Are you going to vote tactically?

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 18 Apr 2010, 08:05

Cubes, you've obviously pinned your colours to the mast well in advance of the forthcoming election.

Here's hoping you get what you're wishing for.

cubes · Post by **cubes** » 18 Apr 2010, 11:08

I'd rather vote lib-dem tbh, but it's not going to make a difference doing that.

The main reason I'm going to vote cons. (although if the libdems continue to do well I may vote for them anyway) is as I said above - no party deserves to be in power more than 2 terms. You can see now that the current govt. had run out of ideas years ago. The leadership needs clearing out (as often happens after a defeat) and new people with fresher (and hopefully better) ideas take their place.

It's a shame that some people associate every conservative leader with Thatcher tbh. Let's be honest here - she had to have had some support to stay in power for 11-12 years...

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 18 Apr 2010, 13:22

cubes wrote:no party deserves to be in power more than 2 terms.

That's got to be the daftest of all reasons.

cubes · Post by **cubes** » 19 Apr 2010, 18:57

Really? Look at the times parties have been in power for longer. The policies either get dafter or more authoritarian. Doesn't seem to matter which party is in charge.

Also, surely it's less daft than "I've always voted X and always will".

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 19 Apr 2010, 19:42

Aurora wrote:
cubes wrote: I did pretty much all my schooling during the Thatcher years :p It didn't seem too bad from where I was and we weren't well off by any stretch of the imagination.
A politally aware schoolboy? I think not.

People complain, but we've had far worse pm's than her, and the country was better at the end of her tenure than at the beginning.
A few hard facts about Thatcher's 'reign of terror' my naive young friend:

For those of us in our fifties, it's sometimes hard to remember that anyone younger than that almost certainly has no memories of Margaret Thatcher, the vicious and corrosive effect she had on British society and the special and undying loathing for her which is still nurtured by those of us who were there.

I'm 42, and can remember Margaret Thatcher becoming leader of the conservative party. I remember her on the news, abseiling from the Cutty Sark as a celebration. I remember her "where there is despair, we shall bring hope" speech. And I remember everything that followed also...I could never, ever, bring myself to vote conservative.

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 19 Apr 2010, 19:44

cubes wrote:I'd rather vote lib-dem tbh, but it's not going to make a difference doing that.

The main reason I'm going to vote cons. (although if the libdems continue to do well I may vote for them anyway) is as I said above - no party deserves to be in power more than 2 terms. You can see now that the current govt. had run out of ideas years ago. The leadership needs clearing out (as often happens after a defeat) and new people with fresher (and hopefully better) ideas take their place.

It's a shame that some people associate every conservative leader with Thatcher tbh. Let's be honest here - she had to have had some support to stay in power for 11-12 years...

Yep, she was supported by rich people in the English countryside who sent their children to private schools and could afford private medical cover. But of course the tories have changed now...which is why they are planning on implementing an inheritance tax cut to help the rich, even though the country is in the worst fiscal state since the end of WW2.

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 19 Apr 2010, 19:49

cubes wrote:Really? Look at the times parties have been in power for longer. The policies either get dafter or more authoritarian. Doesn't seem to matter which party is in charge.

Also, surely it's less daft than "I've always voted X and always will".

That's daft too, but nobody here is saying it. What you are seeing on this board is an anti-conservative sentiment coming from people who know damned well what the tories stand for and know damned well that if they get into power they will look after the rich and shaft the poor. In my life I've voted labour, liberal and green.

cubes...unless you really do have a lot of money behind you then voting tory is insane. It's probably insane even if you do have a lot of money behind you, because Osborne/Cameron aren't up to the job. They have a political agenda, not an economic plan, and that political agenda is "help our rich friends and throw stones at the smelly people in Europe."

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 19 Apr 2010, 20:10

UndercoverElephant wrote:
cubes wrote:Really? Look at the times parties have been in power for longer. The policies either get dafter or more authoritarian. Doesn't seem to matter which party is in charge.

Also, surely it's less daft than "I've always voted X and always will".
That's daft too, but nobody here is saying it. What you are seeing on this board is an anti-conservative sentiment coming from people who know damned well what the tories stand for and know damned well that if they get into power they will look after the rich and shaft the poor. In my life I've voted labour, liberal and green.

cubes...unless you really do have a lot of money behind you then voting tory is insane. It's probably insane even if you do have a lot of money behind you, because Osborne/Cameron aren't up to the job. They have a political agenda, not an economic plan, and that political agenda is "help our rich friends and throw stones at the smelly people in Europe."

+1.

Although some of my previous comments may have led readers to believe that I am a staunch Labourite, I have also voted for the Liberal and Green parties in the past - whenever I felt that their policies were appropriate to the times.

However, like UE, I am deeply suspicious of Cameron & Co. Political opportunists to a man, capable of saying/doing whatever it takes to regain power.

2 As and a B · Post by **2 As and a B** » 19 Apr 2010, 20:40

UndercoverElephant wrote:
Aurora wrote:
cubes wrote: I did pretty much all my schooling during the Thatcher years :p It didn't seem too bad from where I was and we weren't well off by any stretch of the imagination.
A politally aware schoolboy? I think not.

People complain, but we've had far worse pm's than her, and the country was better at the end of her tenure than at the beginning.
A few hard facts about Thatcher's 'reign of terror' my naive young friend:

For those of us in our fifties, it's sometimes hard to remember that anyone younger than that almost certainly has no memories of Margaret Thatcher, the vicious and corrosive effect she had on British society and the special and undying loathing for her which is still nurtured by those of us who were there.
I'm 42, and can remember Margaret Thatcher becoming leader of the conservative party. I remember her on the news, abseiling from the Cutty Sark as a celebration. I remember her "where there is despair, we shall bring hope" speech. And I remember everything that followed also...I could never, ever, bring myself to vote conservative.

Here's Blair's 1997 election victory speech:

I have just accepted Her Majesty the Queen’s kind offer to form a new administration and government for the country. John Major’s dignity and courage over the last few days and the manner of his leaving, is the mark of the man. I am pleased to pay tribute to him.

As I stand here before 10 Downing Street I know all too well the huge responsibility that is upon me and the great trust that the British people have placed in me.

I know well what this country has voted for today. It is a mandate for New Labour and I say to the people of this country — we ran for office as New Labour, we will govern as New Labour.

This is not a mandate for dogma or for doctrine, or for a return to the past, but it was a mandate to get those things done in our country that desperately need doing for the future.

And this new Labour government will govern in the interests of all our people — the whole of this nation. That I can promise you. When I became leader of the Labour party some three years ago I set a series of objectives. By and large I believe we have achieved them. Today we have set objectives for new Labour Government – a world class education system. Education is not the privilege of the few but the right of the many.

A new Labour Government that remembers that it was a previous Labour Government that formed and fashioned the welfare state and the National Health Service. It was our proudest creation. It shall be our job and our duty now to modernize it for a modern world, and that we will also do.

We will work in partnership with business to create the dynamic economy, the competitive economy of the future. The one that can meet the challenges of an entirely new century and new age.

And it will be a government that seeks to restore trust in politics in this country. That cleans it up, that decentralizes it, that gives people hope once again that politics is and always should be about the service of the public. And it shall be a government, too, that gives this country strength and confidence in leadership both at home and abroad, particularly in respect of Europe.

It shall be a government rooted in strong values, the values of justice and progress and community, the values that have guided me all my political life. But a government ready with the courage to embrace the new ideas necessary to make those values live again for today’s world — a government of practical measures in pursuit of noble causes. That is our objective for the people of Britain.

Above all, we have secured a mandate to bring this nation together, to unite us — one Britain, one nation in which our ambition for ourselves is matched by our sense of compassion and decency and duty towards other people. Simple values, but the right ones.

For 18 years — for 18 long years — my party has been in opposition. It could only say, it could not do. Today we are charged with the deep responsibility of government. Today, enough of talking — it is time now to do.

Total bollocks. I've only ever voted Lib Dem or Green (and Mickey Mouse in Labour-held Islington).

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 19 Apr 2010, 20:43

Sounds reasonable to me.

2 As and a B · Post by **2 As and a B** » 19 Apr 2010, 21:05

Well that's how it started. And then it finished with a cabinet stuffed full of Lords because there isn't enough talent amongst the voting fodder (and are too many p!ssed off [incompetent] ex-Ministers).

For example, last night's announcement about the Great British Tourist rescue outside No.10. A gang of five, including Lord Manhandllebum, Lord Adonis (phwaghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!) and Lord West (who TF is Lord WEST? - I refer the Honourable reader to my enquiry about Lord Hunt).

cubes · Post by **cubes** » 19 Apr 2010, 22:38

UndercoverElephant wrote:
cubes wrote:Really? Look at the times parties have been in power for longer. The policies either get dafter or more authoritarian. Doesn't seem to matter which party is in charge.

Also, surely it's less daft than "I've always voted X and always will".
That's daft too, but nobody here is saying it. What you are seeing on this board is an anti-conservative sentiment coming from people who know damned well what the tories stand for and know damned well that if they get into power they will look after the rich and shaft the poor. In my life I've voted labour, liberal and green.

cubes...unless you really do have a lot of money behind you then voting tory is insane. It's probably insane even if you do have a lot of money behind you, because Osborne/Cameron aren't up to the job. They have a political agenda, not an economic plan, and that political agenda is "help our rich friends and throw stones at the smelly people in Europe."

Hehe. I honestly can't see them being worse that the thing that the current labour party has become. I can't believe that people would want to vote labour when all they've done (like every other govt too) is lie lie lie and help themselves and their paymasters to every penny they can lay their grubby little mitts on.

I can't see the libdems being much/any better after a few years in power to get corrupted either.

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 22 Apr 2010, 09:54

BBC seat calculator, based on latest poll of polls:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/ ... 609989.stm

LAB: 256
CON: 253
LIB: 112
OTH: 29

Given that 60% of the population say that they actually want a hung parliament, I now think the tories can't win the election. But a parliament hung as deeply as the projected result above is the stuff of wet dreams. It would change British politics forever.

We just have to hope Clegg puts in a good performance tonight...

2 As and a B · Post by **2 As and a B** » 22 Apr 2010, 12:17

In light of the Tory papers' increasingly frantic attempts to defame Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems, try these...

Daily Mail-o-matic - A new Daily Mail headline every time you click the button.

Examples

HAS NICK CLEGG KILLED THE QUEEN?

WILL NICK CLEGG DESTROY YOUR MORTGAGE?

IS NICK CLEGG GIVING THE CHURCH DIABETES?

And twitter's #nickcleggsfault

Examples

Tinky Winky stabbing Laa-Laa in the face after an all-nighter on sherbet dabs. #nickcleggsfault

I forgot to put salt on my scrambled egg this morning...clearly that is #nickcleggsfault

why is it cold in my house when warm and sunny outside?! must be #nickcleggsfault !!!!!!!

Meanwhile...

Could the Lib Dems win outright?

We asked: “How would you vote on May 6 if you thought the Liberal Democrats had a significant chance of winning the election”. The responses: Lib Dem 49%, Conservative 25%, Labour 19%. On the – admittedly unrealistic – assumption of uniform national swing, there would be 548 Lib Dem MPs, 41 Labour MPs and just 25 Tories.

Vote with your heart!

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 23 Apr 2010, 20:51

I was thinking of voting for a fringe party ... until their leaflet arrived tonight.

Their candidate is anti local wind-farms ... oh, well, can't vote for him ... a nimby.

Back to the drawing board ... although in reality my vote will count for nothing.