What do you think the outcome of the General Election will be?

So theres barely two weeks until polling day here in the UK, and theres a real element of uncertainty given the Lib Dems surge in the polls, and no party having a really clear idea of what to do about national debt.

The poll is to ask what you think the outcome of the election will be. Dont mark who you plan to vote for, but what you actually think will happen.

Personally, I think we'll end up with a slim Tory majority or a hung parliament.

I'm really worried about having a hung parliament actually. Based on the most recent polls, the Tories would win the vote but Labour could end up with the largest number of seats and would then have to ask the Lib Dems for a coalition Government. And the Lib Dems could basically name their price on that one..!

Clegg is a fan of scrapping the usual first past the post system that we have now in favour of proportional representation, which Labour would agree to just to hold on to power. We'd basically end up with another five years of Labour, with a few Lib Dems sat around the table.

But we'd never get away from that proportional representation system once it had been implemented, and all it'll do is make things harder to get done. More bureaucracy and more corruption.

And the last time there was a hung parliament, we ended up with the Winter of Discontent.

Anyway, rant over! :D

So, what do you think the outcome will be? And what do you think of the parties manifesto's?

I dont have a clue who will win whatever happens none of the parties will have my interests at heart thats for sure.
For me neither Labour nor the Tories are any different to each other and between them have made one **** up after another its time for a change from the current system i think. :)

ian

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Originally Posted by ianp1966

neither Labour nor the Tories are any different to each other

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I'm over in the colonies so my only experience with British politics is watching Prime Minister's question time occasionally. We had a fellow by the name of Ralph Nader who was running for USA president on an independent ticket and he said there was no difference between the republicans and the democrats. G.W. Bush proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is plenty of difference between political philosophies when the campaigning is over and the rubber meets the road. Something to think about if being disillusioned is influencing your vote. :shrug:

I honestly don`t know.
The lib dems have the greatest chance they every have. But it will be the conservative or labour that get in.
But I`m struggling to tell what the partys are about these days, they all seem to busy making you tube videos, and parading there familys around.

I have become more and more disilusioned with our politicians, When you see them on tv or read about them in the papers they are far to highly polished, everything seems so staged. With the image they portray on tv of squeeky clean perfect family man, and then the only time you hear of them displaying any normal human emotion is when they get greedy and claim for a duck house in the moat.

How can any one trust a party that presents these two polar opposites.

During the local elections not so long ago I tried to call each of the partys running in my area.
At the time i had been out of work for some time, un able to claim any benifits as i was self employed before i ran out of work. Had been failed by the school system, I was going back through college and couldn`t claim any money for that and was generally quite angry with the goverment. (as anyone who has used .gov.uk websites will be)

The replys i recieved were less than satisfactory, with no specific answers as to how they have/will work to ensure no one has to go through the same things i have. just simple polished paragraphs with no real detail.

How can i vote for a group of people who just seem slimey.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I'm over in the colonies so my only experience with British politics is watching Prime Minister's question time occasionally. We had a fellow by the name of Ralph Nader who was running for USA president on an independent ticket and he said there was no difference between the republicans and the democrats. G.W. Bush proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is plenty of difference between political philosophies when the campaigning is over and the rubber meets the road. Something to think about if being disillusioned is influencing your vote. :shrug:

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Also having once met the famous Screaming Lord Sutch when he was running for our local seat he would have got my vote back then not so now.
The tory's killed the coal industry, hundreds of pits were closed that could have run for 20 years or more, and took down many associated industries whilst allowing cheep coal from abroad, coal which we could have supplied .... you get the picture. For me after what they did around here they will never get my vote.

So my local M.P. actually came to our estate a few weeks ago, weeks before the big event was announced although everyone knew the date by then, and took the time to listen to and answer my questions. He's lived here for over 30 years and his kids are schooled here too unlike the opposition who try to ship some unknown in who lost their seat elsewhere in the country.

He will be once more getting my vote and he will get in again we've seen enough of Labour around here both in local and central government to have them back in power :)


ian

Does it matter when Reagan and Thatcher broke the unions and the stole our jobs then gave them to some third world country. Whoever wins I hope we're all more prosperous.

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Originally Posted by Rekonball

Does it matter when Reagan and Thatcher broke the unions and the stole our jobs then gave them to some third world country. Whoever wins I hope we're all more prosperous.

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WORD ! And all of the pols that followed those two in both of our respective countries did the same.

I think it'll be a Brit... but I wouldn't put any money on it.

probably be the same as the US, more of the same

The first past the post system is not fit for purpose. Especially when there is so much dissatisfaction and things are so close between the three. However, I don't doubt that PR has its problems, and I suppose you only need look at what has happened to the Belgian government in the last hour to see the shortfalls to coalition governments.

BUT...

I am sick of being in an ultra-safe seat where, frankly, my vote will make sod all difference to any outcome whatsoever. For three general elections I have voted in the same area, and it has ultimately been meaningless as the gap between first and second is so big where I live. And now, when things are so desperate and more than ever I want my voice to be heard, I'm stuck with an outdated and intrinsically unfair system. At times like this, I have some sympathy with the concept that democracies are failing.

At least with PR, my vote is far more likely to have a measurable effect, an impact of SOME sort, and an outcome which does not leave me feeling disenfranchised.

And right now, I'd take that over the status quo.

Hung parliament? It might just be the kick up the arse that British politics needs.

I think any one who is not sure who to vote for, or is just curious, should check out this site

Vote for Policies - Vote for policies, not personalities!

Who do I think will take it? I would not be surprised if a faction of the population voted tory just to be contrary, which would be a shame. I would not be surprised if a bigger faction voted lib dem - that would be interesting.

I am not necessarily against the idea of a hung parliament, I think Mark is right, that could be the match that lights the blue touch paper and gets things going again.

What ever happens, unless labour win, I think it would be almost an inevitability that the financial situation takes a turn for the worse. In principle, I would not be against a labour victory, I think they have basically done ok, change is not always a bad thing though.

I'm all for a PR system, the south is full of tory seats.