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UK Election Fever; A sympton of Election Gonorrhea
Topic Started: Apr 16 2010, 02:17 PM (798 Views)
Cobdenia
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1953 is the new 1932 for 2008
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Well, where the centre is varies from country to country - in the US, the Conservatives would be considered left wing, and other countries don't even categorise countries in such a manner - the point I was more making with Ireland, in that the divide isn't left right in the way we think of it, but views concerning Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 - as such, the centre (IIRC the Irish Labour Party, though my memory of all this is a tad hazy) would be neither supports or objects. But I digress - the main problem really is the political culture, which means that the centre left and centre right in the UK would never form a coalition: the trenches are dug too deep, despite agreeing in the vast majority of things, leading to Lab-Lib coalitions followed by Conservative-UKIP (who, let us not forget, came second in the UK's PR European elections - if PR came in they would be a serious contender, even factoring in the obvious difference in motives at European and General election voting patterns). I do accept that PR works well elsewhere where the political culture favours it (Germany being a good example, where for obvious historical reason the centres will do anything to prevent the fars from obtaining any power), but as with any system, it has it's disadvantages and advantages, and in the UK's climate FPTP works - we have never had an extreme government (by the standards of the times), the party with the most support gets the power, maintains the difficult balance between democracy, competency, accountability, stability, and the ability to get things done. In other countries, FPTP would be a nightmare. That does not mean I don't think there should be constitutional reform of some sort (though none of the parties in anyway are calling for what I think is the correct direction - though of course my opinion of it is just that)
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Kenny
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"You can actually see the moment when his political career leaves his body."
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Kenny
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A somewhat snarky American take on today's vote.
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qumkent
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Kenny,May 6 2010
08:17 AM

Some of that is quite funny, I'm mystified though as to where the idea that Clegg is so anti-american has come from, unless opposing the war in Iraq counts as anti-american. Not cheerleading for Clegg (actually I think he's a bit of a gorm) but the whole anti-american thing is a wee bit unfair.

Oh and one other quibble, the election in Britain isn't strictly speaking an "election for government" as he puts it, it's a parliamentary election, the parliament then decides who gets to be government.
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Cobdenia
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1953 is the new 1932 for 2008
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Yeah, I kind of agree with you on that, Zanj. I think it's more that he sees future more as a part of Europe and that closer links are needed with Europe which maybe to the detriment of Anglo-American relations, but he's hardly Armoured Dinner Jacket, or even many European leaders. I think it's just he's not in favour of closer relations.

In other news, it appears UKIP will be getting one less vote due to their former leader sort of falling out of the sky a bit
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Kenny
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I've been meaning to add a poll to this topic since it was created, but I kept putting it off, and there's not much point to it now. Sorry, folks. But just out of morbid curiosity, whom did you guys actually vote for?
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Cobdenia
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1953 is the new 1932 for 2008
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Despite the temptation to vote for Braon Von Thunderclap (yes, a real chap on our ballot), the public-schoolboy-from-south-east-England-who-misses-the-empire-and-has-never-mined-coal instinct kicked in and I voted tory
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Gruenberg
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aka Kleinschnauzer
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Labour.
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qumkent
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I haven't been as gripped by a UK election in my life. The deal making stage that's going on now is familiar enough to me from Irish elections though, so it's sweet to watch how the British find it all so bewildering and novel. It's just a little more subtle and sophisticated than they're used to :P

Yay for hung parliaments! Oh and the apocalyptic economic horrors which were prophesied if a hung parliament was elected? Came to nothing. The markets are more intelligent than the rightwing press give them credit for. If the markets are tumbling it's because of the sovereign debt crisis hitting the US markets and dominoing around the world.
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The Palentine
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Cob
 
...and-has-never-mined-coal....

According to some of my relatives who actually have mined coal...you haven't missed much, old boy :P


Quote:
 
If the markets are tumbling it's because of the sovereign debt crisis hitting the US markets and dominoing around the world.

Don't forget about the Greeks. ;)
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Cobdenia
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1953 is the new 1932 for 2008
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Zanjan,May 7 2010
06:48 AM
I haven't been as gripped by a UK election in my life. The deal making stage that's going on now is familiar enough to me from Irish elections though, so it's sweet to watch how the British find it all so bewildering and novel. It's just a little more subtle and sophisticated than they're used to :P

Yay for hung parliaments! Oh and the apocalyptic economic horrors which were prophesied if a hung parliament was elected? Came to nothing. The markets are more intelligent than the rightwing press give them credit for. If the markets are tumbling it's because of the sovereign debt crisis hitting the US markets and dominoing around the world.

I wouldn't be so fast to judge, Zanj. EIther side forming a coalition would require the support of nationalist non-English parties (in labours case, PC, SNP, SDLP and Alliance; Tories DUP certainly) - this is where the problem lies, as none of those parties will work with a government that would force cuts in public spending (either the Tory way or Labours way) through in the Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, and could very well use their position to force more public spending in those region, forcing England to bear the brunt or even the entirety of public spending cuts. Which would really f**k things up economically and fiscally
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Iron Felix
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This map makes it look like a Conservative landslide.

So how long does Brown remain PM?
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Cobdenia
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1953 is the new 1932 for 2008
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Until the Queen says so :P
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qumkent
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Iron Felix,May 7 2010
08:58 AM
This map makes it look like a Conservative landslide.

So how long does Brown remain PM?

This map shows the actual proportion of constituencies in Britain, rather than a geographical representation, if you click on Proportional in the map you'll see it's not quite as much of a decisive victory as it appears on the geographical reprsentation.

BBC News Election 2010 results


There are lots of high population density small sized constituencies in urban areas which Labour tends to win, especially in the north and London. The Tories win larger sized rural seats and suburban ones too which tends to colour a geographical map rather bluer than the actual result might suggest.

Ultimately the Tories have made some gains, but simply not enough for an outright majority in the Commons. They certainly haven't had the rush to power they expected. Cameron simply hasn't communicated the message he wanted and Britain hasn't voted for a Conservative government, they voted for a hung parliament, presumably the British electorate expects its politicians to quit whinging and get on with the parliament they've been given.
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Iron Felix
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The horse trading is interesting. Are the Lib Dems likely to join either party in a coalition? If no coalition emerges I assume Brown remains PM for a while, right? Is it likely there will be early elections? Could the Queen become involved in all of this?
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