I voted Labour - mainley because my business is already effected by uncertainty around a potential refferendum and as of today that has gone into overdrive with investment plans for Uk now shelved and looking to service more customers from abroad - so selfishly I wanted to avoid that - and indeed got a labour MP here anyway) - but yes generally I'f fairly comfortable after working bloody hard to get here and now want to protect that position to give my son the best start for the future... much as I would love to live in a society that was more sustainable voting green is simply not going to be on my agenda when I look into inheritance tax planning etc
UK General Election 2015 | Conservatives win with an overall majority
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I can't help but shake the feeling this one has been more about non-voters than ever before. You get more people thinking they are taking some kind of stand by not doing it, and also those who vote for Green Party for the same reasons (fair enough if genuine). I really think they've fecked this up.
Closer aligned to Labour but voted Tory?
Yes. Up to you if all you want to do is ignore people like me, but at least I have an opinion and voted on that.
Rifkind is a Tory grandee and has just mentioned the English Welsh fear of rising nationalism. Also said the SNP wasn't running on an independence manifesto and implied they are now forced into Westminster politics. They are geared for a battle.
My comments have nothing to do with family hurts and I have a heritage history too. The miners strike is still a powerful 'victory' totem in the Tory mindset. When they say 'remember the miners' it's a pointer of intent. This is going to be a bruising period.
So what % of the total electorate voted for Tory then?
Very astute commentary by Malcom Rifkind on the Beeb there about the causes of the result. Perhaps available on iPlayer, worth watching.
Exactly. My business is better under this current government for lots of reasons, I'd love to believe in Labour again and let them have another shot, but right now that doesn't seem feasible. To myself, and apparently a lot of people.
The SNP might not now for Westminster elections given the result last night...
also that is still under 30% of the total vote which is in its self not a ringing endorsement for PR...
I personally would favour some type of PR system but I cant see it happening quickly - perhaps do away with the lords and have a second chamber elected on PR at least as a start and see how that begins to shape the debate?
feck knows what he had in mind. It sure as hell wasn't what Labour supporters wanted.
That was mainly done in jest but the politics of the centre right are definitely more appealing to people with a few dependents that are fairly advanced in their careers then they would be to the footloose and fancy free.
I think I ended up concluding that my politics weren't actually all that right wing after all. Certainly not David Cameron right anyway.
Nah, it's in their manifesto and they know they'd look like major hypocrites if they went back on it.
I don't know why you were being laughed at, its a common place people find themselves in where they might agree with the broader policies of one but the personal factors and benefits of another.
Actually your voting behaviour is common among British voters, known traditionally as the floating voter. It's a feature of British politics, don't feel you have to justify yourself. It your right to vote however you wish. Many say they stuck by their roots, and voted ideologically - that's often bollox.
If we did have PR, then at least it would do away with tactical voting - people could vote for whoever they wanted to without having to consider whether it would be a wasted vote or not.
Do you watch TV or is there an article?
I wish I could ignore people like you but unfortunately the country is evidently rife with them. I have my opinion too... "idiot" as you keep mentioning is mild, believe me, given some of the policies you have just voted into power.
My memory was at full strain to remember the thread existed!
I suppose I'm not trying to justify myself as such, but in my own experience explain why this has happened.
People keep asking how it could, but depresingly would rather blame other crap like the Sun than look at the real issues. As far as I can see, it's far simpler than it seems at times.
Scottish Nationalism
Corresponding English Nationalism in response
The Tories' (depressingly unchallenged) story of the economy of the last eight years being taken as fact
Distrust/ dislike of Eds Miliband and Balls
Anything else?
Left wing Labour's biggest flaw is to fail to understand what motivates people like you.
It was on the Beebs TV coverage, i saw it online.
Well then perhaps you should stop quoting me? Because out of the two of us, you aren't coming off great here and I don't particularly care what you think of me voting for myself and my family and our futures.
Unless you'd rather I didn't vote at all? Or went with whatever the Sun or all that says?
This is it in a nutshell. If Labour ever actually listened, they'd have won this long ago. Sadly it seems some of their supporters are equally as blinkered
So what did he say in brief, can you have some words?
Nah, I feel kinda sorry for you guys: only about 37% voted Tory, which is similar to last time. I still think we'll be around...for a while, at least.
Is the mood more triumph or despair?
I don't care how I'm coming off... it's not a popularly contest.
You did go with what The Sun said
Specifically which of their policies got someone that aligns themselves with Labour to vote for them? I'm genuinely interested. "Best for my family" is a vague, throwaway line that doesn't really mean much.
I'd agree to a point that as you age and earn more you get pissed off at the constant demands for larger and larger portions of your income and that this can lead down the right wing path of blaming the welfare state for everything and then targeting the unemployed, the poor or the immigrant. I see it in my own parents and I recognise some of those base feelings myself. Switching political allegiance to the right though is a fallacy, especially if your aim is to protect your wealth so that you can pass as much of it on to your children as possible.
Fact 1: the benefits of the NHS and the welfare system mean that you are likely much healthier and will live longer than your parents generation and thanks to the education you got, are likely to be financially better off. Living longer isn't the boon it may appear on the surface though as not all of our body or mind wears out at the same rate, a good many of us will find ourselves suffering either physical or mental degenerative issues and the pared down care system will not meet our whole needs so many of us will eat through our savings before our deaths leaving nothing to our kids.
Fact 2: what have our kids inherited? If they want the same education we got for free, they will start their young adult lives saddled with a debt that will dwarf their first years' salaries and if they want housing close to the standards they grew up with, they will need to find a mortgage lender willing to lend 10 or 15 times their salary and that's after finding the 2 years salary in deposit.
Put simply, your assets are extremely unlikely to reach your kids and their ability to even get a start will be severely hampered if nothing is done to arrest the tilt to the right.
Why do you feel you'll be better off under the tories if that's not too direct a question?
I'm really torn on whether Labour could have done more to change the debate around economic credibility as I don't think the public would buy it while the right wing press has its way.
Perhaps Milliband should have mobilised the party more to spread the message while he stayed central but it would have been difficult.
A mix of both. Delight at SNP result; despair at Tory majority. But there's an almost, "We told you so.", attitude looming. Also one of disbelief too, and that Scottish Labour just need to completely re-invent themselves.
I don't care how I'm coming off... it's not a popularly contest.
You did go with what The Sun said
Well you don't seem very happy. And perhaps you need to learn to read a little better if that last question was serious
Looks like you can spool back through the programme. Its at about 13:34.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/election-2015-32594267
Out of interest, what would you have them do differently, specifically? Seems like you are quite representative of a lot of voters yesterday, given the swing we saw to Tory from Labour in their battleground seats.This is it in a nutshell. If Labour ever actually listened, they'd have won this long ago. Sadly it seems some of their supporters are equally as blinkered
Did things like the mansion tax and lifting the top rate of tax put you off? Or were you worried his attacks on the oil industry would lead to price rises? Or are you genuinely very worried about the deficit and think it should be paid off more urgently than they would do it?
You said if they listened it was winnable, just wondering, if they had listened, what would they have heard?
Is Cameron implementing EVEL then? Lost track of all the election promises.
Sorry, I meant all potential voters, so including non-votes. About 25% if we take the total turnout at 66%.
He'll probably do it in some form, but I don't think he'll do it directly since that's only going to piss off Scotland even more. If he does it, he'll need to do it in a way which appeases Scotland, and ensures that any English laws involved aren't ones which can impact the Barnett formula.
There's a fair number of reasons, some of which I've already said. But chief of which was no confidence in their ability to run things properly. Call it lingering thoughts of what happened last time, or anything you like, but the simple fact is right now we all seem happier and better off than any time under Labour.
As sad as that might be, I'm only talking the truth from my viewpoint. And the likes of Pink Moon here only makes matters worse because the general feeling of not being able to speak your mind runs deep in politics and it allows the likes of Ukip to only grow and play on fears whether they are warranted or not.
I think it was something about Polish people getting paid a bonus for being Polish. Labour should have vowed to stop that right away.
My brain's completely crashed at work now. Lack of sleep leaving its mark.