British Politics: Coalitions, Cuts and AV

[Jon Miller]

Why is everyone so against AV?

JM

[C0ckney]

Yeah, the Lib Dems received a pasting in my home city and it is now back under Labour control. This is quite surprising because Labour were f**king terrible running the council and hence they got booted. I am surprised that they got back and that the Lib Dems lost almost all the seats they were defending...but that's Hull for you. Idiots.

yeah wales is the poorest part of the UK, with high unemployment and poor prospects. and who has been running wales since the assembly was set up, yup, you guessed it and yet they're being rewarded for this failure.

[MikeH]

What other options are there really?

Tories have hurt Wales more than Labour ever have.

PC? Still a bit too much of a 1 issue party, and they were in coalition with labour in the last parliament anyway.

Lib Dems? Unlikely as everyone's giving them a kicking, although obviously they'd be the best choice.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

you mean the ireland which is mired in recession, facing real cuts (things like public sector wages actually being cut, instead of just not increased) with unsustainable debts, a collapsed housing market and a banking sector which is like a giant milestone around the country's neck. to which the spectre of emigration has returned, 100s every week. that ireland?

that Ireland which comparing to Ireland that stayed in the UK has 80% higher GDP per capita, or even about 25% higher than the whole of UK... and that is in the middle of their recession

The Ireland which got raped by the EU, but despite of that is better off than UK, and not to mention NI portion of UK which itself is being raped by London (as the rest of it too... including Scotland)... so yes, that Ireland.

London rape > EU rape

[MOBIUS]

yeah wales is the poorest part of the UK, with high unemployment and poor prospects. and who has been running wales since the assembly was set up, yup, you guessed it and yet they're being rewarded for this failure.

Exactly 100% correct!

Problem is, Labour knows that if it can keep the population uneducated and poor, they'll be too stupid/dependent to vote anything other than Labour...

I was at the Cardiff count - talk about carnage!

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Why is everyone so against AV?

JM

AV is clearly better than FPTP but the propaganda machine in the UK will make sure that there is no change, as the change would not suit either Tories or Labour, so it is in their interest that the Status Quo remains. AV is not very likely to rock to boat too much, but still the establishment cannot see it as a benefit, so it got very mild or no support in the media. One of the good points of this coalition was that the British people got a chance to actually influence future power balance in politics, but as it is - they will just squander it...

[MikeH]

There's a real split, the young are massively for it, the old not.

And turnout looks to be tiny.

My Twitter and Facebook have been filled with Pro-AV for weeks. I only know one person who voted no. But we're still going to get smashed.

Bloody Daily Mail readers and Tories ruining **** for the rest of us.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

T

Bloody Daily Mail readers and Tories ruining **** for the rest of us.

[Krill]

The old fogies voted no because frankly they don't want to pay for the transition. Personally I'm for involuntary euthanasia at age 55 if this is the case. For instance, we can start with my grand parents.

[C0ckney]

that Ireland which comparing to Ireland that stayed in the UK has 80% higher GDP per capita, or even about 25% higher than the whole of UK... and that is in the middle of their recession

The Ireland which got raped by the EU, but despite of that is better off than UK, and not to mention NI portion of UK which itself is being raped by London (as the rest of it too... including Scotland)... so yes, that Ireland.

London rape > EU rape

do you have a source on those GDP numbers? they seem very high to me.

ireland is in deep trouble. it has further to fall, wait a couple of years and see what those numbers look like.

[C0ckney]

What other options are there really?

Tories have hurt Wales more than Labour ever have.

PC? Still a bit too much of a 1 issue party, and they were in coalition with labour in the last parliament anyway.

Lib Dems? Unlikely as everyone's giving them a kicking, although obviously they'd be the best choice.

labour has been in power since the assembly was founded. it was in national government for almost all of that time. they've had the power, what have they done? labour's record in wales is one of failure, complacency, disappointments and missed opportunities. they've left wales in a poor state and they're getting another chance to do it again.

interestingly, we might see a lib/lab coalition in wales as labour has fallen just short of a majority.

[Krill]

Well, I'll be following Cockneys' lead in 4 years and leaving the country, I think...

[C0ckney]

where will you go?

[C0ckney]

the news is reporting a 'no' vote for av of 66%/33%. ouch.

i'm kind of conflicted about it, because although i don't support av and would have voted no myself, this will probably kill electoral reform for a generation.

[Krill]

With nursing and chemistry degrees? Where ever I damn well want out of NZ/Australia/US/Canada. No ****ing way I'm working for the NHS for more than 2 years.