UK General Election thread

[Hauldren Collider]

Odds are saying a hung parliament with Labour largest party by a narrow margin.

If that happens will the Lib Dems form a coalition with Labor or with the Tories? Is it like Canada where the public would revolt if the third party coalesced with 2nd-place or is it like Israel where anything goes if you can cobble together 51%?

[kentonio]

The public wouldn't care enough to revolt, but the media would pretend we would. Last time the Lib Dems went with the Tories (biggest party at the election) supposedly for that reason though. It didn't help that Labour had just been in power for a decade though, and people were sick of them.

[Hauldren Collider]

In that case I think what will happen is that they'll cut deals and whoever promises the most cabinet positions/influence will be their coalition partner. I actually think this is the best and fairest result from a democracy standpoint.

(Not that I intend to make any claim about my understanding of UK politics in the slightest)

[C0ckney]

this is certainly the most interesting UK election i can remember, despite the almost complete lack of difference between the three main parties.

my predictions:

* the lib dems will suffer heavily.
* the SNP will make serious gains in scotland.
* UKIP will break through in eastern england, but probably nowhere else, picking up only a few seats.
* the greens may win some more seats but sadly, i suspect, not many; though they may out-poll the lib dems.

i think labour, due mostly to their inbuilt electoral advantage will pick up the most seats, but there are a few plausible scenarios in which they don't.

[History049]

this is certainly the most interesting UK election i can remember, despite the almost complete lack of difference between the three main parties.

my predictions:

* the lib dems will suffer heavily.
* the SNP will make serious gains in scotland.
* UKIP will break through in eastern england, but probably nowhere else, picking up only a few seats.
* the greens may win some more seats but sadly, i suspect, not many; though they may out-poll the lib dems.

i think labour, due mostly to their inbuilt electoral advantage will pick up the most seats, but there are a few plausible scenarios in which they don't.

Yeah what is the difference between the 3 major parties anyway? Please explain if possible. Seems the UKIP is the only one that actually has non left wing views.

[Dauphin]

Welcome back.

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

Yes, hello returnee I have absolutely no memory of.

[Dauphin]

He mostly went by the name of Bob Dornan (?) from recollection.

[History049]

He mostly went by the name of Bob Dornan (?) from recollection.

Had this username in 98-99, and Bob Dornan was around 99-01 I think? Who knows. Ancient history at this point.

What was your username back then? And can you tell me more about the UK political parties?

[C0ckney]

Yeah what is the difference between the 3 major parties anyway? Please explain if possible. Seems the UKIP is the only one that actually has non left wing views.

conservatives: capitalist, free NHS, socially liberal (so support things like gay marriage), authoritarian (drug war, mass incarceration, mass surveillance etc.), broadly pro-immigration, generally pro-war, spilt between pro and anti-EU; the leadership is pro-EU.

labour: capitalist, free NHS, socially liberal (so support things like gay marriage), authoritarian (drug war, mass incarceration, mass surveillance etc.), pro-immigration, generally pro-war, broadly pro-EU.

liberal democrats: capitalist, free NHS, socially liberal (so support things like gay marriage), slightly less authoritarian (less enthusiastic about the drug war, mass incarceration, mass surveillance etc.), pro-immigration, generally anti-war, solidly pro-EU.

[kentonio]

my predictions:

* the lib dems will suffer heavily.
* the SNP will make serious gains in scotland.
* UKIP will break through in eastern england, but probably nowhere else, picking up only a few seats.
* the greens may win some more seats but sadly, i suspect, not many; though they may out-poll the lib dems.

Wow, stunning insight there Mystic Meg.

You're quite right though. The only thing really in question at this election is how badly Ed Milliband is going to **** the Labour vote.

[Sava]

Still four months to go and no 'electioneering' has really started.

Sheesh. With four months to go, American elections would be at the end of their cycle. haha

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

And can you tell me more about the UK political parties?

Tories- Elitist snobs.

Labour- Useless bastards.

LibDem- Useless liars.

UKIP- Golf Club bores.

Green- Fantasists.

[Alexander's Horse]

If Ed Millikan, or whatever his name is, wasn't such a bore, Labour would walk in.

[C0ckney]

You're quite right though. The only thing really in question at this election is how badly Ed Milliband is going to **** the Labour vote.

actually there are some interesting things about these elections: the rise of two new national parties (ok neither are really new, but they may win a decent amount of seats this time); a seismic shift in scotland, and; the possibility that not only will neither of the big two parties win a majority, but also that a tory+lib dem or labour+lib dem coalition won't be enough on its own to govern.

the overall vote share for the three big parties is likely to fall, and probably fairly significantly too - though of course, given the rotten electoral system, this is unlikely to be reflected in its fullest extent in the seats.