At Last!

[Sukerkin]

Polling day tomorrow - at long last after too much unseemly foot-dragging by the incumbent government.

We finally get to vote for a new parliament overseen by a legitimate elected Prime Minister.

I made my mind up last year that I was going to change my usual protest (against the system) of not voting to one of voting for the Liberal Democrats. That was before the economy fell down the well and that has done little to change my mind that we need a serious change of direction if we are going to survive as a nation of any influence in the modern world.

I've been a steady Labour supporter in my head and heart for all my life but the party has changed into something unrecognisable as that which is meant to support and protect the working man. They are now just Tory-Lite and just as manipulated by big business and financiers.

With the Liberals having been out of office for so long, we might have a chance of them being at least a little less controlled by the 'money men' and get some fair-minded decisions made for the good of the country and not just the Square Mile.

 

[Sukerkin]

By the way, I'd just like to say that the reason for my change of heart on the voting 'issue' is almost entirely down to talking and debating with the politically active members of MartialTalk.

I've been loathe to vote for so many years because I did not want to be giving my tacit support to a system I think is fatally flawed. But people here have convinced me of the truth of the old cliches about not taking part e.g. by not having a 'say', you rob yourself of any voice and by not being a part off the decision-making process you in essence give up your right to complain about things that are not to your liking.

So take a bow, chaps and chapesses for there being one more vote cast in this General Election than there otherwise would have been :tup:.

 

[chaos1551]

Actually, when you do vote you're contributing to the system and you give up the right to complain. It's those that don't vote who truly have the right to complain. See?

 

[Empty Hands]

Ah, poor Gordie. Never have I seen such a powerful politician so ill-suited to politics. The particulars aren't even that important, nor is the fact that Labour has done as well as can be expected with the financial crisis, and much of it is out of their control. No, Labour will take a beating and a big part of that will be due to Gordon Brown's own charisma failings.

 

[Sukerkin]

Actually, when you do vote you're contributing to the system and you give up the right to complain. It's those that don't vote who truly have the right to complain. See?

I can see that you have to surrender the 'right' to moan about the system if you take part, certainly; but, if you haven't contributed, you lose the 'mandate' to complain about what those that have been elected (implicit here being 'against your wishes') actually do.

I dearly hope that the Liberals manage a good enough showing to force the hand of Labour and Conservative with regard to Proportional Representation - it's long past time for it. That and an official "None of the Above" option on the ballot.

 

[Sukerkin]

Ah, poor Gordie. Never have I seen such a powerful politician so ill-suited to politics. The particulars aren't even that important, nor is the fact that Labour has done as well as can be expected with the financial crisis, and much of it is out of their control. No, Labour will take a beating and a big part of that will be due to Gordon Brown's own charisma failings.

Aye, tho' some of that is media spin I do believe. Regardless, for me, his major sins have been claiming as his successes things that were a part of the 'natural' economic cycle and failing to 'save for a rainy day' when things were going well.

 

[Sukerkin]

Well, the results are starting to come in now. Mixed emotions on the media coverage I do confess. On the one hand it does make it easy to dip in and see how things are supposedly going:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/default.stm

On the other, you can't help but think that the media is attempting to influence the outcome by what it reports:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8666128.stm

 

[Carol]

When will a final count be announced?

 

[Sukerkin]

I am guessing that we shall be looking at a final count being officially announced sometime around breakfast time GMT i.e. 7 or 8 in the morning.

I also anticipate a few delays as there have been some irregularities in the administration of the voting. Essentially, a high turnout (expected by everyone except those in charge it seems), has resulted in a number of people being denied their franchise as the polls closed whilst they were queuing!

The seat where I am resident wont announce until 5 in the morning but I am not anticipating any surprises (despite my vote ) - the slime-worm that is the Tory candidate will get in again.

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

no offense Sukerkin but I am about as ignorant as one could be about your political parties, and terminology used over there.... I wouldn't mind knowing, but I feel I already spend way more time then is healthy trying to dive deeper into our own political mess over here.

I have started to expand my search though based on all this mess happening with Greece right now... especially since Greece reminds me so closely to Californias own problems...

anyways I truely hope that whatever happens in the voting, that you guys over there get a government that will help stabilize your neck of the woods, and be able to make decisions that will actually move your society and people forward to being stronger, more independant, successful people.

 

[Sukerkin]

Cheers, Lucky.

What we've actually ended up with is a Hung Parliament, with the Neo-Fascists ... ooops, sorry, Tory oppressors ... ooops, sorry, CONservatives {:lol:} ... polling the most but not achieving enough seats to form a majority government.

Labour lost a lot of seats and the Liberals lost a few, despite polling more votes than ever before {the system is very broken sad to say}. It's a toss-up at present between whether we'll be having another election or forging ahead with a coalition government (most probably lead by plastic-man Cameron).

 

[Senjojutsu]

Sukerkin,

What's this I hear about thousands of British voters unable to vote yesterday??

Election 2010: Inquiry as voters miss out as polls shut

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/8666338.stm

Where oh where was Dick Cheney located yesterday????

Do you Brits use the Diebold-Halliburton electronic voting machines??


Deja Vu, are we talking about voting in OHIO or OXFORDSHIRE ????

NO JUSTICE! NO HAGGIS!! NO PEACE !!!
:flame:

 

[Sukerkin]

Aye, somewhat outrageous for that to happen here I do agree.

The numbers of voters involved is quite small but it still should not occur. After all, we've been holding elections for quite a while now .

Those who didn't get to vote because they messed about (kept leaving and coming back hoping for the queue to magically disappear) I don't have much sympathy with. Those that queued for up to three hours and then had the polling station doors closed in their faces, however, have had their franchise unfairly denied.

Happily, we don't use electronic counting machines as they are too easily prone to fraud. All counts are done by hand. Mind you, try telling that to the Neo-Fascist (aka Tory) MP who had a couple of thousand of his votes included in the Casual Racists (aka UKIP) pile.

 

[Sukerkin]

Oh dear . The worst of all possible results.

The {string of expletives deleted} Tories back in Number 10 in a coalition with the Liberals.

That can't last. There'll be a Vote of No Confidence fairly soon I'll warrant and we'll be back at the ballot box once more.

 

[Carol]

Oh dear . The worst of all possible results.

The {string of expletives deleted} Tories back in Number 10 in a coalition with the Liberals.

That can't last. There'll be a Vote of No Confidence fairly soon I'll warrant and we'll be back at the ballot box once more.

Oh my goodness! That is surprising to hear.

*makes a note to start reading the BBC online more often*

 

[dancingalone]

I read that the Conservatives want to rein in the budget deficits as soon as possible. That seems needed even if unpopular.

Funny how the entire West is dealing with the same fiscal responsibility bugabear right now.