May the seventh will soon be with you.

[cee-dee]

We've had May the fourth.....

Not long to go now and it'll all be over............ but will it?

The horse trading is likely to begin BUT, you can stop it. How?:-

First, go out and VOTE. Secondly vote for one of the two "main parties".

All these minor parties are going to do is to disrupt things and cause trouble.

OK, you're going to say "We live in a democracy". Sure, we do....

Now if there's no strong Government (with one or other of the two main parties) running the show, these minor troublemakers will attempt to blackmail the main party of their choice in order to gain ministerial jobs and influence any proposed changes in legislation for their own ends.

That's hardly democratic? A minority comprised of disaffected turncoats having far more influence than they deserve is not the way things ought to be.

Soooooo, do the right thing, get out there and vote, vote, vote for one of the main parties.

[al**bear]

CeeDee --  the 2 main parties don't have the support of the majority of the Populace and haven't had it, in many many years (since 1945 ?)

British politics are broken -

Thatcher & Blair both won massive landslides, capturing 60% (approx) of the seats, by only winning 40% (of the votes cast). 

Which means they only got the support of just over a THIRD of the total electorate, no wonder the Populace feel disenfranchised

So a Party voted in, by a 1/3 of the People, gained nearly 2/3 of the seats, How is that Democratic ?

Even worse --- In this Election, it is possible that in Scotland, the SNP with less that 50% of the actual votes, could win, 90%+ of the seats

a recipe for disorder

-------

I will be voting tactically, this election

shock horror, I will be voting for Labour for the 1st time in my life

#SNPout

[cee-dee]

Al......... statistics can mean anything you want them to mean if you manipulate them and that goes for election results too.

What you missed out was what percentage of the electorate actually bothered to vote.

If things panned out weirdly, it's quite possible for the party with the most votes not to win a majority of seats. So, what would those who thrive on statistics make of that?

[goldenwonders]

---

@cee-dee wrote:

Al......... statistics can mean anything you want them to mean if you manipulate them and that goes for election results too.

What you missed out was what percentage of the electorate actually bothered to vote.

If things panned out weirdly, it's quite possible for the party with the most votes not to win a majority of seats. So, what would those who thrive on statistics make of that?

---

True statistics can be slanted in any direction. However the % of non voters is totally irrelevant - they did not vote and it cannot be judged what would have happened had they voted as its pure speculation.

The reality of this whole issue is that non voters do so for many reasons - they may not give a damn, may not understand the system, feel no one represents them, do not wish to be part of the system, have a reason not to vote, such as not wishing to be on the electoral register - which gives information about who they are, where they are and has possible ramifications! Increased council taxes etc etc...

The truth is this whole election is a scam - whoever now wins has promised that much they cannot deliver! So what happens when reality dawns to the electorate that yet again they have been duped into believing things are rosy around the corner! They all become even more disenfranchised and are less likely to vote next time!

[cee-dee]

You didn't look properly at what was said.

Al said "Which means they only got the support of just over a THIRD of the total electorate,"

You claim that non voters are irrelevant. They are relevant in considering what Al said.

He claimed that the "winning" party at the elections referred to were won by a third of the total electorate which is not so.

He also asked how that was democratic. A fuller look at statistics seem to show that at the last election, a third of the electorate chose to excercise their democratic right not to vote at all?

[Anonymous]

I'm going to vote. For the third time in my life. The first two times I voted what my parents voted.

I was discussing all this with my husband last night. I find the whole system unfair and really don't want to vote for any of them to be honest.

But, like you Al, I'm going to vote Labour. My husband has not voted either for donkey years, but he will also vote Labour this time.

UKIP has it's appeal in some areas, but for now we will sit on the fence with that one.

[auntieannie44]

Living in N.E,Scotland the only realistic options we have are Lib Dem or SNP.  In this area Labour has never managed to put it's head above the parapet and the Conservatives haven't been seen for many a year.  I suspect we are, as a semi-rural area, still more interested in the person rather than the politics.  The big test for Scotland will come next year for the election to the Scottish Parliament.  I personally am a serious non-SNP person but have to say that 'Little Nicky' is hugely more consumer friendly that 'Wee Eck' ever was.

[jd.linklater]

Going back to Al's post, in reality the winning parties he was referring to got the support of just over a third of the electorate who could be bothered to vote. As a third of the electorate didn't cast a vote, that means they got the support of a third of two thirds of the electorate which amounts to around 22% of the total. That still didn't stop them securing two thirds of the available seats, clearly the current system is a nonsense. I've thought that since I first voted over 40 years ago, it's no wonder so many feel disenfranchised. 

The sooner we make the move towards a Proportional Representation system the better, then the result will be decided by the number of votes cast and not the number of seats won.  Perhaps election turnouts would improve if more people could see that their votes could actually change things. 

[cee-dee]

First past the post?

So, in a race someone manages to come from yards behind as others obviously tire and nods to win by a short head but doesn't get credited with a win because others were initially faster and led for 99% of the race?

[Anonymous]

Now that was exactly what we were talking about yesterday.

I'm not so clued up on politics (no surprise as I got disillusioned many years ago with all the lying and cheating), but with my limited knowledge it just seemed such an unfair system. I also think that more people would vote if it was decided by the number of votes and not seats.

I feel that the whole system needs a big overhaul so it will be more fair to all the people.

[jd.linklater]

Sorry I don't see how that correlates to proportional representation 

[joamur_gosof]

Only vote for the two main parties after 25 years of obvious lies and corruption should be shameful ,vote most definite, but do yourselves and your fellow country folk a favour and do not listen to 'we only have two choices' absolutely ludicrous mentality.

Even worse is it may cause trouble voting against the 'two'. I should hope so.

[right-then-petal]

[ravendays]

If my vote had been between Tory and Labour I wouldn't have voted at all.  There is after all no difference between the two.  The higher turnout this cycle is simply because there are other alternatives.  But no doubt tomorrow we'll all still be subject to the same old wheel of corruption, lies and decreasing standards of living...

[ravendays]

You do realise the current two mainstays openly encourage extremists or at best do very little to discourage them from coming here? Of course you don't, tunnel vision is after all the chosen realm of the blinkered 

[malacandran]

Just think - when we wake up tomorrow, we will have a New Government !

And another Prime Minister - will it still be David Cameron,  or will Ed Milliband take over?

The media excitement tonight will be terrific, from 10pm onwards.  I shall curl up in bed, and listen on my radio as the results come in.

Feeling good,  because I didn't vote today.  And therefore, can't be held to blame, for the outrages which the elected politicians will assuredly commit on our country, in the next 5 years.

[fallen-archie]

That is your right, it is a fact of life, not worthy of mention tbh.
I voted this evening sticking to my beliefs and ignoring the hype from those degenerates in the media.

[joamur_gosof]

I suggest you rethink quick and get to the voting station as your non vote is giving a vote to whoever has the most votes ,so if cameron gets back in by one vote, you sir malac are entirely responsible for the next five years ,may you hang your head in shame if more people die become homeless and destitute and ill in this country to a government corrupt...hope the new government is a good one (dont hold your breath) so you are not to blame

[artwisemills]

---

@joamur_gosof wrote:

I suggest you rethink quick and get to the voting station as your non vote is giving a vote to whoever has the most votes ,so if cameron gets back in by one vote, you sir malac are entirely responsible for the next five years ,may you hang your head in shame if more people die become homeless and destitute and ill in this country to a government corrupt...hope the new government is a good one (dont hold your breath) so you are not to blame

---

As I said two days ago voters should ignore the two main parties and look for change by pressurising them into listening. To say the Tories are corrupt is a little rich, no more corrupt than labour, no more currupt or lying than the liberals as most members of all these parties are professional politicians - their main aim to line their own pockets. I really don't believe they have a clue what they are doing and care little for anyone but themselves!

Judging by tonights exit poll - and I do have reservations about it.... it could result in Paddy Ashdown eating his hat and Alistair Campbell eating his kilt (their view on the poll) - lets all hope that both these professional political experts have to do just that. Oh and more funny Ed Balls could lose his seat - I shall crack some champagne if that happens!

[astrologica]

Well...it's all over bar the post-mortems. Quite a surprise result. I just need someone to explain to me why those fickle capricious Scots turned the down the chance of Independence in their referendum last year, but now, just months later, have suddenly come over all patriotic and Nationalistic. Beats me.