General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion

[Gary L]

I reckon a lot of the over 500,000 voters who are affected by the Bedroom Tax will be voting Labour. they'd be mad not to.

it would be funny if most of them voted Conservatives last year.

[heero_yuy]

Originally Posted by Gary L

I reckon a lot of the over 500,000 voters who are affected by the Bedroom Tax will be voting Labour. they'd be mad not to.

it would be funny if most of them voted Conservatives last year.

I think it's quite likely that the voters affected by the "bedroom tax" are staunch Labour so they don't really matter do they?

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

I think it's quite likely that the voters affected by the "bedroom tax" are staunch Labour so they don't really matter do they?

"We" hope they already are. otherwise there's a hell of a lot of votes for Eddy

Just think. it could be Daves victims that are Dave's downfall.

when I went past the local jobcentre today there were a load of Labour campaigners rallying up support

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Damien

I really dislike the SNP but the way Scotland is being talked about in this election from the Tories is really helping the SNP and driving a wedge between Scotland and England all to secure a few more votes in England. It's really damaging to the prospects of the Union at a time when it seems quite fragile.

Scotland is part of the United Kingdom and we recently had a campaign where most of the rest of the country was telling them to stay. To then talk about how dangerous the party is that they are seeking to elect would be easily interpreted by Scots as a slant against them and their right to vote for Westminster Governments. I know we're all talking about the SNP but that's not how it will be spun.

For the Tories it makes sense. It drives voters towards them in England and it drives voters towards the SNP in Scotland (the Tories can't win those seats anyway). However they seem to be willing to risk the Union for a few more votes.

I agree to an extent but the SNP will spin whatever is said and done by the 'Auld enemy' to their advantage. That's what spin is after all. I think the Tories are simply hoping that a healthy economy (if we ever achieve one) will prick the SNP's balloon and show up their promises for what they were - irresponsible pipe dreams. Right now the Scots have no reason not to vote SNP because they'll be hoping to get a bigger share of the pie by so doing. If there's another referendum it'll be much more about how credible the SNP is and what's happened to oil in the interim.

Originally Posted by Osem

I agree to an extent but the SNP will spin whatever is said and done by the 'Auld enemy' to their advantage. That's what spin is after all. I think the Tories are simply hoping that a healthy economy (if we ever achieve one) will prick the SNP's balloon and show up their promises for what they were - irresponsible pipe dreams. Right now the Scots have no reason not to vote SNP because they'll be hoping to get a bigger share of the pie by so doing. If there's another referendum it'll be much more about how credible the SNP is and what's happened to oil in the interim.

The SNP's plans for another referendum are either to say the Tory government doesn't represent Scotland and to use an EU referendum as a pretext for another Scottish one. Alternatively to spend the next 5 years propping up a Labour government to both make Westminster seem dysfunctional to Scotland and to enrage England and stir anti-Scottish sentiment which they can then use as evidence to break away from the Union.

The SNP are nationalists and they'll never give up plotting for Scottish Independence. They're playing to do this already. This is why Sturgeon has been pushing so hard to get Miliband to commit to an agreement because she knows it hurts Labour in England as well as Scotland.

Whoever wins needs to take them very seriously. We need to take the wind out of their sails. We could devolve power to more regions, including Scottish ones, so that a degree of power bypasses Holyrood.

If Labour win they should offer a coalition deal with many things that appeal to Scotland but make it clear this is a coalition deal. Hitch the SNP up to central Government or let them vote not to and miss out on the benefits for Scotland. That way they can't portray themselves as the outsiders to the Westminster establishment sticking up for Scotland. Either they're part of it or it's clear they value politics over Scotland.

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

I think it's quite likely that the voters affected by the "bedroom tax" are staunch Labour so they don't really matter do they?

Quite a lot may be a large portion of the 7.5 million unregistered voters as well .

[TheDaddy]

Originally Posted by OLD BOY

I don't think you are alone. I think Labour have lost their way, and people are beginning to realise that without a buoyant economy, you can't afford the socialist ideals they espouse (and fail to deliver).

Actually the reason I'm not voting for them is because I don't believe them to be a socialist party with the workers interests at heart and I don't believe they've had a proper socialist leader since John Smith and you're an old boy, you remember the mess John Major made of the economy, how many people lost their houses and how long it took people to stop saying the things they say now about labour about them? Politics today is all about short termism and nothing any of them really does effects the economy dramatically their dogma might hold it back a little here and there but in the main it happens in spite of them not because of them.

[alferret]

Voted Tory

[Osem]

Originally Posted by alferret

Voted Tory

Didn't have you down as a nasty, evil, baby eating, poor hating, bedroom taxing, workforce exploiting, fat cat, Tory toff mate...

[Gary L]

Originally Posted by Osem

baby eating

You made that one up.

I'm going to vote Labour.

It's Operation Keep The Nats Out up here, and I have to help shore up the Labour vote as they have the sitting MP in my constituency.

I feel dirty.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Chris

I'm going to vote Labour.

It's Operation Keep The Nats Out up here, and I have to help shore up the Labour vote as they have the sitting MP in my constituency.

I feel dirty.

i feel your pain-better dead than red but if it keeps miss kranky out

Originally Posted by Chris

I'm going to vote Labour.

It's Operation Keep The Nats Out up here, and I have to help shore up the Labour vote as they have the sitting MP in my constituency.

I feel dirty.

I am going to vote Liberal Democrat. Mine is a safe Tory seat anyway so no need for tactical voting, I might as well go for the party I like best. I am at the point where I don't really care who the main party is as long as a coalition can be formed and we avoid 5 years of a minority Government propped up by fringe parties. I would prefer the current Government really (Tory-Liberal) but I think a Labour-Liberal one would also be ok and would probably mean voting reform.

To be honest I find the differences between the two largest parties rather minor in comparison to the idea of the chaos and possible breaking of the Union which seems to be on the agenda for the next 5 years.

---------- Post added at 21:56 ---------- Previous post was at 21:24 ----------

Originally Posted by Chris

I'm going to vote Labour.

It's Operation Keep The Nats Out up here, and I have to help shore up the Labour vote as they have the sitting MP in my constituency.

I feel dirty.

Has Ashcroft done a poll of your consistency? Wondering if it's close or not.

It's at the bottom of the vulnerable list, but the sitting MP is retiring. The loss of an incumbent makes it that bit more risky.