The 2015 Popularity Contest (aka UK General Election )

[Tubey]

For me, a lot of what it comes down to is the progress we've made as a country since Conservative have taken charge. The recession was horrendous and I lost my job and had to totally rethink my career, which set me back considerably. I'm 28 this year and nowhere near being able to afford my own home. I work in construction and the industry is now thriving as a result of what's happened over the last few years. That's very important to me.

Same for me by and large mate - if I was voting for myself, I'd be voting Conservative.

 

[davek]

As someone who lived through Thatcherism and thought it'd been consigned to the dustbin of history, this is a returning nightmare. For those who didn't experience it: you wont like what happens next (well most of you wont...some will because they love social turmoil and inequality on a grand scale).

The only way we avoid this lot now for another two more elections, due to the gerrymandering of boundaries that will arise soon, is if they make a massive blunder that imperils national security or something of that nature...or an economic crisis cuts them off at the knees as it did Labour.

This is a huge day in this country's history. A very dark day too. Well done to all those who voted for it. Thanks for sending us all back to the dark ages.

 

[peteblue]

Who will be playing on that though? It sounds as though the Tories would allow the vote but campaign for staying in. Can't imagine Labour/LD/SNP would campaign for anything but staying in, which leaves UKIP. I'd be amazed if they had enough clout to sway things.



I don't think anyone can criticise people for doing what they thought was best. Who are we to judge?

I don't think we will vote to leave the EU either.......

 

[Brennan]

Same for me by and large mate - if I was voting for myself, I'd be voting Conservative.

And the problem, as far as i'm concerned, is that Milliband was never the man to convince people that the greater good was worth voting for.

 

[daylightrobber]

For me, a lot of what it comes down to is the progress we've made as a country since Conservative have taken charge. The recession was horrendous and I lost my job and had to totally rethink my career, which set me back considerably. I'm 28 this year and nowhere near being able to afford my own home. I work in construction and the industry is now thriving as a result of what's happened over the last few years. That's very important to me.


From what I could see a lot of Labour's supporters arguments seemed to largely consist of insults towards Conservatives. I found Miliband to be quite obnoxious, too. I trust Cameron more than I do him.

Like I said my knowledge of politics isn't huge so I'll wade out now.

As someone who has a little more than a passing interest in the housing issue, I'm afraid to say that the Tories are going to make things worse. You might get lucky with a right to buy but you'll simply be exacerbating the issue for many many more.

 

[Tubey]

And the problem, as far as i'm concerned, is that Milliband was never the man to convince people that the greater good was worth voting for.

I think that's precisely right mate. But he did better than anyone thought he could in terms of his performance - it just didn't translate to votes.

It's the result I expected when Miliband took over, when I said on here that he didn't have a snowballs chance of being PM, but he ran a good personal campaign. He just got Scotland badly wrong and was swamped by fear tactics about Scotland from the Tories.

And, of course, the economy. One of the biggest factors here was the astonishing decision to keep Ed Balls as shadow chancellor. He was toxic from the off.

I expect to be personally better off over the next five years - it's just that the price of that for me is not worth paying. Sure, I can increase charity and go "Big Society" and what not but in general the trickle down does not work as a whole.

 

[daylightrobber]

But the Tories don't want to leave the EU. A small and vocal minority do, as do UKIP. A recent poll said 51% of people would vote to leave the EU if a vote was held, but that is before any campaigning against it. Neither Labour or the Tories as a whole want to leave Europe.

As for the SNP, do you really think it would be better if Labour were running things, propped up by a party who actively want to leave the parliament in which they sit ?

A conservative majority is the most stable result possible, whether you want that kind of stability is a different question.

I have no idea which way it would go. However, the whole issue is unsettling for business and is contributing to create a society where we are introverted in our views to other nations. Xenophobia is on the rise. The more it is publicised and the more traction the out campaign gets, the more legitimate it is perceived to be.

 

[Groucho]

While I am aware that some people won't understand why some of us (me included) voted Labour, I really fail to see what attraction some people saw in the Conservatives.

Way of the world I suppose......

This election was lost (from a Labour POV) when Ed Miliband took the leadership contest away from his brother, about 5 years ago. Now, as for Labour leadership, I'd say Andy Burnham or even Steve Rotherham for leader. With Ed Balls losing his seat, I don't think he could command authority (and honestly, I don't think he's effective in any office).

 

[peteblue]

So, the exit poll was more or less right.

Unfortunately, the Labour party shot itself in the foot when it elected Ed Milliband, whose been seen as weak and ineffective by the electorate, and probably a bit too far to the left as well. THey desperately need to get it right when he's replaced and think about giving themselves the best chance of winning an election.

The man was a disaster and I find it hard to understand how any rational person who supported the Labour party believed otherwise tbh........

 

[The Mighty Quint]

As someone who lived through Thatcherism and thought it'd been consigned to the dustbin of history, this is a returning nightmare. For those who didn't experience it: you wont like what happens next (well most of you wont...some will because they love social turmoil and inequality on a grand scale).

The only way we avoid this lot now for another two more elections, due to the gerrymandering of boundaries that will arise soon, is if they make a massive blunder that imperils national security or something of that nature...or an economic crisis cuts them off at the knees as it did Labour.

This is a huge day in this country's history. A very dark day too. Well done to all those who voted for it. Thanks for sending us all back to the dark ages.

 

[Brennan]

While I am aware that some people won't understand why some of us (me included) voted Labour, I really fail to see what attraction some people saw in the Conservatives.

Way of the world I suppose......

This election was lost (from a Labour POV) when Ed Miliband took the leadership contest away from his brother, about 5 years ago. Now, as for Labour leadership, I'd say Andy Burnham or even Steve Rotherham for leader. With Ed Balls losing his seat, I don't think he could command authority (and honestly, I don't think he's effective in any office).

A lot of people will probably be better off as a result of Tory rule, and many of them don't trust Labour after the recession etc. Whether that's a justified lack of trust is another matter, but it's very hard for most people to see through the media campaign that has been led in support of the Tories and against Labour.

They needed another Tory Blair in this election, Milliband was never that.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Was it really the 'fear of Scotland' at work? It seems that most of the Tories gains have come at the expense of the LibDems. Has there been much of a swing (either way) from Labour to Conservative?

 

[Tubey]

While I am aware that some people won't understand why some of us (me included) voted Labour, I really fail to see what attraction some people saw in the Conservatives.

Way of the world I suppose......

This election was lost (from a Labour POV) when Ed Miliband took the leadership contest away from his brother, about 5 years ago. Now, as for Labour leadership, I'd say Andy Burnham or even Steve Rotherham for leader. With Ed Balls losing his seat, I don't think he could command authority (and honestly, I don't think he's effective in any office).

It's as Brennan says really - it's how much you value a social conscience that swings it. I think every Tory voter secretly knows that a vote for them is a brutal hammering for the poor, but that fact doesn't seem enough to overshadow a perceived personal gain for themselves.

I'm not saying Tory voters are inherently "bad" people for doing so; but I do profoundly disagree with them. As someone who has worked in the DWP, seen the effects of A4E, also worked at CAB... I'm just massively saddened for the countless who are legitimately in need of support who will now be subjected to an absolute hammering. I can only hope we don't see a full-on "social class ideological genocide" here, for want of a better term.

 

[Whistlin' Dixie]

As someone who lived through Thatcherism and thought it'd been consigned to the dustbin of history, this is a returning nightmare. For those who didn't experience it: you wont like what happens next (well most of you wont...some will because they love social turmoil and inequality on a grand scale).

The only way we avoid this lot now for another two more elections, due to the gerrymandering of boundaries that will arise soon, is if they make a massive blunder that imperils national security or something of that nature...or an economic crisis cuts them off at the knees as it did Labour.

This is a huge day in this country's history. A very dark day too. Well done to all those who voted for it. Thanks for sending us all back to the dark ages.

Absolutely spot-on!

And there hasn't even been a defining moment (like the falklands) to sway public opinion massively in their favour this time around. Nor has their been any perceived threat from a militant labour neither.

However, I thoroughly expect some "national security" issue to rear it's ugly head in the near future. Whether that's in the form of a terrorist attack (See Reichstag Fire - I wouldn't put it past this lot) - or more likely rioting, I couldn't say......But there WILL be something for them shower o' shabbite to change the constitution, deny civil liberties even further (for the lower classes) & make them out to be the defenders of the nation's interests.

The future's bleak, I fear.

 

[peteblue]

Ed Balls has lost his seat.

That tells you where labour went wrong.

Apparently. 300 votes only.

Yet another disaster he didn't see coming........getting shot of this man will help Labour in the long run......