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The 2015 General Election Megathread


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Hasselhoff

Is it two votes this time? Local and national.

 

Also have they done away with the preference pish ie 1,2,3 felt weird last time trying to find a number 2 worthy of being second choice!

Your constituency must be having a by-election too, got the same here. The general election just has one choice, an X. The by-election lets you choose your first choice and optionally a second and third choice. Edited by Hasselhoff
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I'm still unsure of how I'm going to end up voting. The one thing I'm certain about is that I really want a Scotland where me or my children are able to voice their opinion without fear of intimidation so for that reason I won't be voting SNP.

People dont still fall for the auld (agent) Provocateur these days.

Eddie was prob wearing their stuff.

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ToadKiller Dog

A female SNP canvasser in Paisley was hospitalised, needing stitches after she was punched and kicked by a gang of thugs.

Yeah but she's not a fundily mundily kind of person like Jim , so won't get screaming over the top coverage from the BBC or daily record .

Edited by ToadKiller Dog
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jambo1185

A female SNP canvasser in Paisley was hospitalised, needing stitches after she was punched and kicked by a gang of thugs.

Disgusting wtf is wrong with people

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A female SNP canvasser in Paisley was hospitalised, needing stitches after she was punched and kicked by a gang of thugs.

 

how many people were attacked by a gang of thugs this year so far in scotland? were all the gangs of thugs members anti SNP?

 

bit of a vague statement

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dobmisterdobster

how many people were attacked by a gang of thugs this year so far in scotland? were all the gangs of thugs members anti SNP?

 

bit of a vague statement

They were believed to be BNP members.

Not trying to score any political points. Just reporting what I have heard.

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A female SNP canvasser in Paisley was hospitalised, needing stitches after she was punched and kicked by a gang of thugs.

Vile stuff. Hope the folk involved are caught and prosecuted.

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jack D and coke

Can we stop with this myth that the country is about to break out in civil war :facepalm:

 

It's a handful of tubes and nothing more.

 

Labour are trying to perpetuate a shameful lie because they are getting their arse felt. The more I read about them I more i want them annihilated. As more details are revealed in the Rotherham scandal I don't know how people can bring themselves to vote for them tbh. Knew full well what was going on but kept it all quiet so as not to lose the Muslim vote and up here are happy to keep making nazi references about their Scottish heartlands.

 

Shame on them.

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Is a UK government legitimate if it doesn't have NI MPs in it Nicola?

Under her re-writing of the UK constitution then yes.

 

Under the principal of he who commands the confidence of the House, then no.

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Here's the proportion of Scotland's GDP spent by the state (year, pop. in millions, % of GDP spent by state)

 

 

 

 

2006   5.151 41.91 2007   5.169 43.95 2008   5.187 46.43 2009   5.204 48.55 2010   5.222 51.49 2011   5.233 51.93 2012   5.251 52.69 2013   5.268 53.94

 

http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_1994_2013SCp_14c1li011tcn_F0t

 

2006 MW gdp 60.843 39.40 2007 MW gdp 61.194 39.08 2008 MW gdp 61.548 40.61 2009 MW gdp 61.904 45.47 2010 1500.3 62.262 44.86 2011 1576.5 62.649 44.03 2012 1626.2 63.067 42.70 2013 1663.1 63.488 40.52

http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/spending_chart_1994_2013UKp_14c1li011tcn_F0t

 

Now, forgive my dynamite logic, but having public spending much higher than UK's and rising every year since 2006 despite a recession and UK GDP rising every year despite a recession gives the impression that: (a) Scotland might need more money per head but it certainly spends a lot more; ( B) public spending has not suffered much due to the recession.

 

Remember, if you want taxes on the City of London and bankers' bonuses to be spend in and on Scotland, Scotland must be in the Union.

 

These figures are a fairly blunt instrument. What are the conclusions?

 

If UK public spending has actually continued to increase despite 'austerity', does this mean that the deficit is simply being used as an excuse by the Government to make its cuts of choice? Does it reflect money spent on the Olympics, interventionist foreign policy, royal occasions, war commemorations and so on? If some progress is being made with the deficit nonetheless, does it mean that the plans to 'get the country working again' are actually having some success?

 

If Scotland has considerably higher public spending than the rest of the UK, is this chiefly because a higher proportion of people are employed by the state? Does it mean that the council tax freeze is not actually doing much harm? How much can the financial problems of Scotland's councils be attributed to the council tax freeze when over 90% of their funding comes from central government?

 

Or is it more the principles that both sides object to, rather than the actual results?

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chuck berrys hairline

Your constituency must be having a by-election too, got the same here. The general election just has one choice, an X. The by-election lets you choose your first choice and optionally a second and third choice.

Appreciated, do folk really choose three then number them in order. I've always seen it as one man one vote.

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jambo1185

They were believed to be BNP members.

Not trying to score any political points. Just reporting what I have heard.

 

Christ, are the BNP still going? Do they have anyone standing up here?

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Can we stop with this myth that the country is about to break out in civil war :facepalm:

 

It's a handful of tubes and nothing more.

 

Labour are trying to perpetuate a shameful lie because they are getting their arse felt. The more I read about them I more i want them annihilated. As more details are revealed in the Rotherham scandal I don't know how people can bring themselves to vote for them tbh. Knew full well what was going on but kept it all quiet so as not to lose the Muslim vote and up here are happy to keep making nazi references about their Scottish heartlands.

 

Shame on them.

 

yeah, and all the other political scandals through out the years have been labour as well. hating labour is one thing, isolating stories to support your hate is rather feeble.

 

this thread really has deteriorated into a fare representation of politics in the 21st century, like a bunch of very similar cats in a bag being slapped about with a big stick.

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jack D and coke

yeah, and all the other political scandals through out the years have been labour as well. hating labour is one thing, isolating stories to support your hate is rather feeble.

 

this thread really has deteriorated into a fare representation of politics in the 21st century, like a bunch of very similar cats in a bag being slapped about with a big stick.

And labour aren't isolating every small incident buy a tiny minority of brain cripples as Scotland morphing into 1930's Germany as well eh[emoji1]

 

Shameful stuff.

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Thunderstruck

Is it two votes this time? Local and national.

 

Also have they done away with the preference pish ie 1,2,3 felt weird last time trying to find a number 2 worthy of being second choice!

If you are voting in England, yes. Local elections take place on Thursday.

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http://www.scotsman.com/news/john-curtice-still-hope-for-labour-in-scotland-1-3761699

 

I'll take a football team of MPs for now. Plus perhaps 2 Liberals and a Tory means around 45 SNP MPs.

 

Have a feeling on the day that may be less than 45 MPs but if it is then so be it. But we could then face a Tory government, minority or not.

 

Can you explain the arithmetic there please.

 

Surely, if it is a Tory minority then that means there could be a majority voting against.

 

If it is a Tory majority, then how Scotland votes is irrelevant as whether the seats go to the SNP or Labour, there would still be a Tory majority.

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They have no chance of that, though.

 

No chance of what?  Labour and principles or the SDLP breaking up the Union?

 

If the latter, you therefore concede, or at least think Labour concedes, that independence for Scotland is a possibility?  That a majority of Scots want that?  If so, why not be democratic and let the people decide?  

 

Ah, but they decided last year....so therefore the SNP have no chance then, which brings us back to your statement "They have no chance of that though" and Labour's diametrically opposed position vis a vis the SDLP & the SNP.

 

Which is it?

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And labour aren't isolating every small incident buy a tiny minority of brain cripples as Scotland morphing into 1930's Germany as well eh[emoji1]

 

Shameful stuff.

 

is that not what i said?

 

their all very similar

 

on this thread we dont all need to copy the politician, you get no points on here for slagging off somebody that doesn't agree with you

Edited by reaths17
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Geoff Kilpatrick

Interesting point about the SDLP. The Labour party used to refuse membership to people from Northern Ireland - nowhere else in the world, just Northern Ireland - due to the SDLP being their sister party.

 

One of the primary reasons I never voted Labour.

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jack D and coke

is that not what i said?

 

their all very similar

 

on this thread we dont all need to copy the politician, you get no points on here for slagging off somebody that doesn't agree with you

Yeah agreed, no worries mate[emoji106]
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jambo1185

I suspect the SNP East Ren candidate has gone off message by trying to attract Tory voters rather than disillusioned Labour ones to back the SNP.

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/scottish-politics/snp-candidate-sparks-row-after-asking-tories-to-help-her-claim-jim-murphy.125085028

 

Glad to see her setting out what the Scottish Conservatives stand for though.

Edited by jambo1185
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jambos are go!

I suspect the SNP East Ren candidate has gone off message by trying to attract Tory voters rather than disillusioned Labour ones to back the SNP.

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/scottish-politics/snp-candidate-sparks-row-after-asking-tories-to-help-her-claim-jim-murphy.125085028

 

Glad to see her setting out what the Scottish Conservatives stand for though.

And  they say the Tartan Tories are dead. Well its in black and white they are not.

Edited by jambos are go!
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King Of The Cat Cafe

Interesting point about the SDLP. The Labour party used to refuse membership to people from Northern Ireland - nowhere else in the world, just Northern Ireland - due to the SDLP being their sister party.

One of the primary reasons I never voted Labour.

Confused: you did not vote Labour because of the link to the SDLP, or you did not vote Labour because they did not allow SDLP supporters to be members of their party?

 

Not a lot of supporters of either in your home town....

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And  they say the Tartan Tories are dead. Well its in black and white they are not.

 

What does it say that Tories will vote for Labour.  Same thing, innit?

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Gorgiewave

These figures are a fairly blunt instrument. What are the conclusions?

 

If UK public spending has actually continued to increase despite 'austerity', does this mean that the deficit is simply being used as an excuse by the Government to make its cuts of choice? Does it reflect money spent on the Olympics, interventionist foreign policy, royal occasions, war commemorations and so on? If some progress is being made with the deficit nonetheless, does it mean that the plans to 'get the country working again' are actually having some success?

 

If Scotland has considerably higher public spending than the rest of the UK, is this chiefly because a higher proportion of people are employed by the state? Does it mean that the council tax freeze is not actually doing much harm? How much can the financial problems of Scotland's councils be attributed to the council tax freeze when over 90% of their funding comes from central government?

 

Or is it more the principles that both sides object to, rather than the actual results?

 

Let's mull all that over in more convivial circs.

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Geoff Kilpatrick

Confused: you did not vote Labour because of the link to the SDLP, or you did not vote Labour because they did not allow SDLP supporters to be members of their party?

 

Not a lot of supporters of either in your home town....

I voted SDLP for tactical reasons because in my area of Ballymena Council I wanted fewer DUPpers (my first vote occurred just after Ballymena Showgrounds lost out on hosting ELO due to "rock music being the tool of the devil").

 

The SDLP guy missed out by 8 votes and got no transfers from the Unionist candidates!

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I'm still unsure of how I'm going to end up voting. The one thing I'm certain about is that I  really want a Scotland where me or my children are able to voice their opinion without fear of intimidation so for that reason I won't be voting SNP.  

 

https://www.facebook.com/379220795559339/photos/a.379223472225738.1073741826.379220795559339/492757264205691/?type=1&theater

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A labour conspiracy? You seem to have dug out all of that information very quickly so I presume it's freely available and confirmed?

 

If so I expect the SNP to publish the evidence and effectively finish labour in Scotland for the rest of time

why would the SNP get involved, it was nothing to do with them. The Clerkin nutter is just that, a nutter. 

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I voted SDLP for tactical reasons because in my area of Ballymena Council I wanted fewer DUPpers (my first vote occurred just after Ballymena Showgrounds lost out on hosting ELO due to "rock music being the tool of the devil").

 

The SDLP guy missed out by 8 votes and got no transfers from the Unionist candidates!

 

That should surely have guaranteed the DUP your vote and that of the grateful people of Ballymena in perpetuity?

Edited by leginten
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Geoff Kilpatrick

That should surely have guaranteed the DUP your vote and that of the grateful people of Ballymena in perpetuity?

:laugh:

 

I'm not an ELO fan but it was the reason why it lost out which caused the seethe. The same arseholes used to chain the swings up in the local parks on a Sunday.

 

:facepalm:

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King Of The Cat Cafe

I voted SDLP for tactical reasons because in my area of Ballymena Council I wanted fewer DUPpers (my first vote occurred just after Ballymena Showgrounds lost out on hosting ELO due to "rock music being the tool of the devil").

The SDLP guy missed out by 8 votes and got no transfers from the Unionist candidates!

As they saying goes, you could put a DUP rosette on a donkey in Ballymena and it would get elected.

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TheMaganator

Is a UK government legitimate if it doesn't have NI MPs in it Nicola?

This is her getting ready for it, chaps,

 

This will be her line to give her the referendum on the 2016 manifesto.

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Geoff Kilpatrick

As they saying goes, you could put a DUP rosette on a donkey in Ballymena and it would get elected.

Sad but true :(

 

Anyway, back to Labour. For a pro-Union party to insist that in one part of the UK that their supporters join a nationalist party was my main gripe.

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Sad but true :(

 

Anyway, back to Labour. For a pro-Union party to insist that in one part of the UK that their supporters join a nationalist party was my main gripe.

 

 

Labour will do some sort of arrangement with the SNP no matter what they say publicly

 

 

They dont mind supporting nationalism

 

 

http://www.thenational.scot/comment/george-kerevan-labours-snarling-at-the-snp-while-courting-the-sdlp-is-pure-hypocrisy.2576

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jambo1185

What does it say that Tories will vote for Labour.  Same thing, innit?

 

Tories voting tactically see it as a way of reducing the threat to the Union (probably misguided), on the basis that they see 5 years of a Labour government as a lesser evil than a Labour minority with heavy SNP influence.

 

Very odd to here an SNP candidate trying to get Tories to vote tactically in her favour to oust Labour. We've seen it in the past, but not in this 'new era' of Scottish politics so it's quite an interesting statement she's come out with.

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King prawn

This has probably already been covered in this mega thread but I think this General Election will bring about the want for a different electoral system.

 

Judging by election forecast website, the SNP are on for getting 51 seats with only 3.8% of the vote. 

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jambo1185

If he'd stuck his face that close to me his nose would have been spread over his face.

 

I think that's the ultimate aim, to get a rise and, ideally get hit by a politician. Murphy just standing there with a demented grin on his face will have infuriated him slightly.

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This has probably already been covered in this mega thread but I think this General Election will bring about the want for a different electoral system.

 

Judging by election forecast website, the SNP are on for getting 51 seats with only 3.8% of the vote. 

 

It's really strange that this truly crap voting system has never come under such scrutiny before - such as when Labour was winning the vast bulk of the seats in Scotland. What has changed?

Edited by leginten
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Tories voting tactically see it as a way of reducing the threat to the Union (probably misguided), on the basis that they see 5 years of a Labour government as a lesser evil than a Labour minority with heavy SNP influence.

 

Very odd to here an SNP candidate trying to get Tories to vote tactically in her favour to oust Labour. We've seen it in the past, but not in this 'new era' of Scottish politics so it's quite an interesting statement she's come out with.

 

Yes, I know, but just find it rich that a Labour supporter will denounce an SNP candidate trying to woo voters in the constituency they are fighting, when that Labour candidate may well win off the back of Tory votes.

 

Quite the wicked web woven.

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It's really strange that this truly crap voting system has never come under such scrutiny before - such as when Labour was winning the vast bulk of the seats in Scotland. What has changed?

 

:spoton:

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King prawn

It's really strange that this truly crap voting system has never come under such scrutiny before - such as when Labour was winning the vast bulk of the seats in Scotland. What has changed?

 

You're right. Before the SNP, Labour were the ones getting 50+ seats from <5% of the vote. What has changed is that there is currently a 0.98 chance of a hung parliament. The previous election raised the same issue of electoral system but the conservatives opted for a referendum on AV. This was portrayed as a "complicated" system with a heavily backed No campaign. 

 

Since both Labour and the Conservatives will struggle to form a majority government, even with coalitions, I think the electoral system will come under heavy scrutiny like we haven't seen before. Probably by one of the two largest parties.  

Edited by King prawn
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Guest Trapper John

You're right. Before the SNP, Labour were the ones getting 50+ seats from <5% of the vote. What has changed is that there is currently a 0.98 chance of a hung parliament. The previous election raised the same issue of electoral system but the conservatives opted for a referendum on AV. This was portrayed as a "complicated" system with a heavily backed No campaign. 

 

Since both Labour and the Conservatives will struggle to form a majority government, even with coalitions, I think the electoral system will come under heavy scrutiny like we haven't seen before. Probably by one of the two largest parties.  

 Hope so.

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You're right, before the SNP, Labour were the ones getting 50+ seats from <5% of the vote. What has changed is that there is currently a 0.98 chance of a hung parliament. The previous election raised the same issue of electoral system but the conservatives opted for a referendum on AV. This was portrayed as a "complicated" system with a heavily backed No campaign. 

 

Since both Labour and the Conservatives will struggle to form a majority government, even with coalitions, I think the electoral system will come under heavy scrutiny like we haven't seen before. Probably by one of the two largest parties.  

 

It's a system calculated to produce an outright majority and it usually has done so. Now that it's failing to do so, the big parties are deciding they don't like this particular brand of democracy nearly as much as they always used to proclaim they did. I'm not convinced that the likelihood of another hung parliament is altogether a bad thing, though - I'm rather tired of the Tory/Labour OF-style duopoly.

 

I'd certainly agree that the electoral system needs an overhaul so that there is more representation according to votes cast.

Edited by leginten
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