The election bitches!

[spoodie]

Hmmm, I wonder why Labour MPs vote very strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war? It's a mystery!

[HereComesPete]

Votes stuff

See that is mostly what I want (apart from the smoking one obviously) But I just can't vote for the lib dems in the chance it helps labour back into office. Stupid system.

[Dog Pants]

This here is the daft bint for round my way.

She hates smokers, loves ID cards and the broad stroke anti-terror laws and is a junior whip. So of course I get no representation from her.

Oof, there's very little at all I like about her.

[Sol]

Fuck all this secret lobbying man

[FatherJack]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constituen ... in_England tells you who you get to choose from in your area.

I normally vote Labour, but in the Euros picked the only party that was actually in favour of going into Europe - I since found out they were massively right-wing, which is against all my principles. I'm past caring about our xenophobic attitude to Europe now, it obviously isn't going to change.

This time, apart from the main three we have a BNP and that old Trotskyist Dave Nellist who I'll probably give my X to this year. Nothing is likely to challenge Labour in our area but at least he kind of stands for what Labour used to when I started voting for them.

[ProfHawking]

I emailed my MP (conservative) about the digital economy bill. He wrote a nice letter back, but narf it was rather wishy washy, and I get the feeling that he was basically saying he would not vote against it in a round about and MP like avoid-the-issue way.

That bill going through completely unhindered has given me rage. I don't know what to vote for now. I wonder if we have a pirate party around here...

[buzzmong]

I got a follow up one from James Plaskitt earlier, while he didn't support it as such, he didn't go out of his way to stop it.

Also checking up on theyworkforyou I realise that he simply tows the party line and although might be a niceish bloke, I really do not agree with what he's voted for.

I'll be voting Lib Dem anyway, partly because I don't want the Tories or Labour to get in if I can help it, but also because some of their policies actually make a fair bit of sense, items like devolving central government in order to make everything more local and managable.

[spoodie]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constituen ... in_England tells you who you get to choose from in your area.

That's useful. It looks like my fourth option is UKIP, great.

[HereComesPete]

I got a letter!

Sharon Hodgson has written to Mandelson asking him to clarify what limits of control exist on the power this digital economy bill will grant him in regard to control over aspects of the internet. I imagine I'll receive a letter from him just after it's pertinent.

[Lateralus]

My current MP is David Clelland, who has managed to represent the opposite view to mine on the majority of issues.

However, the Tyne Bridge constituency is disappearing and a new Gateshead one is being formed instead, so I think Pete and I will be in the same area now.

The Lib Dems will be getting my vote next month. Either Labour or the Tories would be more of the same as far as I'm concerned, and while I'm not in love with the current incumbents, all other policy issues aside the idea that former members of the Bullingdon Club could or would run a country for the good of all is just absurd. Also, as has been mentioned above, it's the first time in ages that the third party has the opportunity to make a real impact. The main problem will be if people resort to tactical voting, which I personally think undermines the idea of elections anyway.

[The Shutting Downs]

This is why I don't vote.

Someone gave me a good reason to vote this year.

The BNP supporters will be.

[Baliame]

I'm voting Hungarian Greens. Favourable views on marijuana and copyright.

[amblin]

.

[Joose]

Someone gave me a good reason to vote this year.

The BNP supporters will be.

This is the only reason im bothering.

[Lateralus]

I think voting should be compulsory for everyone who's eligible, but that there should be an option for "None of the above". Seems a more credible form of objection than just defacing the ballot slip, as spoiled ballots are all but ignored rather than being considered to mean anything more significant.

[Baliame]

Not Jobbik then?

I might hate gypsies, but I hate skinhead neanderthals too.

[ProfHawking]

Came accross this gadget today:

http://www.votematch.org.uk/

Asks a few questions, and it works out which parties are most likely to match your opinions. Probably not enough questions or detail to be very accurate, but might be interesting!

I am rather right-wing it seems:

Conservative Party: 61%
British National Party: 59%
UK Independence Party: 54%
Labour Party: 30%
Liberal Democrats: 11%

Yahh booo you socialist twats. Bring back hanging etc...

[Dog Pants]

I didn't select UKIP or BNP because it said don't tick any boxes you'd never vote for, but it gave me;

Conservative: 63%
Lib Dem: 54%
Labour: 44%

Which is pretty tragic that the best match I can get (according to this) is 63%. However, I put an 'I don't know' result in many of them simply because I wouldn't commit for or against an issue which I didn't know a lot about. Not that it really matters, since none of the parties are likely to stick to the pledges they make.

[FatherJack]

Labour Party: 67%
Green Party: 52%
Conservative Party: 48%
Liberal Democrats: 40%
UK Independence Party: 36%
British National: 28%

Kind of expected.

[amblin]

.