It's Election Day

[Purple aki squat]

Still struggling to get my head round what happened. How the majority of people in this country can cast a vote knowing that £12bn of welfare cuts are decided but the party they have decided to vote for don't have the balls to tell the electorate where these cuts are aimed is truly appalling. With a majority as well?

Fucking hell, I don't think it will ever sink in how this could have happened.

[Rose-Colored Boy]

Still struggling to get my head round what happened. How the majority of people in this country can cast a vote knowing that £12bn of welfare cuts are decided but the party they have decided to vote for don't have the balls to tell the electorate where these cuts are aimed is truly appalling.

This didn't happen. Not even the majority of those who voted voted for this, never mind a majority of the people in the country.

[Untz]

This didn't happen. Not even the majority of those who voted voted for this, never mind a majority of the people in the country.

And then there's the people who voted Tory who didn't really know what they were voting for, which is inexcusable but still.

[RobertProsineckisLighter]

And then there's the people who voted Tory who didn't really know what they were voting for, which is inexcusable but still.

Do most people?

[Purple aki squat]

This didn't happen. Not even the majority of those who voted voted for this, never mind a majority of the people in the country.

Err, ok.

More voted Tory than any other party then.

Sorry if my use of a word confused you.

[Matt42]

I'm sick of fucking Tory c**ts telling me to "respect their views"

It's like saying "shut up unless you agree with me".

Think I'm just gonna be one of these youths that hates the government with all my being for a few years.

[Rose-Colored Boy]

Do most people?

Dont know about most but every Tory voter I've spoken was ill-informed. Including a doctor, who didn't realise the consequences for their profession; and a vegetarian, who on being told of their plans to bring back fox hunting said "oh well they kept that one quiet".. Laughable.

[Amy Lawn]

I'm sick of fucking Tory c**ts telling me to "respect their views"

It's like saying "shut up unless you agree with me".

Think I'm just gonna be one of these youths that hates the government with all my being for a few years.

The last 5 years weren't enough for you?

[Matt42]

The last 5 years weren't enough for you?

I was pretty annoyed then, but you've got to remember I was 14 when they first came into government, didn't truly understand the situations.

[Untz]

Do most people?

Sadly, no. I can't get my head around the concept of voting for someone without knowing their party policies and past voting record, if applicable, let alone people who vote for inane reasons. There were loads of online tests and apps that not only suggested which party you most aligned with, but what the policies were so there's no excuse for younger people at least.

[frostypaw]

I'm sick of fucking Tory c**ts telling me to "respect their views"

It's like saying "shut up unless you agree with me".

Think I'm just gonna be one of these youths that hates the government with all my being for a few years.

Well they do know best.

It's character building - get that cynicism in there. Bit of rebellious spirit - youth of today needs more lol

The painful reality will remain as the Torys force through their horrific cuts and tax breaks for the wealthy and scrap our rights they'll be doing so with only a third of the vote, albeit more than half the seats - it'll be enough I think to cause some proper upset and with their small majority there's a chance of everyone else forcing through something more reasonable with just a few defectors.

Queens speech, then we'll see what's next.

[Spindles]

I'm sick of fucking Tory c**ts telling me to "respect their views"

It's like saying "shut up unless you agree with me".

Think I'm just gonna be one of these youths that hates the government with all my being for a few years.

Try talking to UKIP supporters, if you disagree with them you are trying to silence their right to free speech. Them shouting pointless slogans and made up statistics over the top of anyone who speaks, is apparently that free speech and a right of reply is not allowed.

I was pretty annoyed then, but you've got to remember I was 14 when they first came into government, didn't truly understand the situations.

Understandable. On the bright side Matt you are the right age now to be politicised by events, keep your eyes on the ball, watch what the fuckers are doing and you'll see just how corrupt and self serving they really are.

We are relying on your generation coming up with better solutions than ours has, we've let you down.

[Amy Lawn]

I was pretty annoyed then, but you've got to remember I was 14 when they first came into government, didn't truly understand the situations.

Do you mind, Matthew? I'm trying to feel like I'm still a yoof and you're making that very difficult for me.

[MEGABOWL]

In the scheme of things Scotland's contributions to illegal wars is worth zilch. The SNP SG promised to spend all of Scotland's current share of UK defence (including Trident costs) on iScotland's defence.

Their promised welfare priorities are greater welfare spending, so there's no saving there.

And Nicola continues to say that MASSIVE deficits are "not relevant", because she promises record economic growth for a developed economy (like no one is already trying for the best growth they can have ). How do you think that might work out?

Etc, etc, etc.

There's a whole books of SNP myths, that just don't stand up to factual scrutiny.

This is why they lost the referendum. The figures don't add up and they don't have an answer to explain it. I think this election result suits them in reality. There's going to be a shock to Scotlands economy and if it happens in the next few years it gives the SNP (who present themselves very very well) the chance to blame it on still being under the yoke of Westminster rather than because of independence. Or even better for them, they can still show their priorities as different from Englands.

Whatever the reality of the SNP though, that they got voted for still demonstrates a difference between the mindset of the Scots and the English. The SNP may be the definition of a party that talks left and acts right but at least they talk left. Even allowing for the nationalist element there's a substantial number of Scots who think and vote that way.

Neil, your 15% cut calculation, is that based on full fiscal autonomy allowing the Tories to remove the Barnett formula?

P.S. For full clarity, I'm an Englishman who lives in Glasgow because of my job. I voted No to independence because I don't think it's good for either Scotland or rUK. If I thought the promises of a socialist utopia were true I'd have voted yes despite personally being comfortable enough that self-interest would suggest I vote Tory. But they're not plausible.

[eFestivals]

Whatever the reality of the SNP though, that they got voted for still demonstrates a difference between the mindset of the Scots and the English.

Hmmm, are you sure?

Everyone wants more money spent on (just) them, but who's paying for it matters most of all.

Back in September for the indie campaign, there was no need for Scots to promise to pay more for Scotland (in fact, the exact opposite, a tax cut for the richest and nothing for anyone else).

For the GE, it was all about how much more money Scotland could extract from England, that Scotland didn't have to pay for.

Greed, greed and more greed. It's what wins elections.

Which is precisely why the tories won, because England didn't want to be sending even more money to Scotland when they can already afford more than England from the funding its given.

And it's why snippers go very quiet (or deny it entirely) when you point out that they've also voted for Scotland to be self-funding, because they're shit scared Chicken Dave will give them what they've voted for.

Edited May 10, 2015 by eFestivals

[MEGABOWL]

Hmmm, are you sure?

Everyone wants more money spent on (just) them, but who's paying for it matters most of all.

Back in September for the indie campaign, there was no need for Scots to promise to pay more for Scotland (in fact, the exact opposite, a tax cut for the richest and nothing for anyone else).

For the GE, it was all about how much more money Scotland could extract from England, that Scotland didn't have to pay for.

Greed, greed and more greed. It's what wins elections.

Which is precisely why the tories won, because England didn't want to be sending even more money to Scotland when they can already afford more than England from the funding its given.

And it's why snippers go very quiet (or deny it entirely) when you point out that they've also voted for Scotland to be self-funding, because they're shit scared Chicken Dave will give them what they've voted for.

I think there's a lot more to it than that. Nationalist zeal, momentum and a very aggressive ground machine following the referendum, anger at Labour for the way they've taken their core support for granted. But you also have to add that the Nats campaigned on an end to austerity, ending non-dom freebies, ditching Tridents replacement, a mansion tax, an increase of the upper tax rate to 50% etc.etc. Easy promises to make when you're never going to get into power but ones that 50% of the turnout in Scotland voted for. I think this is the high watermark for them though. Reality will bite soon.

I agree greed is usually the most important factor, it's why I thought the Tories would get in. Two weeks before the election people may regard the 'upturn' in the economy as abstract figures that don't get reflected in an improvement in their lot. Come election day making a change in government that may stop the abstract figures going the right way seems a massive gamble as, you never know, the improvement in the economy may be just about to reach you. Everything else can be put to one side.

[Matt42]

Do you mind, Matthew? I'm trying to feel like I'm still a yoof and you're making that very difficult for me.

Yoof is an internal feeling! You are youthful as long as you want to be youthful

[bamber]

I've seen people on here (which is quite left wing) call for Proportional representation, I've seen people on reddit/ukpolitics (which is a mad mix of beliefs) call for PR and I've seen people on the forum of the football team I support (which is quite right wing) call for PR.

I think its time to start writing letters to politicians & newspapers and to start signing petitions to bring PR into the mainstream conversation. I've just posted this on facebook, hope others feel inspired to do similar:

On Thursday the country decided on our new government. 11 million people voted Conservative, 15.7 million people decided

the system was so broken it wasn't worth voting.

With the current system if you live in a safe seat or support a smaller party there is no reason to vote.

First past the post also doesn't represent the electorate's wishes well.

In this election UKIP gained 12.6% of votes, but only 0.2% of seats. Liberal Democrats,7.9% of the votes, for 1.2% of

seats. The Green Party, 3.8% of the vote for 0.2% of the seats.

Everyone's voice deserves to be heard, which is why I believe we should have proportional representation (or PR for short),

where the parties receive seats in proportion to how many votes they get.

The only argument I've heard against PR is that it often results in coalition governments. However, I

don't see why that's a bad thing. Germany has a PR system which almost always results in a coalition, yet they are the largest

economy in Europe with some of the best workers rights in the world.

If you agree with me could you please sign these petitions and share this:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/uk_electoral_reform_locb/?tXAWIdb

https://www.change.org/p/david-cameron-reform-our-voting-system-to-make-it-fair-and-representative-makeseatsmatchvotes?tk=ZN35QO9nH_YyjdIhrdkiFWARLmlMKW2xr-91n0n5Qjc&utm_source=petition_update&utm_medium=email

Has everyone just forgotten that in 2011 we had a referendum, thanks to Nick Clegg regarding PR and (with the proviso of a very low turn out) the electorate roundly rejected it - (No) 13,013,123 67.9% to (Yes) 6,152,607 32.11% , basically two to one. We had our chance and blew it.

[Amy Lawn]

Yoof is an internal feeling! You are youthful as long as you want to be youthful

Well that's easy for you to say, the days when Network Rail no longer consider me a young person are fast approaching.

[Matt42]

Well that's easy for you to say, the days when Network Rail no longer consider me a young person are fast approaching.

I've had to pay adult prices since I was 16, being 6ft.2 means that no one believes you when you say you actually are a child

[Rose-Colored Boy]

I've had to pay adult prices since I was 16, being 6ft.2 means that no one believes you when you say you actually are a child

I've had this problem since I were 14. I've been taller than that since then too tho.

[Gucci Piggy]

Buy a railcard ya berks

[Rose-Colored Boy]

Buy a railcard ya berks

I already use a Disabled Persons one and you can't use two

[Matt42]

http://mydavidcameron.com/images/pesky1.jpg

I have been laughing at this for about 10 minutes...

Because it's kinda true..

[bamber]

http://mydavidcameron.com/images/pesky1.jpg

I have been laughing at this for about 10 minutes...

Because it's kinda true..

No one under the age of twenty was around the last time we had a Tory majority.

There were riots in Brixton three weeks ago, that did not make the national news, prepare yourselves for more of the same. Dark days ahead.

Edited May 10, 2015 by bamber