UK Election 2015

Now before I get to the point of the thread as I mean to make it, I want to make a plea to you all and that is a simple one - Vote. Please Vote. The election is just 6 weeks away - so please go and Vote. Vote blank, vote protest, spoil your ballot - but please just go and vote. Don't let apathy get the better of you - take the time out of your day to go vote, even if you don't want to or think it's pointless, go and make yourself visible and don't be a silent part of society!

ANYWAY! Off the back of that, I recently came across the classic 'Political Compass' that I'm almost sure all of you will have come across before as folks who've been on the internet for a while - I certainly recall coming across it more than 10 years ago and I thought it interesting to give it a fresh crack these days as I'm older to see where it places me on its scaling.

Why? Well, why not! Also I was curious to see where I stood now(it's a two axis, four quadrant sort of thing, as shown below). Interestingly they've tried their best to plot where the current parties for the upcoming UK election currently stand, and I thought you guys might find it interesting to take the 5 minutes it takes to do out of your day to see where you stand in comparison, and discuss your findings.

^From here with some notes on current popular perceptions

I've found I stand extremely close to a particular party according to it, and I think it might actually influence my voting this year(I'm quite apathetic/against the system as is, but must play within it, yet this has made me somewhat reconsider the action I was going to take at the polls now).

I guess also by extension, this could be a general Election 2015 thread. Depending on the discussion I might split it out into two separate ones as it can't do much harm but let me get the thread/discussion aspect rolling with some additional questions;

-Are you going to vote?

-Yes or no, why?

-If no, why not? What could make you reconsider?

-What's your general opinion on the whole political ting right now/discuss it generally here!

-Where do you feel you stand politically/according to the compass etc(if you wanna tell us, ofc, it can be quite a meaty discussion!)

Anybody who is remotely undecided (hell, even people that think they've decided) should take a look at vote for policies. It will let you know who's policies you support in what area, without all of the connotations behind each party.

^EDIT: Moogle's also posted this(takes a bit longer and I'm currently in the process of completing it) which I've seen a few people share on fb and is also an interesting take on things.

Yes Rummy. This thread is very much needed! Been out tonight so haven't watched tonight's non-debate, which means I can't watch my usual programming of Question Time and This Week, but you can be sure I'll comment more once I've caught up with tonight's going-ons.

Well turns out my vote may actually matter this year. (Which is scaring the hell out of the London press)

Can't see myself voting for Labour for the first time in a major election, the way they ran the anti-independence campaign and their attitude since has put me right off them (plus my local MP is quite unlikeable).

Anybody who is remotely undecided (hell, even people that think they've decided) should take a look at vote for policies. It will let you know who's policies you support in what area, without all of the connotations behind each party.

Haven't moved all that much.

Seems I am very much a Green party person. =P

I used to vote for the Greens in Belgium (or the Socialists, depending who I liked more at the time), but I don't know how much they compare to the Green party in the UK. No one here seems to like them/vote for them?

I think I am allowed to vote, but possibly only at a local level? So not at a national level I guess. I have no idea how voting works here, how does it work with your job?

In Belgium voting is done on a Sunday morning so all people can go (shops are generally closed on Sundays), but then people -have- to vote in Belgium so there is a difference.

Anybody who is remotely undecided (hell, even people that think they've decided) should take a look at vote for policies. It will let you know who's policies you support in what area, without all of the connotations behind each party.

Welp. 30% Lib Dems, 30% UKIP!!!, 20% Green, 10/10% Cons and Labour. Surprised by the UKIP result for me - though I must admit I found some of the policies tough choices to decide between. Political compass puts me quite close to Greens though, similar to Eenuh.

Seems I am very much a Green party person. =P

 

 

I used to vote for the Greens in Belgium (or the Socialists, depending who I liked more at the time), but I don't know how much they compare to the Green party in the UK. No one here seems to like them/vote for them?

 

I think I am allowed to vote, but possibly only at a local level? So not at a national level I guess. I have no idea how voting works here, how does it work with your job?

In Belgium voting is done on a Sunday morning so all people can go (shops are generally closed on Sundays), but then people -have- to vote in Belgium so there is a difference.

I'm not tiptop on my politics, but I felt that for most of my life it was essentially a two-party system over here with Labour or Conservatives, but it certainly seems to be changing more in recent times.

As for voting...I've no idea for you! If you can vote on a local level surely you'll be able to vote on the national level too? I can barely even remember how the voting actually works tbh, I just remember having a few different forms to go through...

Wish they made the vote compulsory over here, sometimes. Not sure if it'd be terrible or great, though.

Well I've found myself here.

Anybody who is remotely undecided (hell, even people that think they've decided) should take a look at vote for policies. It will let you know who's policies you support in what area, without all of the connotations behind each party.

56% Labour

22% Green Party

22% Lib Dem

Looks about right for me.

To be honest, I'm still not sure who to vote, even though that clearly says green.

I'm not tiptop on my politics, but I felt that for most of my life it was essentially a two-party system over here with Labour or Conservatives, but it certainly seems to be changing more in recent times.

A two party system seems weird and restrictive to me. In Belgium you have a lot of parties to pick from, meaning you can really try to narrow it down to the party that mostly fits your ideas. Though it seems it is changing a bit in the UK, but still most parties seem very similar I think.

As for voting...I've no idea for you! If you can vote on a local level surely you'll be able to vote on the national level too?

Just looked it up:

The following cannot vote in a UK general election:

- EU citizens resident in the UK (although they can vote at elections to local authorities, devolved legislatures and the European Parliament)

If I register at the Belgian Embassy (which I should), I can still vote in Belgium as well, which seems weird as I haven't lived there in 3 years. =P

56% Labour

22% Green Party

22% Lib Dem

Similar to mine.

50% Labour

30% Green Party

20% Lib Dem

I'm surprised at the high proportion of Labour. I was planning on voting Green but based on this I think I'll go Labour.

A two party system seems weird and restrictive to me. In Belgium you have a lot of parties to pick from, meaning you can really try to narrow it down to the party that mostly fits your ideas. Though it seems it is changing a bit in the UK, but still most parties seem very similar I think.

Oh I definitely do agree, and it was moreso just an evolution I think - there were always these other parties but for some reason they just never really got decent enough support to be notable outside of the big two.

I should ofc point out - whilst I'm interested in politics my knowledge about a lot of it and the voting and history and etcetc is probably quite poor in comparison to some.

There's a great video by CP Grey explaining why you'll always end up with two parties with our current voting system.

The alternative vote system would have solved this, but unfortunately morons voted no on using it.

There's a great video by CP Grey explaining why you'll always end up with two parties with our current voting system.

 

The alternative vote system would have solved this, but unfortunately morons voted no on using it.

I was thinking it was related to the system - I looked into it more with the AV vote but I've forgotten whatever I learnt then. The current system feels to me like it makes change a bit hard, really. Is the video on youtube or so?

Sure, here it is:

I've been through my whole life not knowing what left and right wing actually mean

Do you know now?

Do you know now?

Nope..

Just did the test Moogle posted, man is it long!

My results:

40% - Green Party

30% - Labour

20% - Liberal Democrats

10% - Conservatives

Not really surprising I think, though sometimes it was hard to pick one as they all seemed similar or they all had a few points I liked. I am definitely not a UKIP voter, and the Conservatives don't seem too great either.

The problem is that they can say whatever they want in their policies to lure people in, but in the end you won't know what they will actually do and if they will keep their word (as has been shown in the past with the Lib-Dems for example).

Yeah it's weird that there's no law to make sure they actually enact any of the policies they promise during the election. They could literally make shit up for two months, and then do whatever they want when in power.

Yeah it's weird that there's no law to make sure they actually enact any of the policies they promise during the election. They could literally make shit up for two months, and then do whatever they want when in power.

Not really. Who makes the laws?

If politicians were actually held accountable for election promises, they'd also have to be more specific about how they'd pay for the promises they make, and they'd have to start thinking about details and making sure what they promise is actually possible, and won't cause more problems than it solves.

If you have to start talking about how you're going to pay for things during an election in more detail, you're going to have to end up proposing either more deficit spending, cutting the budget of something else, or raising/creating new taxes. None of which make you look particularly good during an election.

Well yeah, but if you don't have to worry about actually doing any of the promises, you can just make up any shit you like to get elected. It just makes the whole thing pointless.

Did that compass thing and got pretty much smack bang on the Green Party.

I normally don't vote, because all I ever see in parliament is a bunch of grown men squabbling like children, so I find it very hard to want to vote for any of them. This time is different though, as all I seem to see is UKIP everywhere and I really don't want them in power, so I'll be voting to try and keep them out.

Still not sure how I'll vote though. It's currently between Green and Labour I reckon.

Not really. Who makes the laws?

If politicians were actually held accountable for election promises, they'd also have to be more specific about how they'd pay for the promises they make, and they'd have to start thinking about details and making sure what they promise is actually possible, and won't cause more problems than it solves.

If you have to start talking about how you're going to pay for things during an election in more detail, you're going to have to end up proposing either more deficit spending, cutting the budget of something else, or raising/creating new taxes. None of which make you look particularly good during an election.

I fail to see how any of these are negative points. Surely all this information should be transparent from the beginning?

I fail to see how any of these are negative points. Surely all this information should be transparent from the beginning?

You're thinking from the perspective of a voter, not from the perspective of a politician.

You're thinking from the perspective of a voter, not from the perspective of a politician.

Well yes, obviously. But politicians are supposed to serve us, not the other way around, so everything should be done to benefit the voter/public.

Although what should be done and what is done will probably never be the same thing.