2015 United Kingdom general election - General

We made it FP! We made it through the 55th Parliament of the United Kingdom, and Britain's first coalition government since World War II. Remember how simple things were [url=http://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=912134]five years ago[/url], when only three parties were legally allowed to exist and Gordon Brown shouted at bigoted women every Friday? Well shit's a lot more complicated this time, so if you don't know wtf is going on check this out [B][U]When is it?[/U][/B] The election will be held on [B]7 May 2015[/B], and it's the first election date ever to have been fixed years in advance under the new system of fixed-term parliaments. The 55th Parliament was dissolved on 30 March - this means there are currently no MPs, and they all now have to win their status back in the election. [B][U]Who's being elected?[/U][/B] The UK is going to elect 650 MPs to sit in the House of Commons, the lower and dominant house of Parliament. The result will then form the basis for the next Government of the United Kingdom. [B][U]What's the voting system?[/U][/B] The BBC have made an [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5s4WPpyWlQ]election guide video for non-Brits[/url] that will explain this stuff to you. But I already wrote my explanation before they made the video, so here's my version: The UK uses first-past-the-post. The 650 constituencies of the UK each elect one MP. Every person has one vote, and the candidate with the most votes wins the seat. It's important to keep the voting system in mind because it means there is no guarantee of national proportionality - for example, in 2010 the Liberal Democrats won 22% of the vote nationally, but only received 8% of the seats in Parliament. If you're able to come first place in a single constituency you'll get one MP, but if you come second place in 100 constituencies you'll get absolutely nothing - so whether a party is doing good or bad in national opinion polls, that doesn't necessarily reflect the number of seats they'll get. Parties can win more seats by being very popular in a small concentrated area than by having moderate levels of support throughout the country. [B][U]How will a Government be formed?[/U][/B] Traditionally in British elections, one party usually scores an overwhelming victory, taking more than half of the seats (a majority; currently 326 seats) and therefore winning the power to form a Government and run the country, with their leader as Prime Minister. However, in 2010 we elected a very rare 'hung parliament', where no party had a majority, and so the Conservatives and the Lib Dems had to form a coalition government in order to reach 326 seats and be able to run the country. The largest party could also form a minority government, but Parliament could choose to dismiss them at any time. In 2015, it looks highly likely that another hung parliament will be elected - except this time, there's a real possibility that we may need [I]three[/I] parties to work together in order to reach 326 seats. [B][U]The major parties[/U][/B] For the first time in many decades, the dominance of the three traditional 'major parties' has been severely disrupted during this Parliament, with many less prominent parties rising in popularity and the old parties struggling to stay on top. [img]http://imgkk.com/i/lx_s.png[/img] [img]http://imgkk.com/i/br58.png[/img] The [B]Conservatives[/B], commonly known as the [B]Tories[/B] are the senior party in the coalition government that has run the country since 2010. The oldest existing political party in the country, the Tories today are a centre-right party with different factions falling in different places on the political spectrum. At this election they're fighting to continue their 'long-term economic plan', which they argue has rescued Britain from the financial crisis and set it on the path to a repaired economy and a balanced budget. The Conservatives have also promised to re-negotiate the UK's relationship with the European Union, and then hold a referendum on EU membership in 2017. [B]David Cameron[/B] has been leader of the Conservatives since 2005, and Prime Minister since 2010. A self-described "modern compassionate conservative", Cameron has sought to modernise the party's policies and image in various areas - such as by legalising same-sex marriage. He admits, however, that his perceived poshness has made it harder to shake off the idea that the Tories are the 'party of the rich'. - [url=https://www.conservatives.com/manifesto.aspx]Conservative manifesto 2015[/url] - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/manifesto-guide#tab=party!party=con]BBC policy guide: Conservatives[/url] - [url=https://www.conservatives.com/]Conservative Party official website[/url] - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05q4mjb/party-election-broadcasts-conservative-party-general-election-2015-07042015#group=p02mbgy3]Conservative election broadcast[/url] - [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Party_%28UK%29]Wikipedia article[/url] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [img]http://imgkk.com/i/ua_m.png[/img] [img]http://imgkk.com/i/ey5l.png[/img] [B]Labour[/B] governed the UK from 1997 to 2010 and is the country's traditional centre-left party. Though once a full-fledged socialist party advocating state control of all major industries, Labour reinvented itself in the 1990s and moved much closer to the centre. Labour argues that the coalition government's economic recovery has not been felt by average working families, and that a 'cost of living crisis' has gone ignored as rising prices have outpaced wages. While still committed to eliminating the budget deficit, Labour says it would do it more slowly, and has proposed measures such as raising the top rate of income tax to 50% and introducing a 'mansion tax' on expensive homes to ensure the rich 'pay their fair share'. [B]Ed Miliband[/B] has led Labour since 2010, when he narrowly beat his own brother in the race for the leadership. Dogged by public image problems - from his supposed [url=http://imgkk.com/i/s04k.jpg]resemblance to the iconic British claymation character Wallace[/url], to his [url=http://imgkk.com/i/fw-7.jpg]unflattering paparazzi photos[/url] and nasal voice - Miliband has argued that his policies and substance should be more important than his image. - [url=http://www.labour.org.uk/manifesto]Labour manifesto 2015[/url] - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/manifesto-guide#tab=party!party=lab]BBC policy guide: Labour[/url] - [url=http://www.labour.org.uk/]Labour Party official website[/url] - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05q4r9z/party-election-broadcasts-labour-general-election-2015-08042015#group=p02mbgy3]Labour election broadcast[/url] - [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Party_(UK)]Wikipedia article[/url] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [img]http://imgkk.com/i/pmmm.png[/img] [img]http://imgkk.com/i/usk7.png[/img] The [B]Liberal Democrats[/B], or [B]Lib Dems[/B] have been the junior party in the coalition government since 2010. They have traditionally been seen as a centre-ground between Labour and the Conservatives, and are campaigning to be included in a second coalition, arguing that neither of the other two parties can be trusted to continue the recovery in a fair way on their own. As a liberal party, they emphasise civil liberties and social progressivism, and are also highly supportive of the European Union. The Lib Dems argue that their plan would involve less borrowing than Labour's, and fewer cuts than the Tories', by ensuring a fair balance of tax increases and spending cuts is used to cut the deficit. [B]Nick Clegg[/B] has led the Lib Dems since 2007 and been Deputy Prime Minister since 2010. Clegg surprised many by completely dominating the TV debates at the last election in 2010, leading to the 'Cleggmania' phenomenon which saw the Lib Dems soar to record heights in opinion polls. However, Clegg's popularity fell through the floor shortly after the election when he broke his promise to vote against a rise in university tuition fees. Clegg's subsequent apology has done little to bring back Lib Dem voters, and the party has gone from a record high to a record low in the course of just a few years. - [url=http://www.libdems.org.uk/manifesto]Lib Dem manifesto 2015[/url] - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/manifesto-guide#tab=party!party=ld]BBC policy guide: Lib Dems[/url] - [url=http://libdems.org.uk/]Lib Dems official website[/url] - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05p9sp0/party-election-broadcasts-liberal-democrats-general-election-2015-01042015#group=p02mbgy3]Lib Dem election broadcast[/url] - [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Democrats]Wikipedia article[/url] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [img]http://imgkk.com/i/zujs.png[/img] [img]http://imgkk.com/i/zw9d.png[/img] The [B]UK Independence Party[/B], or [B]UKIP[/B] (pronounced 'you-kip') was formed in the 1990s and its flagship policy is that the UK should immediately hold a referendum on its membership of the European Union. Formed in 1993, it slowly grew to become the largest 'minor party' in Britain and, since the 2010 election, it has risen to overtake the Lib Dems in current opinion polls. Last year it came first-place in the European Parliament elections and gained its first two elected MPs through defections from the Conservative Party. Beyond its well-known policies on the EU, it generally lean further to the right than any of the other parties listed here and advocates tighter immigration controls and a 'low-tax revolution'. [B]Nigel Farage[/B] has led UKIP since 2006, but stepped down briefly for the last election to focus on his own campaign. He is not currently an MP but will be running in this election for the seat of South Thanet. Farage has led UKIP through its transformation from a fringe party to an insurgent political force, and his 'outsider/everyman' image has struck a chord with many voters looking for an alternative to the established parties; he is almost the antithesis of the traditional politician with his casual and frank personality, and is known for celebrating UKIP election victories by enjoying a beer and a cigarette at the local pub. UKIP's opponents, however, see his public image as a mere PR strategy to make him appear a 'man of the people'. - [url=http://www.ukip.org/manifesto2015]UKIP manifesto 2015[/url] - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/manifesto-guide#tab=party!party=ukip]BBC policy guide: UKIP[/url] - [url=http://www.ukip.org/]UKIP official website[/url] - [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojDeNTtD-r0]UKIP election broadcast[/url] - [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Independence_Party]Wikipedia article[/url] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [img]http://imgkk.com/i/epik.png[/img] [img]http://imgkk.com/i/7ztw.png[/img] The [B]Green Party[/B] is actually divided into three different parties, with most media focus given to the [B]Green Party of England and Wales[/B]. Tracing its roots back to the Ecology Party of the 1970s, the Green Party today is the most left-wing of all the parties listed here, with its flagship environmental policies now put on an almost even footing with such ideas as the abandonment of austerity and the full renationalisation of the railway system. The Greens also propose to raise the top rate of income tax to 60% and build 500,000 new social houses by 2020. [B]Natalie Bennett[/B] has led the Greens since 2012, when she took over from Caroline Lucas, the Greens' only current MP. Bennett has faced criticism in recent months for performing very poorly in several interviews, including one which [url=https://www.reddit.com/r/cringe/comments/2wz7p1/leader_of_the_green_party_uk_tries_to_explain_how/]hit the front page of /r/cringe[/url] and forced her to [url=http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31600324]apologise[/url] for having a 'mind blank'. - [url=https://www.greenparty.org.uk/we-stand-for/2015-manifesto.html]Green Party manifesto 2015[/url] - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/manifesto-guide#tab=party!party=grn]BBC policy guide: Green Party[/url] - [url=https://www.greenparty.org.uk/]Green Party official website[/url] - [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPgS7p40ERg]Green Party election broadcast[/url] - [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_of_England_and_Wales]Wikipedia article[/url] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B]Scottish/Welsh/NI parties[/B] As someone from England, I'm not best placed to tell you about the parties that only operate in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but I'll give a brief run-down. Scotland has its own branches of all the regular parties as well as the [B]Scottish National Party[/B], the left-wing pro-independence party that has run the Scottish government since 2011. Their popularity has surged dramatically since last year's independence referendum and as such, they may play a role in supporting the next government - although they have vowed never to work with the Conservatives, who are pretty much their sworn enemies. Their leader is Nicola Sturgeon, the First Minister of Scotland, who took over both jobs from Alex Salmond in November. - SNP manifesto 2015 (coming soon) - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/manifesto-guide#tab=party!party=snp]BBC policy guide: SNP[/url] - [url=http://www.snp.org/]SNP official website[/url] - [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_National_Party]Wikipedia article[/url] Wales has its own branches of all the regular parties plus [B]Plaid Cymru[/B] (pronounced 'p-lied come-ree'), the left-wing Welsh nationalist party. They haven't done as well as the SNP have in Scotland, but have performed moderately well in Welsh Assembly elections and, like the SNP, could potentially support a Labour government after the election. Their leader is Leanne Wood, who has served in the Welsh Assembly since 2003 and was elected leader in 2012. - [url=https://www.partyof.wales/2015-manifesto/]Plaid Cymru manifesto 2015[/url] - [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/manifesto-guide#tab=party!party=pc]BBC policy guide: Plaid Cymru[/url] - [url=https://www.partyof.wales/]Plaid Cymru official website[/url] - [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaid_Cymru]Wikipedia article[/url] Northern Ireland has a completely different party system from the rest of the UK, with different political parties altogether. I really don't know much about those guys, but one thing for an outsider to note is that the Democratic Unionist Party is quite friendly with the Conservatives and could play a role in supporting their government after the election. If you're in Northern Ireland you could consult [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/manifesto-guide]the BBC's policy guide[/url], which covers all the major parties there. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [B][U]Other parties[/U][/B] The line between who is a 'major' and a 'minor' party has become increasingly blurry during the course of this Parliament, but obviously I can't go into full detail on every single party that exists. Some of the minor parties that I haven't mentioned here are the [url=http://www.respectparty.org/]Respect Party[/url], the [url=http://www.bnp.org.uk/]British National Party[/url], the [url=http://www.englishdemocrats.org.uk/]English Democrats[/url], the [url=http://www.ukchristianparty.org/]Christian Party[/url], [url=http://www.healthconcernwf.org.uk/]Health Concern[/url], and [url=http://leftunity.org/]Left Unity[/url]. [B][U]TV debates[/U][/B] After extensive negotiations between broadcasters and the parties, a number of televised debates and events have been scheduled: - The first event, a question-and-answer programme with Ed Miliband and David Cameron, took place on 26 March and is [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05qqbqw/bbc-news-special-election-2015-cameron-and-miliband-live]now available on BBC iPlayer[/url]. - The second event was a two-hour debate on 2 April with 7 parties (Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dems, UKIP, Greens, SNP, and Plaid Cymru) and is [url=https://youtu.be/vc6YH4-IHME?t=12m14s]now available on YouTube[/url]. - The third event was an opposition leaders debate, with all of the previous 7 parties minus the Conservatives and Lib Dems. It aired on 16 April and is [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05r87pr/bbc-election-debate-2015]now available on BBC iPlayer[/url]. - The fourth and final event was a special edition of the BBC's Question Time, with David Cameron, Ed Miliband, and Nick Clegg on the panel. It aired on 30 April and is [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05t2k80/question-time-election-leaders-special]now available on BBC iPlayer[/url]. [B][U]Don't know who to vote for?[/U][/B] If you need help figuring out who to vote for, here are some resources that might help you. - [url=http://election2015.votematch.org/]VoteMatch[/url] is a site where you answer a few political questions, and then you're told how your own views match up with the parties. - BBC News has a [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/manifesto-guide]policy guide[/url] that breaks down each party's policies in various areas. This covers 14 parties from across the UK - more than I've covered in this thread. - The parties' manifestos lay out their plans for government, although they can be quite long to read through. I've linked each party's manifesto above, so you could dip in and look at the sections that interest you. - Parties of a significant size are entitled to air one or two short election broadcasts on TV for free, so you could watch those to help you decide. Some of them are [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/p02mbgy3]available on BBC iPlayer[/url] while others can generally be found on YouTube. - Watch the TV debates, I've linked them above. [B][U]Don't know how to vote?[/U][/B] If you haven't registered to vote, it's now too late - the deadline was 20 April. Unfortunately you now won't be able to vote in the election. If you have registered, you have one day left to register for the postal vote, which means you'd be sent a ballot paper a few days before the election, mark it, and post it back. This can be more convenient as you don't have to go to the polling station on election day and potentially queue for a while. If you want to apply for a postal vote, the deadline is [U]21 April[/U] and you need to [url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-postal-vote]fill out this form[/url] and send it to your local council. [B][U]How are the parties doing, and what outcome are we expecting?[/U][/B] [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/poll-tracker]The BBC's polltracker[/url] will give you an idea of how each party is doing in national opinion polls - but remember that the UK does not use a proportional electoral system, so these results do not translate to the number of seats each party will get. Various groups are trying to do innovative statistical forecasts for the election, to work out how many seats each party will win. The most watched one is the [url=http://electionforecast.co.uk/#information]Election Forecast[/url] run by a group of political scientists, which is also available on [url=http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/uk-general-election-predictions/]FiveThirtyEight[/url]. It's updated regularly based on new polls so I'm not going to post the current results here. A few other forecasts are available on [url=http://may2015.com/category/seat-calculator/]May2015.com[/url]. Looking at these forecasts, you need to work out what kind of government could possibly be formed with those numbers. Which parties, working together, would add up to 326 seats? That's how this election will be won in the days [I]after[/I] polling day. The one thing all the forecasts currently agree on is that we look very likely to elect a second hung parliament, meaning a second coalition government or interparty arrangement of some kind will be required after the election.

[URL="https://voteforpolicies.org.uk/"]Recommend this also, it's similar to that vote match site.[/URL] Registered, but 4 months too young to actually vote lmao. I'm all over the place with regards to political alignment, especially with policies, but most of these surveys are placing me as a potential Lib Dem voter.

i'm not british nor do i know anything about british politics but this band i follow on tumblr made this shirt which i thought was cool [img]http://images.cdn.bigcartel.com/bigcartel/product_images/155930662/max_h-1000+max_w-1000/Never_Kiss_A_Tory_product_WEB.jpg[/img]

Green, because of their stance on education, health and care, and the economy. Namely the scrapping of tuition fees & SATs, ending privatisation of the NHS, and raising minimum wage to £8.10 like damn son I'm 18 but I gotta get that quid too £££

Labour because they seem to be trying to distance themselves from Blair and New Labour, which is why I think the party chose Ed and not Dave. I would have voted Lib Dem if they didn't jump into bed with the Tories and break their tuition fee promise. Though I'm not a massive fan of austerity. Green haven't got a hope of getting in in my constituency, though. It's a tory/UKIP clash here according to polls.

Labour. The vote match site returned as much, too.

Labour, I agree with a lot of Green policy and I think their rise was important to get Labour to stop their drift right. I would vote Green if they had a chance in my constituency, my constituency had no chance for Labour to win or it was a safe Labour seat. I live in one of the tightest Lab/Con seat, I'm not letting my vote go to waste.

Labour, My constituency in London only won by a margin of 1.5% last election, shame Glenda Jackson isn't running.

This'll be my first election (20 now), and I'll be voting independent. Lady Sylvia Hermon has held the only independent seat in the Commons for the past 10 years or so, I hope to help keep her in there. She was very energetic and enthusiastic when I spoke to her, and there's generally a high opinion of her in this constituency. I'm particularly glad that we have the opportunity to viably vote for an independent here. I'm interested to see how this election turns out. I've sort of lost track of party opinion over the past week or so, but from what I have seen, I think we're going to have a bit of a toss up. I can see it being another coalition. Coming from Northern Ireland, I'm interested to see how the local parties end up. The DUP and Sinn Fein have been dominating things for the better part of 10+ years now, but I think there may be reconsiderations amongst their constituents about whether to vote for them or not. They dominate the Executive over here, so I think it's safe to blame them for the fines that are going to cost Northern Ireland for not agreeing to welfare reforms. Especially in the current economic climate, it's going to disillusion voters, with the quality of living here being much lower than the rest of the UK. Might see a resurgence in UUP and SDLP percentage of the vote, or hey, Alliance might even win more seats. Certainly some interesting implications with this election.

Labour. Lesser of all the evils.

Lib Dem all the waaaaaay

Thought it'd be all labour in here for some reason, it's actually quite a mix.

[QUOTE=leontodd;47541005]Thought it'd be all labour in here for some reason, it's actually quite a mix.[/QUOTE] I have a feeling a few of the ukip votes may not be genuine. [sp]At least i hope so.[/sp]

^^I would certainly hope some of those UKIP votes aren't genuine.

Labour/Green coalition is what I'm hoping for, voting green.

The opposition leaders' debate is now [url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b05r87pr/bbc-election-debate-2015]on iPlayer[/url]. Some highlights: [B]Farage turns on the audience, David Dimbleby tells him to fuck off[/B] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7DrRDro4So[/media] [B]Farage v Miliband: Bennett Goes Nuclear[/B] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9D6iVJ_Wmms[/media]

They're all shit.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ah6m40xf5v0[/media] Prime ministerial as fuck

[QUOTE=LMB10;47542015]^^I would certainly hope some of those UKIP votes aren't genuine.[/QUOTE] UKIP have taken Lib Dem's place in the polls. I did have to laugh, last night. After Farage pissed off the audience, the man of the people chose to walk off instead of the usual hand shaking :v: I think this image pretty much sums up last night's proceedings. [QUOTE][img]http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/04/17/02/27A5303700000578-3042402-image-a-5_1429232756759.jpg[/img][/QUOTE] ( [I]Farage is too far out on the right[/I] )

No idea why he said that to the audience, like oh I'm trying to win these people over, maybe I should insult them

[video=youtube;9vqes4Z3n3E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vqes4Z3n3E[/video] 1v1 commons chamber no noobtubes

Farage's latest is that we can't raise the minimum wage. [url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/17/nigel-farage-raising-minimum-wage-would-encourage-romanian-immigrants]Can you guess why?[/url]

I'm voting Labour so that we can all have more funny pictures of Ed Miliband. [img]http://i.imgur.com/BctW05U.png[/img]

The ironic thing is I'm a member of the UKIP youth parliament, but I'm most likely going to be voting for labour :v: [QUOTE=IAreLegend;47544538]No idea why he said that to the audience, like oh I'm trying to win these people over, maybe I should insult them[/QUOTE] Well, anyone could've seen how he was being bullied and backed into a corner by the other parties..

i dont think he was bullied at all, maybe all the other leaders agree on how ridiculous he is

Labour feelin good, Miliband's personal ratings are rising [url]http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/archives/9364[/url] Also May2015.com says Miliband is now more likely to be the next PM [url]http://may2015.com/featured/election-2015-polls-suggest-ed-miliband-is-likely-to-become-prime-minister/[/url]

I feel sorry for Nick Clegg getting his image spoilt a bit from working with the tories, the whole student fees thing didn't do wonders for his party. That being said I'll still be voting for him.

[QUOTE=PyroCF;47564095]I feel sorry for Nick Clegg getting his image spoilt a bit from working with the tories, the whole student fees thing didn't do wonders for his party. That being said I'll still be voting for him.[/QUOTE] Clegg has been the perfect balance to the Tories, have you seen the list of things he's blocked? I wish more people would take a look at it.

[QUOTE=Simples;47564175]Clegg has been the perfect balance to the Tories, have you seen the list of things he's blocked? I wish more people would take a look at it.[/QUOTE] Oh yes of course I know what he's done, that's why I still support him. It's just that a lot of people I've spoken just see him for the tuition fee thing.

[QUOTE=PyroCF;47564368]Oh yes of course I know what he's done, that's why I still support him. It's just that a lot of people I've spoken just see him for the tuition fee thing.[/QUOTE] The tuition fees that Labour introduced. Oops. We usually forget about that.