraith (Member # 779) on :
I think you have to get a certain percentage. Can't remember exactly what that percentage is though.
Also 85, 000 signitures is pretty much the entire population of a British constituency!
Posted by Austin Powers (Member # 250) on :
I am somewhat reminded of Monty Python's Loony Party... Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
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![[Wink]](wink.gif)