Election Night 2015

[wazzap24]

Does anyone  think Farage might have had a call from a Tory or two..........might have helped persuade him? 

[Xela]

How many votes did UKIP get? 4m? That's a lot. Who did they take them votes from? And if UKIP's moment in the limelight is coming to an end, who will those voters turn to?

[bickster]

How many votes did UKIP get? 4m? That's a lot. Who did they take them votes from? And if UKIP's moment in the limelight is coming to an end, who will those voters turn to?

Some from the Tories, some from Labour and some from absolutely nowhere I suspect (people who never usually vote)

[blandy]

How many votes did UKIP get? 4m? That's a lot. Who did they take them votes from? And if UKIP's moment in the limelight is coming to an end, who will those voters turn to?

I don't think it is coming to an end - they've been growing, really, for a few years now. I'd guess the people that voted for them might well carry on doing so. There's going to be a yurp referendum that'll keep one of their main things in the media and so they and their views will get a lot of attention and coverage.

 

The tories, now, will do a lot of things that displease UKIPs. Immigration will still be an issue, and with Labour a bit of a shambles, the UKIPs will carry on attracting some ex-Labour voters (the way the SNP did).

Labour seems unclear if it wants to find a soul again, or go back to being a sort of less nasty tory party.

 

Politics has changed - it's not a 2 party thing any more and votes and voters will divide much more on single issues, or a narrow range of issues, depending on how and where people are affected by stuff.

[PaulC]

I counted 9 women in the new Tory cabinet, that does not suggest its as male dominated as suggested on here. 

[Awol]

 

 

...we are far more left wing, we are pro europe...

So why did you all vote for a party whose policies were less anti-austerity than Labour and will blindly lead you out of Europe like the Pied Pier if you get independence?

Another shining example of how the people believe a message but don't look at the actual substantive policy.

Scottish independence is a ridiculous notion. Wanting independence and being a part of the EU? How does that square itself, even if they'd let you join, which they won't.

If the Scottish are more left wing than the English they should have voted Labour

If the Scottish are pro-European independence is an utter nonsense.

Sorry but the SNP sold you all a pup

 

or we could be led out of europe by the conservatives and ukip nutters via the english vote. it all depends on the terms of the eu referendum, if all countries need to agree to leave then scotland and northern ireland certainly will vote to remain part of the european union, but if we are dragged out because england votes to leave with the greater population size, it'll be mandate for another scottish referendum. why would europe not let in the 14th most prosperous country in the world?, as a whole the uk is 18th by the way

 

I think you are right that a national vote to exit the EU might lead to another referendum in Scotland - and fair enough if the majority there had voted to stay in. However following the oil price crash the new economic reality facing an iScotland creates a gap (actually a chasm) between what you'd want to do (welfare, health service provision, free education etc) and what is financially possible.  

 

I just wonder how the Nats would react if the financially savvy majority in Scotland rejected independence for a second time?  Would the SNP risk an outcome that effectively torpedoes their core reason for being? Ironically an EU exit followed by a Scottish Indy referendum might actually create a viable route back to relevance for Scottish Labour, campaigning for the Union as a National Socialist Party*. I think we still have far more in common than the Nats on both sides of the border care to acknowledge.

 

*I know "Nazis" etc etc, I'm sure you understand what I'm actually suggesting.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

I understand what you are saying but I think you could have used a different term from national socialist party. Or at least not capitalised it!

[Wainy316]

In America is there literally no other choice apart from Democrats and Republicans?

[TOM_VILLA_SCO]

 

 

 

...we are far more left wing, we are pro europe...

So why did you all vote for a party whose policies were less anti-austerity than Labour and will blindly lead you out of Europe like the Pied Pier if you get independence?

Another shining example of how the people believe a message but don't look at the actual substantive policy.

Scottish independence is a ridiculous notion. Wanting independence and being a part of the EU? How does that square itself, even if they'd let you join, which they won't.

If the Scottish are more left wing than the English they should have voted Labour

If the Scottish are pro-European independence is an utter nonsense.

Sorry but the SNP sold you all a pup

 

or we could be led out of europe by the conservatives and ukip nutters via the english vote. it all depends on the terms of the eu referendum, if all countries need to agree to leave then scotland and northern ireland certainly will vote to remain part of the european union, but if we are dragged out because england votes to leave with the greater population size, it'll be mandate for another scottish referendum. why would europe not let in the 14th most prosperous country in the world?, as a whole the uk is 18th by the way

 

I think you are right that a national vote to exit the EU might lead to another referendum in Scotland - and fair enough if the majority there had voted to stay in. However following the oil price crash the new economic reality facing an iScotland creates a gap (actually a chasm) between what you'd want to do (welfare, health service provision, free education etc) and what is financially possible.  

 

I just wonder how the Nats would react if the financially savvy majority in Scotland rejected independence for a second time?  Would the SNP risk an outcome that effectively torpedoes their core reason for being? Ironically an EU exit followed by a Scottish Indy referendum might actually create a viable route back to relevance for Scottish Labour, campaigning for the Union as a National Socialist Party*. I think we still have far more in common than the Nats on both sides of the border care to acknowledge.

 

*I know "Nazis" etc etc, I'm sure you understand what I'm actually suggesting.

 

perhaps by being 'financially savvy' and not wasting money on trident, the house of 'lords' of hs2. i think you are right though if we have another referendum and the results are similar to that of the last one, perhaps independence will not be achieved while i am young enough to enjoy it, maybe not in my lifetime at all. and yeah a separate party in scotland with the same values as the labour party, while wanting to maintain a union with the rest of the uk is the only way they can succeed in scotland. a lot of work required but for only a possible 59 seats, labour losing this election by over 100 to the tories shows its not just in scotland they have a tough task to regain votes

[Jon]

 

Labour seems unclear if it wants to find a soul again, or go back to being a sort of less nasty tory party.

 

 

 

Sadly, all the signs seem to be to go Blair MK II, in order to win the centre ground and the next GE. So step forward Chucky. In the meantime, if you want to vote socialist, vote Green.

[tonyh29]

Steven Spielberg has announced that a new Indiana Jones film will centre on a search for the Pledge Stone unveiled by Ed Miliband last week.

 

Steven Spielberg has announced that a new Indiana Jones film will centre on a search for the Pledge Stone unveiled by Ed Miliband last week.

The rock has completely vanished since the election, and Hollywood insiders suggest it might have come to rest in a US military warehouse in the same crate as a pink bus.

The film will begin with Indy turning up references to a legendary figure known as ‘John Smith’, and embarking on a globe-trotting series of adventures to track down his legacy.

“The Indiana Jones films have always taken legendary, missing items and turned them into adventure”, said a Hollywood insider.

“The Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant, flying saucers and the Labour party’s credibility. They’re of a muchness, really.”

“We were going to have a scene where Indy and Short Round find Ed Miliband’s charisma, but realised that would be too far-fetched.”

The film will feature a roster of exotic locations including Hampstead and Islington before leading to a climactic sequence in Len McCluskey’s cellar.

The most terrifying scene will feature Indy being stuck in a lift with John Prescott for twenty minutes after the ‘maximum load eight persons’ light comes on.

The closing reel of the film is rumoured to feature Tony Blair’s face melting and falling off, but scriptwriters refused to be drawn on whether that’s due to the wrath of God or too much plastic surgery.

[CarewsEyebrowDesigner]

In America is there literally no other choice apart from Democrats and Republicans?

 

There are other choices but there may as well not be.

Edited May 12, 2015 by CarewsEyebrowDesigner

[Xela]

 

 

Labour seems unclear if it wants to find a soul again, or go back to being a sort of less nasty tory party.

 

 

 

Sadly, all the signs seem to be to go Blair MK II, in order to win the centre ground and the next GE. So step forward Chucky. In the meantime, if you want to vote socialist, vote Green.

 

Is it because they realise that going after the centre ground is the only way to win an election?

[blandy]

 

Sadly, all the signs seem to be to go Blair MK II, in order to win the centre ground and the next GE. So step forward Chucky. In the meantime, if you want to vote socialist, vote Green.

Is it because they realise that going after the centre ground is the only way to win an election?

It isn't though. The tories aren't centre ground, they're probably to the right of the witch, for example.

 

I think their trouble is that "shift left" or shift back centrally" are both right - some people will have left them because they were not left enough, and others because they thought they were too left. There's no answer to their problem in terms of changing left or rightwards. It's the wrong answer.

 

They lost in Scotland in large part for being too close to the tories, and in the South for being too left. They mostly stayed the same or improved a bit in the North. Their vote share overall went up, despite Scotland's move away.

 

Like the papers have been saying, they need to work out what and who they stand for, and they can't do that if they're wondering about Blairism or whatever. - it's what the tories got wrong when Major got in and then they lost in 97 - "should we be more Thatcherite" or less "Nasty party". Only when Cameron turned up and did his (now abandoned) be nice to the environment and the NHS stuff did people start listening to them.

[bickster]

In my opinion Labour didn't lose the election because of any shift leftwards, they lost the election because Milliband was shit. He was a crap leader who couldn't make a decision to save his life and when de did make one it was too late and so much of a compromise it wasn't worth it. He didn'y want to challenge the Tories assertion that Labour created the mess, so he let that narrative become the perceived truth to such an extent that even he believed it to be true. He settled for accepting the opposition argument, who the hell would have really wanted him to run the country

[villa4europe]

I think when voters start leaving labour for UKIP it's apparent to me that left and right isn't what it used to be in politics, I'd guess there's a good % of voters that couldn't tell you the difference

[dont_do_it_doug.]

I think when voters start leaving labour for UKIP it's apparent to me that left and right isn't what it used to be in politics, I'd guess there's a good % of voters that couldn't tell you the difference

 

Or that the vast majority of people couldn't give a shit about the perceived left-ness or right-ness of a party and only seek to vote for those whom they think have their own best interests at heart. In other words, even supposed "lefties" are looking out for themselves, in the main. 

[mjmooney]

I think when voters start leaving labour for UKIP it's apparent to me that left and right isn't what it used to be in politics, I'd guess there's a good % of voters that couldn't tell you the difference

Let's be honest, there has always been that working class racist/xenophobic element that used to vote Labour. But they never used to have anywhere else to go (even they drew the line at the NF/BNP). UKIP have managed to make what was previously taboo 'acceptable'. And Labour have deserted the politically aware working class vote while chasing the middle classes.

[Stevo985]

 

I think when voters start leaving labour for UKIP it's apparent to me that left and right isn't what it used to be in politics, I'd guess there's a good % of voters that couldn't tell you the difference

 

Or that the vast majority of people couldn't give a shit about the perceived left-ness or right-ness of a party and only seek to vote for those whom they think have their own best interests at heart. In other words, even supposed "lefties" are looking out for themselves, in the main. 

 

This.

 

As I alluded to earlier in the thread, all this left and right stuff is hilarious.

 

I'd wager a large part of the country don't know what left and right means in politics and don't even consider it when voting.

[mjmooney]

What a depressing thought, if true.