If There Was A General Election Tomorrow

C

Colin Phillips

At the Start
Joined
Dec 22, 2003
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Talbot Green
I have become totally disenchanted with politics and politicians (and that's putting it politely).

Now, I have always had it drilled into me, by my father, to always use my vote, that people had died to ensure that I had that right to vote, and ever since my daughters have been old enough to think about politics I have drummed that same mantra into them.

I find these days that all, or at least the great majority, of political parties and politicians are self-serving lying toss-pots and haven't got a worthwhile principle between the lot of them.

Brought up in the mining valleys of South Wales my background is very definitely working-class and I have always been a socialist, what a surprise!?!? :D

Which of the political parties should I vote for, do any of them believe they can win votes with policies that benefit the working-class (does anyone believe they are working-class these days?) or are they likely to stick with safe non-vote-losing policies?

I have believed for some time that the way forward was "proportional representation", something that was never going to be embraced by the two main parties who have long-benefited from the first-past-the-post system. The Lib-Dems say that they would introduce such a system IF they were ever elected but I have so little faith in what any politician says that I have my doubts that they would stick to that idea.

Am I in a minority with these feelings or do you think that if there was a box on the ballot paper for none-of-the-above that we would have a country goverened by the NONE-OF-THE-ABOVE Party?

Sorry about the rant but I am a little depressed this morning. :(
 
I imagine that sort of ennui is now very common, Colin, right across the social spectrum. Die-hard Conservative types are probably appalled by the way their party's gone since Hatchet Thatcher's swingeing days, while true-red Labourites have seen their once hard-fought for representation diluted to the equivalent of posing for Harrods' shop windows.

However, I suppose some people would say that this is the price of social progress: your Dad's days were probably far harsher and the 'mining valley' comparison just isn't there any more. Most people are interested in bettering their lives, but for many that simply means buying a new 3-piece suite every three years, or tacking on a 'conservatory' (!) to their bungalow. The need for the 'fire in the belly' politician, ranting against what once were serious social inequalities is just not there any more. I'm sure there are thousands of families in Welsh 'mining' valleys who don't associate themselves with old-style anything! (Especially their furniture or their cars - and who from your father's day would have sported one or two of those?)

This is the problem facing the two main parties now: there really is very little left of what we would have called the working class, doing hard manual labour (even if skilled) in steel, shipbuilding, heavy goods, mining, etc. Anyone who doesn't have a tv probably doesn't out of choice (I'm discounting the very, very old in their 90s on computers, but even many pensioners I know have those!), and I can't think of people your age who'd prefer not to have a fridge, a nice cooker, a car, and so on. So what is there for Labour to fight for, or even against? Plenty of people from the old 'working class' have good bank balances, a surprising amount have stocks and shares and wealth that would have been unthinkably capitalistic in your Dad's day.

That's the snag - you really can't tell the difference these days, and I think that you've probably got to go with whichever politician has a good local track record (whether Con, Lib or Lab) and translate that to the bigger picture. Labour gets in again and again in Brighton, but they've done nothing over the years except wreck the road systems; allow hundreds of flats without parking spaces to crop up all over town, adding enormously to the pollution and congestion; nothing at all about the wrecked pier, but approve a strange erection for Hove's seafront which looks like crushed cans (a building by 'the architect of deformity' Frank Gehry - yeah, that'll fit right in with the Georgian terraces), and so on. So I don't vote Labour because of their local record. It doesn't do much, but it's all I feel I can do!

I suspect you're suffering from Falklands Fatigue - a long journey there and back for your holidays - and need a rest. No-one said that holidays charged the batteries - sometimes quite the opposite. Have a day or two lolling around with the RP, and don't think of anything you have to do - that'll perk you up again! ;)
 
the future battle is not between left and right but between intolerance and tolerance

The creeping influence of religous minorities seeking to influence daily aspects of our life is the growing issue.

the extremes of left and right have largely and rightly been rejected by the electorate. The new battle commences....
 
Have you had your daily life influenced by a creeping religious minority, clivex? And since you are being asked who you'd vote for, who do you think would be doing anything about it?
 
Not the party that decided to try and restrict free speech by bringing in the stupid religous hatred bill

Of course my life has been affected. Anyone that works in london has been affected by a religous minority (that carries the support of many thousands in this country)

Fortunately we are not in the condition that america is yet, but theres a clear case of individuals freedoms being affected by the lobbying of a determined minority
 
Originally posted by Gareth Flynn@Dec 6 2006, 09:24 AM
Spoil your vote in protest.
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What would be the point, its just a waste of time. Does anyone bother counting up spoiled votes and saying "Wow, lots of spoiled voted here, people must have felt like protesting"

I have heard the vote spoiling argument before and I think it is preposterous

I would vote for any party that could make promises and keep them
 
I believe that it is one's obligation to society to vote.

I believe that voting should be made compulsory (to people who have an IQ of above 100).

I will be voting for the Green Party. The others are all a shower of spoofers.
 
Originally posted by Bar the Bull@Dec 6 2006, 11:40 AM
I believe that voting should be made compulsory (to people who have an IQ of above 100).
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I dont vote as I don't believe in any of the parties ability to actually do what I would like them to do. When a party starts saying things I want to hear I would consider voting for them

As for making voting compulsory that is ridiculous, I will choose the activities that I do and I dont think I should be forced into one I do not want to do
 
So you'd rather have mad mullahs be legally allowed to call for the burning of churches and the murder of critics of Islam, clivex? You're surprisingly tolerant.

I've voted Green in the past and will probably do so again, having tried to make a difference voting Lib Dem, without much visible success.
 
I dont vote as I don't believe in any of the parties ability to actually do what I would like them to do.
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You're not just lazy and apathetic, then? How does anyone tell the difference between those who are, and you?
 
Democracy is the system that we have. In my view, you are giving up on society (or just a lazy fecker) by refusing to vote. It is up to you to try and make a difference to the world you live in. Your vote is a chance to do that.

However, I am uncomforable with the fact that many eejits have as much of a say as I do. I would ideally have some kind of smaller weighting given to stupid people's votes.

I do not agree with spoiling a vote.
 
That would put you in a quandry if your constituency was being contested by candidates who were all a bit stupid.
 
I believe that voting should be made compulsory (to people who have an IQ of above 100).

I will be voting for the Green Party.
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the two dont match up

Krizon...if the mullahs call for arson or murder then there are laws to deal with that (whcih were disgracefully not put in place during the rushdie affair)
 
Labour. They may going through a difficult time and in many people's eyes they've lost credibility but for me they are still more credible - by a long way - than any other party around.
 
Conservative.

They are far from perfect but there are are only two credible options and whilst they are not saying so at the moment - at least there is a chance of tax cuts with this one. In an ideal world they might stop pouring money into Public Services as well.
 
I was drinking champagne with David Cameron last night (some of you may not believe me) and I assured him his party would be getting my vote.
 
I would spoil my vote too. I did the same at the last election. There is a difference between doing that and not voting.
 
Originally posted by PDJ@Dec 6 2006, 07:05 PM
I would spoil my vote too. I did the same at the last election. There is a difference between doing that and not voting.
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Yeah they really take note dont they, :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by Kathy@Dec 6 2006, 07:37 PM
I was drinking champagne with David Cameron last night (some of you may not believe me) and I assured him his party would be getting my vote.
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How close were you to his rectum at the time?
 
The Pro, they may not take note but I am using my democratic right to vote. It does not say anywhere I need to pick a party, so I didn't. Should I be forced to choose a party even though I don't like them?
 
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