The Greens would be more popular if their policies were not completely insane and not so far removed from the current reality that they could be implemented successfully. Is there any country in the world that has a party as eco and socially radical in power now, or even ever? It is hard to take them seriously a party that could legitimately run a G7 country in the reality of the modern world.
UK General Election 2015 | Conservatives win with an overall majority
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The Greens would be more popular if their policies were not completely insane and not so far removed from the current reality that they could be implemented successfully. Is there any country in the world that has a party as eco and socially radical in power now, or even ever? It is hard to take them seriously a party that could legitimately run a G7 country in the reality of the modern world.
Have an of the pundits said "Too close to call" yet?
Not disagreeing with the first part of what you said. Just answering the point about the name.
As far as I know there is no government run by greens, but greens are part of coalitions in quite a few places.
Everyone's calling this too close to call - am I missing something?
I mean as it stands, the Tories won't be able to garner a majority with the Lib dems (+other parties), so really it seems the only feasible option is a Labour/SNP coalition, which surely makes it an almost certainty we'll get Miliband in no.10....right?
What chance does Cameron have besides his party and the Lib Dems overachieving (unlikely) or the Tories winning a majority (almost impossible)?
I mean as it stands, the Tories won't be able to garner a majority with the Lib dems (+other parties), so really it seems the only feasible option is a Labour/SNP coalition, which surely makes it an almost certainty we'll get Miliband in no.10....right?
What chance does Cameron have besides his party and the Lib Dems overachieving (unlikely) or the Tories winning a majority (almost impossible)?
The women's institute fighting hard to quash stereotypes
There are two things I would say to this.
The more interesting one - for me at least - is the fact Milliband has backed himself into a corner by saying so unequivocally during the debates that he would NOT, under any circumstances, form a coalition with the SNP. I think that is a crass position for him to have taken, personally, but he said it, loud and clear, a number of times. So he will have a decision to make, if he finds himself in that position. That could end up being his equivalent of the LibDem No Tuition Fees promise, the ludicrous promise he will not be able to keep that will undermine his credibility from the very beginning. Or he can have the courage of his convictions and end up losing out on the ability to form a coalition.
I think it is crass because, actually, the SNP and Labour agree on a hell of a lot, pretty much everything except the question of the union, and in fact the SNP are to the left of Labour. I can see why he did it, to scare people into voting Labour, but I dont think it will work.
The other thing is, I personally think the Tories will do better than everyone is expecting, and I think the arithmetic will work for a similar coalition to the one we have now. The LibDems will lose seats, the Tories will gain seats, I think those will happen in more or less equal number. I think Labour are to the left of the British public and all the scaremongering, the bullshit about "the mess Labour left us with" and "we could end up like Greece," will have the intended effect and people will vote for the devil they know. Not what I want to see happen but what I think will happen.
For months I have been dreading a Conservative - UKIP coalition. But it looks like UKIP support has collapsed to some extent - but the Tories are likely to be the biggest beneficiaries of that.
Depends what you count as overachieving. Most people expect the Tories and the Lib Dems to do better than the polls.
I predict complete decimation for the LibDems. And I speak as someone who will vote for them.
(Strange how football tends to bring out the optimism in me but politics brings out the pessimism.)
(Strange how football tends to bring out the optimism in me but politics brings out the pessimism.)
Less than 20 seats?
I couldn't care less about the name of the party, incoherence and impracticality in policy matters is where i begin to encounter some difficulty.
Easily? Not all that long ago i was hearing reports that Lucas risked being edged out by Labour, and that Bristol might be their best hope for an MP. Darren Hall has kept a pretty low profile from a national perspective though.
Easily? Not all that long ago i was hearing reports that Lucas risked being edged out by Labour, and that Bristol might be their best hope for an MP. Darren Hall has kept a pretty low profile from a national perspective though.
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They will finish easily fourth, which is kind of justified given how they did over their core support last time by joining the Tories - but worrying as it means UKIP will be rubbing their hands.
He was manoeuvred by Cameron into saying that and he took the bait. Silly to rule it out at any stage.
Or close to that number.
Its probably my old trick of preparing myself for the worst to try and mitigate some of the disappointment when it happens. Not that it ever works. But yes, I think its going to be a horrible, horrible night for them.
A lot of people have said Clegg has done well in this campaign but I personally disagree. I dont think the whole Goldilocks strategy, his "not too hot, not too cold, but just right" message, is going to wash with people. People see them as spineless, unprincipled sellouts and placing themselves right in the centre, with nothing substantial to say of their own, is not going to change that. It just makes them look like theyll be anyone's bitch. If that is your perception, wouldnt you just vote for the party youd rather see them in coalition with? I mean, if you are a left leaning Lib Dem, as most Lib Dems are, why vote Lib Dem and risk another ConDem coalition, when you could vote Labour and increase the chance of a LabDem one? I think most LibDems hate the Tories more than they support their own party. Or that is the impression Ive had over the last 5 years.
I'll be doing the count tonight so no sleep for me.
All I got from his campaign is "we will team up with whoever wins". At least it is more honest than last time but I can't vote for that. Like you say it would be better to vote for one of the big two as at least then you know your vote would go towards the coalition you wanted.
It also comes across as a weird kind of arrogance to me in a way, like he assumes he will be the kingmaker in any result and he is guaranteed a job
Haven't heard any suggestions that she might not win for a good few months now. Latest polls I saw suggested she'll get a healthy increase on her vote share.
Looking back to 2010: were any of you in a constituency where the polling station was forced to close the doors on scores of voters?
I don't know what provision has been made in the years since, but hopefully we don't see such controversial scenes again later tonight.
I don't know what provision has been made in the years since, but hopefully we don't see such controversial scenes again later tonight.
That feeling came to a crescendo the other night when he said something like, if the LibDems arent represented in the next government I think we'll end up needing another election before Christmas. Seems like he is massively overplaying his hand there.
Its been a strange campaign for me because Ive been in the position of actually liking them less, the more I hear him speak. But ultimately the things the party stands for, its instincts, are closest to my own, so Ill still vote for them. But I dont think I am typical of LibDem voters, most of whom (the ones I know) were (in the last election) essentially Labour supporters pissed off about Iraq or the price of sandals.
I always figured everyone knew the Labour-SNP coalition being in the works was the worst kept secret. I also assume no one expects Miliband to openly endorse a coalition with the SNP, not when their success comes at the expense of dozens of Labour MPs in Scotland. The Lib Dem u-turn on tuition fees was a lot more genuinely shocking IMO, considering how it was one of their flagship policies and how many of their voters had been students.
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I thought that Labour were supposed to be making a concerted effort in Brighton? The record of the Green-led council hasn't been as favourable as Lucas would have liked either.
It benefits the Commons for there to be a Green presence however, and the same could also be said for UKIP over the course of the next Parliament; both ask awkward questions of the established parties or force them to engage in debate where they might not otherwise.
I wanted to vote UKIP - as my view is that leaving the EU and getting control of our borders is the most important thing. However, I actually voted Tory as UKIP won't get in in my constituency and I don't want a Labour government.
So a Labour-SNP coalition might happen then? I'm not so opposed to it as many others, but because Ed ruled it out in pretty clear terms, I hope he doesn't go back on his word.
It was different yes. More shocking for the reason you said. But the shocking thing about this example is the extremely high chance of MilliE having to do a U turn within weeks of having said it. At least LibDems can hide behind the fact that they believed what they said at the time they said it, and they never expected to be in a position to deliver on the promise. Its not an excuse but its an explanation. Labour must know there is a massive risk they will be in a position where theyll need the SNP. So to say in such unequivocal terms they will not work with them is in my opinion self defeating. Of course they dont want to endorse that coalition, but it isnt black or white. It isnt, endorse or say never. There is a huge grey area between those two which MilliE failed to find. I agree with @Flying_Hellfish, he was maneuvered into saying that by Cameron, who scored a point against him by doing so.
Is not such the fate of most politicians, particularly those beholden to coalition partners or confidence and supply agreements?
I hear your point, but there isn't a party of the mainstream left at the moment. I know loads of folks who support the Greens (even if they wont vote for them in this election because of tactics) and barely any of them do so because of their environmental policies. The Greens big image problem in terms of support is that they're seen as a single issue party who care more about the environment than they do about people. Changing the name to something that highlighted the other parts of their manifesto would probably help tackle that.
I would be surprised if he didn't go back on his word. Very surprised.
UKIP have had a disastrous campaign as it goes. The election could be the end of them being in the conversation full stop. There is a lot of speculation around Farage's health and there is simply no other UKIP politician remotely capable of being the affable face of xenophobia like Farage has managed to be.
Yeah I was surprised how clear he was(A mistake in my opinion).
It's unlikely that there will be a formal coalition, rather a labour minority government which is supported by SNP votes.
It's a shame as I reckon that a labour/SNP/Green coalition would have been good.
You dont think Labour is a party of the mainstream left? I agree Blair was much more centre than left wing, but I think MilliE has moved them back to the left again.
Though I guess people to the left of Labour might complain that they still want to pay off the deficit. So yes it is fair to say Labour might not be left enough for some people. The only parties you hear saying we should make use of the lowest interest rates in generations to borrow and invest are the nationalist parties and the Greens. But I dont think that is necessarily the mainstream, which I think is more centre left.
Nah, no coalition. As in, there will be no SNP members in the cabinet. They might get a few small concessions in exchange for support.
Why so? The Lib Dems had for many years wished for coalition government and consensus politics, compromise and policy deviations are but a natural by-product. There were significant examples on the part of the Tories too, for all that some believe them to have implemented their entire manifesto.
That's true, and if he doesn't win his seat UKIP are basically cut off at the head
I still expect them to win seats though and finish third
What's the feasibility of a Labour-Lib-SNP coalition with the latter playing a minor part? Presumably it would have to involve Clegg's resignation as party leader?
Compromise would have been expected, but not when you've essentially mobilised unprecedented support on the premise of flagship manifesto promises like tuition fees. Clegg should have compromised on a dozen other things first.
What gets under my skin is that when the Tories boast about their achievements in office, the first thing they always say is about lifting the poorest out of tax, which was actually a LibDem policy, which they are taking credit for.
Agree with @Nick 0208 Ldn though. I dont have much respect for LibDem supporters who are abandoning the party now because for me it means they never understood what they were voting for in the first place. LibDems are about PR and coalition government. Seems like a lot of supporters had no idea what that would entail.
Agree with @Nick 0208 Ldn though. I dont have much respect for LibDem supporters who are abandoning the party now because for me it means they never understood what they were voting for in the first place. LibDems are about PR and coalition government. Seems like a lot of supporters had no idea what that would entail.
Miliband is a slight shift to the left, but they were effectively a centre-right party under Blair. If you look through their policies, they're not all that different from the Tories. Labour are still going to make cuts, just not to the extent the Tories are. For me a left-wing party would be offering an alternative to the Tories, rather than just the lesser of two evils.
edit - having said that, I do think the different between the two parties is significant enough that a Labour government will be better than the coalition has been.
Why would the SNP accept a lesser role when it is their MPs which tip the balance?
Apologies for the stupid question - but if, say the Tories get the most seats, do they get first choice on asking people to team up with them, to take them above 50%? Or is it a case of whichever 'team' has the most seats in the end that gets the nod?
As far as I understand it, the sitting PM always gets to try first. Brown tried and failed to form a majority last time round so Cameron got the nod.
They're pushing the Tories in Hove and Kemptown, I think.
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Turd Sandwich has my vote. Supporters of Giant Douche should be ashamed of themselves.