2011 - Another Year for British Politics

Well, thats more in-depth than I could manage.

 

I think it will be a Labour Majority of between 50 and 100, although ideally I would like to see a Labour majority of between 10 and 20 (more so than a Tory win) because that would give Labour an almost unworkable majority, and also it would leave Labour in power to oversee the lid coming off the economy time-bomb they have created over the last 8 years. Hike them taxes Mr Brown!

 

Here is the timetable for the election

11th April: Dissolustion of Parliament / Issue of writ for the election
14th April: Nominations commence
19th April: Deadlines for:-

* nominations
* withdrawal of candidates
* appointment of agents
* making objections
* publication of names of candidates
* receipt of changes to postal votes and proxy votes

26th April: Deadline for receipt of late postal and proxy vote applications
27th April: Final Issue of postal/proxy votes and proxy poll cards
Last day to make alterations to the register
28th April: First day to apply for replacement postal vote
3rd May: Deadline for appointment of polling and counting officers
4th May: Deadline for application of replacement postal vote
5th May: Election Day (hours of poll 7 am to 10 pm)
Counting the vote commences at 10 pm

11th May: New Parliament assembles
17th May: State opening of Parliament

 

Assuming he doesn't win (which I think we're all writing off for now?) What will happen to Michael Howard after the election?

Obviously if Blair wins with more than 80 (80+ is still considered a landslide, is it not?) Howard will quit as leader. But what if Michael Howard is successful at reducung the Labour majority? I think Labout will get in with about a 50 majority, so in that case will Howard stay on as leader and be allowed to fight a second election? I remember that when they got rid of the wretched IDS, Michael Howard was being considered as a safe pair of hands to guide the Consevatives through the election, and then they would pick a new leader afterwards. But, if he much reduces Labours majority will he be willing to go? Would the party want him to go? And is there anybody who would be appropriate as leader, to follow him?

 

I'd assume that if the Conservatives succeed in reducing Labour's majority by a significant amount, i.e. under 50 seats, then the Tory party would be inclined to keep Howard, since he would have achieved a significant swing. Kinda similar to Labour and Kinnock after the 1987 election.

 

I'm going to have to look back at one of my previous posts in this thread where I predicted the outcome. Although I do need to revise my predictions for the Scottish MPs as D_K quite rightly pointed out to me.

D_K, still want to wager? I suggest some kind of sig to the winner.

And yes, I am very concerned about postal voting. Whats more worrying is that the government doesn't seem to care about it and the other parties aren't making more of a fuss about this!!!!

Here's a handy Poll tracker

 

D_K, still want to wager? I suggest some kind of sig to the winner.

I'm game if you have an idea.

Although I might modify my prediction a touch. After all I wouldn't be fair to compare my January prediction to your April prediction

 

Funny, I thought that was very fair!

 

So, the government have shelved the ID Cards bill. If they are returned with only a small majority, we may never see these horrible ID Cards-Well, not for a few years, anyway.

 

So, the government have shelved the ID Cards bill. If they are returned with only a small majority, we never see these horrible ID Cards-Well, not for a few years, anyway.

I wouldn't put it past Michael Howard to once again aid Labour on this issue. I don't think that there is any doubt that he does support this repulsive scheme.

 

You know, one of the worst things I hate, is when people say;

"If you've got nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear."

Well, I have nothing to hide, but what the hell does that have to do with anybody else. Unless the police actually suspect me of a crime, why should they, or anybody else need to know anything about me, that I don't want to tell them? My personal details are nobody else's buisness. Not because I have something to hide, but because in a democracy, unless you are suspected of a crime, you should be able to go where you like, when you like and do what you like, without anybody else having the authority to interfere.

Can I still be a Conservative if I think like this? If not, I guess I'm not a Conservative, then?

 

I'm a conservative* and thats what I believe!






NB = * Not a card carrying Tory but naturally inclined to conservative values.

 

If you guys are lucky, the move rightward by the Labour Party may have the effect it's had with the ALP in Australia; it left the party in disarray when the chief architects weren't here to guide the party and define it's ideology.

It makes elections here so much fun!

E_S

 

The Conservative Manifesto was released this morning. Anybody have any views on it? I understand it was rather thin and lacking much detail. However, that might not be a bad thing-After years of being well and truely over-governed by Labour, we could certainly do with less government, not more government. If the Tories can equate a lack of policy to a reversal of government sticking it's nose's into evere single aspect of life, that could be pretty popular.

 

Haven't read it yet but will probably get hold of a copy tomorrow. I kinda like the idea of a thin manifesto - straight to the point.

 

I will NOT vote for either Labour, Conservative, Liberal, nor Green in the election.

 

Who are you going to vote for then? Not UKIP surely?

 

Either UKIP or BNP. UKIP is my first choice, then BNP. If neither are running in my area, then I'm not voting at all.

 

You'd seriously vote for the BNP?

What are their policies on say, Health, Education, the Environment, reform of Parliament, Crime etc...? I suspect I understand their view on immigration but what of other issues?

 

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050411/325/fg2te.html

It's almost enough to make someone vote Conservative. The EU Constitution would be awful to this country.

 

Well they can't be any worse than all those hardcore Capitalists in Labour and the Conservatives, who're more interested in their own pockets and the pockets of the fat cats (Remember Rover!!!) and cowboys, than the average man or woman in the street, can they? In fact, if they did get rid of all those freeloaders and social climbers who're coming into OUR country in their thousands every year through our present open boarders (at least 80% of asylum seekers are proven to be bogus), then maybe native English guys like me might stand a chance of earning a decent living. And the Liberals and Greens would also send the country back to medieval times by putting the majority of us in horse and carts with super high fuel prices whilst the Yanks and Chinese carry on guzzling all the fuel.

I also have my own private reasons for not voting for any of the main parties, especially the Labour party.

 

Well, I can't tell you who to vote for, but I really implore you NOT to vote for the BNP. They are nothing more than a nasty bunch of racist's, IMO. They have no real policy's on anything other than stirring up hate and disunity. The ideology these guys stand for, is the ideology our grandparents fought and died to destroy, during the Second World War. I understand you are very let-down by the main political parties in the UK at the moment, and in some respects so am I, but to vote for a bunch of extreme right-wing bigots is surely not the answer? Please don't let them capitilise on the failure of the main political parties to represent your interests.

 

I'd vote for UKIP. BNP= v.v.bad

 

Well, I can't tell you who to vote for, but I really implore you NOT to vote for the BNP.

That's why my first choice is UKIP. I get the feeling that they have the same immigration policies that the Tories "claim" to want.

The ideology these guys stand for, is the ideology our grandparents fought and died to destroy, during the Second World War.

My grandparents too.

I understand you are very let-down by the main political parties in the UK at the moment

Try "disenfranchised". I'm also disillusioned with the way the country's being sold down the river and strip-mined just for the benefit of a few corrupt rich Capitalists up the top, and a load of vulture like foreigners who're circling over the bleached bones of this country and what's left of its industry like a bunch of vultures.

Please don't let them capitilise on the failure of the main political parties to represent your interests.

I wouldn't if the main parties weren't so corrupt or stupid.

 

Evil_Otto, you must be living in another world. Yes, corruption exists in British politics (as it will in any politics at any level), but it is nothing--absolutely nothing--to the systemic corruption that plagues countless Third World countries, as well as some countries which we regard as developed democracies (Italy, for instance).

The idea that Britain is a comparatively bad place to live is nonsense, purely and simply. Yes, we have our problems, but this country is still a much better place than much of the rest of the world.

Our political system may have problems, but I expect that if you lived under a tyrannical government for a few years you'd be a whole lot less cynical about the political class in this country. Not all politicians are necessarily lying scumbags.