an election where your vote counts

[eFestivals]

It's the European Parliament elections on Thursday 22 May 2014.

It's an election where everyone's vote has a meaningful impact on the result, because the voting system used is proportional representation.

For some fairly neutral information on the current representation, the parties involved (and that you can vote for), the voting system, opinion polls, a good selection of links, and more, Wikipedia isn't a bad place to start.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Parliament_election,_2014_%28United_Kingdom%29

This election is one of the most important for years. If you don't get out there and vote, opinion polls suggest that the swivel-eyed loons will be taking over.

There's a lot bad that could be said of the other parties, but do you really want the world to be run by those swivel-eyed loons?

Your vote counts! Please use it.

[kaosmark2]

How the fuck, in the South West, can we vote to not get an anti-Europe racist fruitcake?

[frostypaw]

It's not too complicated really - just keep these arseholes out

Whether you want in or out of Europe these elections are NOT the way to do it. That is called a 'referendum' not a 'european election' - in this one you have to choose the best person to represent you in Europe, not choose someone who will refuse to represent you AT ALL and just take your money for nothing

What if you do vote for UKIP in the european elections and then we don't have a referendum and leave? Then you will have thrown away ALL of the Uk's say in europe as the UKIPers refuse to take part. Congratulations - good plan.

[LJS]

It's the European Parliament elections on Thursday 22 May 2014.

It's an election where everyone's vote has a meaningful impact on the result, because the voting system used is proportional representation.

For some fairly neutral information on the current representation, the parties involved (and that you can vote for), the voting system, opinion polls, a good selection of links, and more, Wikipedia isn't a bad place to start.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Parliament_election,_2014_%28United_Kingdom%29

This election is one of the most important for years. If you don't get out there and vote, opinion polls suggest that the swivel-eyed loons will be taking over.

There's a lot bad that could be said of the other parties, but do you really want the world to be run by those swivel-eyed loons?

Your vote counts! Please use it.

[eFestivals]

We can't have those loons winning just because half of the population never bothered to vote.

That will only lead us into further madness.

Edited April 25, 2014 by eFestivals

[russycarps]

they will win though because people are thick twats.

[the_hedge]

they will win though because people are thick twats.

[zero000]

Edit: phone fucking up

Edited April 25, 2014 by zero000

[zero000]

they will win though because people are thick twats.

[eFestivals]

Case in point:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisstokelwalker/why-attendees-at-ukip-biggest-ever-rally-was-there?s=mobile

it's quite funny. Their biggest platform is anti-Europe, yet that's only minor reason people vote for them.

A large amount of their support comes around immigration, but very oddly, about 60% of them thing immigration is a big problem, but less than 20% of those say that immigration has any effect onto them ... so how its it a problem?

And then there's the idiots who think that a party run by an ex-City banker and ex-public schoolboy who fiddles his expenses and is in awe of big-business is very different to the others.

And then there's the idiots who think they support the working man - when they want to take away all the working rights of the working man.

They're just a bunch of ignorant bigots.

[lost]

what said it all for me was labours EU party political broadcast last night. It had absolutely nothing to do with the EU, I'm not sure it even mentioned it. Basically went..

grrr bankers

cost of living crisis

tuition fees

I guess they see anything pro-eu being a big vote loser.

[LondonTom]

What if you do vote for UKIP in the european elections and then we don't have a referendum and leave? Then you will have thrown away ALL of the Uk's say in europe as the UKIPers refuse to take part. Congratulations - good plan.

Edited April 25, 2014 by LondonTom

[eFestivals]

Does a large amount of their support really revolve around immigration ?

yep.

http://yougov.co.uk/news/2014/02/24/where-ukip-gets-its-support/

[russycarps]

people who vote ukip still think the uk should rule the world and take it as a personal insult that foreigners from europe can tell our great nation what to do.

We won the war and germany telling us what to do! Preposterous.

[russycarps]

I doubt that actually stands up to any scrutiny. I think its the opposite. I think UKIP voters are general quite depressed and just want more power to change things*.

*Granted they need educating on some of the power they current do have. e.g. the importance of EU elections...

[russycarps]

fair dos, I have lived in those sorts of areas and while I do miss the north a lot, I dont miss that mind set.

(not saying only the north is like that, but that is where I lived, NW and NE)

Edited April 25, 2014 by russycarps

[eFestivals]

People like you just want to pigeon hole then as racist and move on... And its unfair I feel...

Nope. As stupid, ignorant, no realistic policies at all, and plus being nothing different to the current lot of politicians.

They are no solution to anything, and I move on.

[kaosmark2]

you seem to know an awful lot about how the mind of a UKIP voter works. Your wife a supporter by any chance?

[russycarps]

While I generally advocate taking the piss out of Barry, I wouldn't bring his family into it.

[kaosmark2]

You would probably get more sense out of them...

[LJS]

Barry, you're right. (never thought I'd say these words)

It's easy (& great fun) to take the piss out of ukip & their supporters.

Someone needs to get their act together & address the underlying fears of ukip voters & actually make the case for Europe.

No chances of the Tories doing that. Europe has been a suppurating wound for them for a long time.

So Labour & Liberal's get to it

[eFestivals]

Someone needs to get their act together & address the underlying fears of ukip voters & actually make the case for Europe.

As I keep on telling you, most UKIP voters don't want out of Europe. Most people vote for them only because they not Lib/Lab/Con.

I know another party like that, who also operate by saying how those outside the country mistreat those within it.

Edited April 25, 2014 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

Another way of looking at it though is the Lib Dems are no longer a valid protest vote option which has no doubt helped out UKIP as well...

yep, very accurate for a chunk of its support.

The support is just the disgruntled really, who can't see the worth in the other parties - and its the tory supporters who are the most disillusioned of all. And that's because the world has moved on and left them and their small minds behind.

[kaosmark2]

I am enjoying your "contribution" to this thread About as fucking useless as always

[lost]

Is Bob Crow's anti-EU party on the ballot paper or did it fold when he died?

Edited to answer my own question. It seems they are:

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-78a1-Why-you-should-back-No2EU#.U1qSxvldXao

Edited April 25, 2014 by lost