The General Election Thread

[FamilyWiggs]

Amazed that Facebook is full of people complaining that the TV coverage of the 2nd change of our government in 31 years has displaced Eastenders and Holby City!

For myself I have been amazed at the dignified and civilised way in which we change our government. It is brutally quick - taking minutes; literally as long as it takes to travel The Mall and back whilst the officials in No10 switch places. It is a truly British mixture of amateur theatre, unwritten tradition over a thousand years and a thoroughly professional and independet Civil Service.

The rest of the world must look on in envy. In the States is takes 3 months and almost the whole Civil Service change too.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Amazed that Facebook is full of people complaining that the TV coverage of the 2nd change of our government in 31 years has displaced Eastenders and Holby City!

Perhaps they're some of the 35% (15 million people) who didn't vote at all, and who should therefore have all their property confiscated and sold to pay off the national debt.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Amazed that Facebook is full of people complaining that the TV coverage of the 2nd change of our government in 31 years has displaced Eastenders and Holby City!

Perhaps they're some of the 35% (15 million people) who didn't vote at all, and who should therefore have all their property confiscated and sold to pay off the national debt.

Ooh - now there's a good idea, Gareth. This coalition malarkey is driving out consensus amongst allsorts of unlikely fellows! :wink:

Other than the tenderness between Dave'n'SamCam as they crossed the threshold of No10, the "nicest" part of the day for me was the huge smile that spontaneously broke out on SarBro's face when Brown talked of going back to the "most important job of being a husband and father" - you could see the realisation that she was going to get him back.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

most electors didn't vote for a Tory government.

I'm not sure what branch of mathematics that comes from, but given that the electorate voted for the Conservatives to the tune of two million more than the second-runners, Labour, I find your calculation questionable.

Add together the Labour and Lib Dem seats in parliament and they still haven't got a majority over the Conservatives.

But add together their share of the vote, and they come in at just over 52%. Which in an ideal world shouldn't be enough, but is clearly a majority.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

most electors didn't vote for a Tory government.

I'm not sure what branch of mathematics that comes from, but given that the electorate voted for the Conservatives to the tune of two million more than the second-runners, Labour, I find your calculation questionable.

Add together the Labour and Lib Dem seats in parliament and they still haven't got a majority over the Conservatives.

But add together their share of the vote, and they come in at just over 52%. Which in an ideal world shouldn't be enough, but is clearly a majority.

And add together the ConLib vote and it is 60%.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Hence the need for reform. If my lot don't get that, then...

But my response was to Penners, who in his grandfatherly glow has understandably lost the ability to do maths :wink: .

 

[DaveBrigg]

Clegg may be a tart, but he's trussed Cameron up like a kipper, with the connivance of Gordon Brown. It was embarrassing seeing the lengths to which he would go to make a deal, and then when a line was drawn, Clegg popped in to see Mr Brown. Lo and behold, out comes William Hague to offer a bit more. Adopt the LibDem tax policy? Right you are Mr Clegg. A vote on PR? Just say the word. Education policy? Tell me what to write. Sleep with my wife? That'll be fine. If Gordon Brown hadn't forced the issue, we would have probably seen Cameron doing Nick Clegg's ironing while converting Number 10 into a centre for illegal immigrants. If, as Simon Hughes has just said, Labour were never serious in negotiations, they managed to keep the pretence up enough to even fool some on this forum :lol: There was only one moment when I thought the plan had failed, and that was when Hague said that the country needed an elected Prime Minister. Looks like we'll have to make do with Cameron in the meantime.

Nick Clegg may live to regret sleeping around however, even with someone so convincingly emasculated. I have yet to meet a lib Dem voter who is anything but horrified about what has just happened. If he doesn't produce the goods it sounds like they will be unlikely to forgive him.

 

[Feltwell]

Well, it's certainly been the most interesting election in a long, long time. The initial assumptions by a lot of people - both Tories, and non-Tories such as myself - that it was almost a foregone conclusion that the Conservatories would get an absolute majority turned out to be wildly inaccurate. All the hoo-hah over the TV debates - how badly Cameron came across at the start, how well Clegg did - which then failed to materialise into seats when the big day came.

Whilst I certainly wouldn't say that I'm pleased to see "Dave" walking into No.10, at least with a coalition the worst of the Tory policies should be tempered. I think the foxes can sleep more easily as well! That promise I suspect will be quietly ignored.

Now it just remains to be seen if the Lib Dems as a whole can cope with being in bed with the Tories, or if it will split their party. Who knows - another election may not be 4 years away.

 

[DaveBrigg]

Number 10 does have two front doors, one up and one in store. I suspect that they are rather more substantial than the average Georgian property though. The cabinet room has two doors too, both hinged on the same side of the frame but swinging in different directions to provide sound insulation. CO consent does not appear to be an issue either; the sash windows at the back are glazed with something rather stronger than 3mm wobbly glass, after the IRA nearly put a mortar round into the cabinet room.
Below is a picture of the PM's office, with a nine year old who managed to take control of the tv remote rather more easily than someone else I can think of.

 

[judrop]

Perhaps they're some of the 35% (15 million people) who didn't vote at all, and who should therefore have all their property confiscated and sold to pay off the national debt.

OOOH GOODY ! We could also re introduce compulsory attendance at Church on a Sunday , AND we MUST all wear felt hats of course !!WHAT TOSH !!!
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Perhaps they're some of the 35% (15 million people) who didn't vote at all, and who should therefore have all their property confiscated and sold to pay off the national debt.

OOOH GOODY ! We could also re introduce compulsory attendance at Church on a Sunday , AND we MUST all wear felt hats of course !!WHAT TOSH !!!
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I have nothing against people going out and signing their ballot, or writing "none of the above", or voting for all the candidates. But the idea that they can't even be bothered to get off their fat backsides and register their apathy is absurd. You can bet they'll whinge about the result.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Perhaps they're some of the 35% (15 million people) who didn't vote at all, and who should therefore have all their property confiscated and sold to pay off the national debt.

OOOH GOODY ! We could also re introduce compulsory attendance at Church on a Sunday , AND we MUST all wear felt hats of course !!WHAT TOSH !!!
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I have nothing against people going out and signing their ballot, or writing "none of the above", or voting for all the candidates. But the idea that they can't even be bothered to get off their fat backsides and register their apathy is absurd. You can bet they'll whinge about the result.

Absolutely. I've done my fair bit of ballot scrutiny over the years. I always have a sneaking regard for those who pitch up on the day to scrawl "They're all useless w@nkers" or somesuch on their ballot. Hey, I couldn't even fault the civil duty of the BNP-write in ballots I've seen.

What I can't stand are those who can't be arsed. Once in 5 years (or once per year if you count all elections) you are required to find a window amongst 15 hours to cast a vote locally, and to give legitimacy to those who govern on our behalf. I'd make it compulsory as they do in some other places.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

View attachment 2

:lol:

Here's a couple to cheer you up Dave 8)



Bet the copper can't wait to get home and tell the kids!

View attachment 1

"Good evening Prime Minister. Congratulations. Allow me to introduce you to your staff"

 

[Flyfisher]

I have nothing against people going out and signing their ballot, or writing "none of the above", or voting for all the candidates. But the idea that they can't even be bothered to get off their fat backsides and register their apathy is absurd. You can bet they'll whinge about the result.

I've never really understood why spoiling a ballot paper is somehow more noble than not voting at all - the end result is the same after all.

I didn't vote as I was away on the day. Without the benefit of my participation, the long-time Conservative constituency was held with an even bigger 5-figure majority than in 2005.

If, by some miracle, Clegg manages to push through some form of PR in time for the next election then I won't be so ambivalent.

Meanwhile, as far as I know whinging is still legal . . . . :wink:

 

[Gareth Hughes]

I have nothing against people going out and signing their ballot, or writing "none of the above", or voting for all the candidates. But the idea that they can't even be bothered to get off their fat backsides and register their apathy is absurd. You can bet they'll whinge about the result.

I've never really understood why spoiling a ballot paper is somehow more noble than not voting at all - the end result is the same after all.

I didn't vote as I was away on the day. Without the benefit of my participation, the long-time Conservative constituency was held with an even bigger 5-figure majority than in 2005.

If, by some miracle, Clegg manages to push through some form of PR in time for the next election then I won't be so ambivalent.

Meanwhile, as far as I know whinging is still legal . . . . :wink:

Oh. I'll be whinging about it, but then for once my vote actually counted (just not enough)...

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Meanwhile, as far as I know whinging is still legal . . . . :wink:

Oh. I'll be whinging about it, but then for once my vote actually counted (just not enough)...[/quote]

In 19 years of voting in every type of election my vote has never counted - not even when I've been a candidate! Still, this ultra-safe Labour seat just became a marginal needing a 3.5% swing next time....

 

[Nigel Watts]

Cameron seems to have read the public mood and has made some extraordinary bold pre-emptive moves on behalf of his party and the country.

It is too soon to tell if he is the new Disraeli who will ensure the Tories remain a major force in British politics in the reformed post PR world, and too soon to tell if he can keep the coalition together, control his more right wing colleagues and fix the economic crisis, but he has made a good start.

Has he been stitched up and forced to concede too much? Is this really a victory for Labour? I dont think so. Reading the Guardian on the web this morning is illuminating. An excruciatingly prolix and mealy-mouthed leader and Polly Toynbee laying into Blunkett and other Labour "big beasts". Certainly no triumphalism.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Amongst the 15 million who didn't vote, there must certainly be a high proportion of the contemptibly lazy, there's-not-much-going-on-in-my-brain type who will follow up their not voting with whinging about the state of their lot. I deliberately questioned some (extremely overweight) check out girls in Sainsbury's and they weren't going to vote - sorry if that's a stereotype but there you go.

But there will also be many who are chronically depressed, have cancer, have too many commitments on that day or a new lover. I never voted in my 20s - ah - the glorious insouciance of youth!

And certainly no-one could accuse FF of apathy, who has contributed considerably to my understanding of politics in this thread.

 

[Penners]

Amazed that Facebook is full of people complaining that the TV coverage of the 2nd change of our government in 31 years has displaced Eastenders and Holby City!

Possibly a clear illustration of the general level of Facebook intellect?





(Dives for cover)

 

[FamilyWiggs]

But there will also be many who are chronically depressed, have cancer, have too many commitments on that day or a new lover. I never voted in my 20s - ah - the glorious insouciance of youth!

Given you are irrepressibly upbeat, appear thankfully healthy, and manage to multi-task with alacrity, I can only presume your 20s were extremely ardent to keep you from voting for a whole decade!! :shock: