If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Another forum I visit did this and it gave interesting results.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Despite New Labour not always ticking the things I would want to see, I would always want to see the Conservatives as far a way from power as possible. Thatcher wrecked places like Hyndburn and my friends and myself included, still look back with hatred at that woman and her ilk.

And as one of my friends summed up. Even if he believed in David Cameron, there are a lot of hardliners coat tailing him ready for mre of the same. Power would shift to the South. Funding for the North would HAVE to dry up to support tax cuts for the South.

And even if Cameron softened them and could present a decent government for all, he would still not vote Tory because he would not like to be associated with a Party that attracts the kind of voters/people (the selfish sort)which the Tory Party attracts.

Life is about tolerance and progress so my vote in preference would be;
Labour
Liberal
Green

and NEVER for UKIP BNP RESPECT TORIES

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I don’t know at this time none of them know what there doing. I wouldn’t want to live in a world under Brown or that T*** from the Con’s “and Cons is the right word” I just don’t know, Lib Dem most likely in protest, at least by voting people would have earned the right to criticise, I don’t understand why anyone would abstain and be content to let other chose their leaders.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

For me, it's because I will only ever vote if there's a party I think will do good for the country. I wouldn't ever just vote for the lesser of the evils.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I would have voted but you made it a publicly viewable vote. I thought elections were done by secret ballot.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I thought it would be interesting to see which members have which views, if theres lots of people that share your opinion it might be worth opening up a new anonymous poll :)

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Labour for me.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

With a Chancellor, who expects to become Prime Minister, who can do this......

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/to...cle1593939.ece

I would not vote Labour if my life depended upon it.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I could not choose.......they are ALL a shower of doo-doo.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Lib Dem... remember them saying something about students :p Also the guy is old so should have some life experience.

Weak reasoning I know, but hell they are weak parties.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I voted even though I won't be voting in a British election. Canada has a minority govt. now and the odds are we wil go to the polls this spring or summer. I'm voting Green. The Greens here do not have a seat, but their support is growing. In fact, our current govt. may fall on the issue of the environment. The young are flocking to the greens. The Greens are running a close fourth behind the NDP (Canada's labor party). Remember, the only good Tory is a supposiTORY.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

For me there is only one party I would vote for and that is Labour.

I agree with Graham Jones's post. I have lived through too many Tory governments to ever want to see another one. It is very important to remember what Thatcher did to this country, she set out to break the industrial infrastructure and succeeded. Remember this was the woman who said 'There is no such thing as society' - like all Tories she was only interested in helping people with money, and I doubt she knew that Britain existed north of Watford.

When people of Graham's age left school there was no work for them unless they were prepared to work on a YTS course, for a pittance. Also they knew that after 12 months they would be discarded by their employers because another fresh batch of cheap labour would be available. It is a tribute to the generation, now in there mid 30's and early 40's, that so many of them have managed to succeed despite Thachter.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Labour for me mind you cant be anything else really - my mum & dad were tory and my sisters labour and i was the youngest. Was typing labour party minutes when i was 14 practicing my typing!!!

Im one of those who went on the YTS scheme and when i finished it they kept me on and put me on the YOPs scheme and then after i'd finished that they waited till a month before my 21st birthday (when they would have had to pay me a full wage) - then made me redundant. Oh and they made me train up a new yts trainee before that!

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I've disliked (hated) the Tories since I was a teen and so for me I will vote against them untill I die... this is not based on fanatical loyalty to Labour, I simply do not trust the Tories, they are the oldest of the parties and apart from a few exeptions thier history is disgraceful:

opposed: the right of votes for all
opposed: free education for all
opposed: welfare benefits
opposed: introduction of the NHS
opposed: the minimum wage
refused to adopt sanctions against South African apartheid
As recently as 1988 issued laws of discrimination against homo sexuals

Any "real" Tory who reads this will probably be thinking YES!... the,"I'm alright jack" "get off my land" "survival of the fittest" (or wealthiest) is a fundemental inbred gene of Conservatism... it's in their DNA!

Then you get the "cap tippin" working class Tory.. the Alf Garnet types who like to think they are upholding British values by being loyal Tory supporters.. these are likely to be farm hands who rent their houses from landowners or decendants of cooks,butlers and pantry maids from Victorian times who had to support the Tory party or would have been sacked.. even though the Tories made sure they had no voting rights


I have been impressed by Cameron..I've never heard a Tory leader talk sense before now... but the real Tories are still lurking in the background and that worries me.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

The Tory,s are for for the Toffs I would never vote for them,,,Margaret Thatcher was the origonal bitch .....I hate their posh voices and their holier than thou manner,,,
But i would make exceptions for Winstan Churchill ....pity he was a tory...

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Mr Jones, do not take this as a personal attack, as the last thing I need is enemies. What you know at your tender age knows about the Thatcher era could be crafted on the rear of a 1st class stamp. I have 3 children older than you and brought another family up as well after that bitch was deposed, interest rates inflation were at a level no right thinking person today would beleive. I will breifly seek to enlighten you, interest rates for borrowers were 12% businesses were paying 5% over base rate plus bank charges, this totaled approx 20% whilst working on a profit margin of 30%. Why? to destroy the bargaining power of the working classes IE miners etc, also a pointless campaign in the Falkland Islands, and also to keep Ireland devided. Do not play at politics Quote."My friends and myself included" if they are of your era how do you know?

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Not to get in to too much of a political history debate (as often happens way too much) but I can understand why people might dislike Thatcher, for whatever reasons you choose. I mean lets face it some of the methods she went about things did indeed hurt a lot of people.

However I personally do think its irresponsible to vow not to vote Tory now or ever again simply because of something you disagree with that happened in the 80's, when there is a completely different leader with completely different approach to things.

Yeah you might say im just trying to defend the Tories because its in my interests, because Im a member and i'd vote for them if there was an election tomorrow. But if I was a Labour member and people kept saying "I'll never vote Labour they bow down to the trade unions and we had high inflation and powercuts" back in the 70's.. then i'd certainly make it known that the Labour party today is a completely different animal due to the leadership.

I know a lot of things she did wernt good for many people in the North and well around the country, but seriously can you hold a grudge against the Conservatives because of something that happened in the past like 5 leaders ago?

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I do care about the havoc caused by the Tories in the 80's...

I was still living in Accrington at that time and it was a complete mess in empoyment and town economics.. the then Tory MP Ken Heargreaves even tried to detached himself from the manic idealist right wing Thatcherism that swept the south ... local business and companies closed down because of the obsession the Tory governent had with the "free market" but this obsession included state run and subsidized imports from any "free market" ... korea,china, and tiawan to name a few....

Many firms in Accrington could not compete..and jobs were lost, but of course you could always "get on your bike"!

I am not just taliking about the 80's.... the Tories have historicaly bad for the north west for the last 200 years.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I personally suffered badly between 1982 - 1989. I don't wish to go any further, thats's my priovate affairs and your OUT OF ORDER making grandstand comments. You do snipe and look down Ian, though that's life. I wouldn't do it to you so you don't have to worry about making enemies. And your right, you could loathe Thatcher on the back of a postage stamp.

Elsewhere; The Tories have changed is nonsense. Many tory voters yearn for Thatcherism or a hard line approach. Their issues will not go away if Cameron gets elected because they will have put him there. Many don't like Cameron but want Labour out. Eg if he doesn't make Tax Cuts in the first 4 years he knows he may well lose and where's the tax cuts coming from. Look around Hyndburn at all the regeneration. Thats where from. And with not many Tory MPs up north, who will a Tory government be influenced by, East Sussex or East Manchester?

Off Topic. (I am against the War in Iraq). Someone wrote that 255 British serviceman lost their lives in the Falklands and 134 have lost their lives in Iraq. I know Blair has come in for stick but we were right to go into Kosova (and did good), Sierra Leone (and did good) and had to go into Afghanistan regardless because of the terrorist training camps. Whilst not a Blairite I think he has been a strong, if controversial leader.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

You see im not sure if thats true or not. I don't get involved much locally but the "Conservatives" that I have spoken to like Thatcher but I think its more of a "Saving us from Socialism" like, rather than a passion for everything she did.

I genuinely feel Cameron cares, and he won't just stand there and let the north become deprived of funding and such. I just really can't see it happening. If he gets in to power and things end up like the 80's then you can all come back here and give me a right shouting at for misjudging him. :p

About the Conservatives in general, yeah it attracts some extremists, but so does Labour and every other party, they're not representative of the leadership. My views were a lot more right than they are now, so people can change, as can parties. :)

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

''Whilst not a Blairite I think he has been a strong, if controversial leader.''

Utter tosh. Frankly, his policies are now beginning to show the detrimental impact on the people of this country. Crime rampant, patients dying in hospitals from infections after being admitted for routine treatments, stealth taxes, mismanagement of border controls, and the rest.

I often note that the Labour Governement take credit for low interest rates. They conveniently forget that they had passed such responsibility to the Bank of England. Moreover, good economic growth over recent years has been a global phenomena, not just specifically confined to the UK.

The cracks are beginning to show in America, in case you had not noticed. The housing market is suffering a significant correction, there is substantial default in the sub prime lending market, even the Chairman of the Fed Alan Greenspan has suggested that the US may slip into recession in the later part of the year, though the current chairman Bernanke has sought to alleviate such concerns with suggestions of moderate growth.

This may affect the UK economy at some stage. If course, the details are very different form the US. However, if people like Roger Bootle of Capital Economics are even fractionally right in thier assertions that the UK housing market may correct some 30%, then suddenly people will not feel that well off. That may lead to the consumer cutting back on spending, and with the rise of personal bankruptcies lenders may seek to restrict credit going forward. Suddenly you have a situation in which things are not so rosy and thats when people start to blame the government and look at other issues like the failing NHS, crime etc.

Blair will have gone by then, but the impact of his disastrous policies may only just be taking place.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Incidentally, so far as regards funding for regenrationand the community, have you ever thought just what proportion of it comes from the EU?

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Another case of mismanagement by the Blair Govt. has to be the Olympics. To be so wide of the mark on anticipated costs is simply incredible. You simply could not make it up. If the minister in charge, and ghastly she is, was a project manager for a listed company overseeing a similar project she would have seen the exit door a long time ago.

But in Blairs Government, there is no such thing as accountability and resigning when the facts of failure stare you point blank in the face.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

No Gondola..... you could not make it up could you?.. you could not make up 3.5 million workers on the dole... you could not make interest mortgage rates climb from 8% to 15% in 3 days... you could not make up muderous street riots.. you could not make up massive redundances in the coal, cars,steel, and textile industries and diverting them from exports to imports
You just could not make it up.. eh?

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I am not defending the Conservative governement. Far from it. Thatcher killed off manufacturing in this country and it has never since revived.
However, i think for Mr Jones to come on here and attempt to paint a glowing picture of the Blair government is simply not accurate.
It's the old lies, damned lies and statistics. As anyone who has watched PMQ's (and I have been in the Strangers Gallery in person on a couple of occasions in the past), will know that every fact can be twisted to suit to whichever way it suits. Thus the govermnment will state crime is down, whilst the oppostion will insist it is rising. Both will present statistics to support their point of view.

I look at it anecdotally. Do people I speak to feel safer on the street now? No. Do people feel the NHS is in better shape? Yes. Are people concerned about the level of illegal migration and it's consequences on the economy, health service and crime in general? Yes Are people worried about their pensions? Yes. Are people concerend about the level of education and lack of respect in schools? Yes. Do people feel that gun crime is on the rise? Yes. Do people feel that terrorist activity is more of a threat due directly to the foreign policy of this governement? Yes. Do hard working people feel that they are being increasingly unfairly targeted by unfair stealth taxes? Yes

I could go on but I think i have sufficiently laboured (no pun intended) the point.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

By the way, in my last post, I wrote: Do people feel the NHS is in better shape? Yes. Clearly the answer was supposed to be No.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

It must be said that the much-maligned Gondola has expressed mine (and I feel many other people's) views perfectly here. In other words, as Margaret P. somewhat succinctly put it, "they are ALL a shower of doo doo"!

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Some poo is less smelly and in lesser quantities though! :p

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

You sufferred badly did you Mr Jones, at that time I employed at any one time between 40-50 people, who all suffered badly I will leave it to your imagination as to how, it was certainly not due to my incompetence. So please allow me this moment on the GRANDSTAND, as it is the nearest iv'e been to it since, again nothing personal. I would dearly have loved to forcefeed that woman a Vindaloo Curry and stiched her anus up.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Cyfr...I am tempted to say 'a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet'........I suppose this also applies to doo-doo.....it is quite stinky even in small quantities and you don't want to live in it....do you?

I trust none of the political parties.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

As a resident in Scotland I had to go other as we have the Hollyrood Home for the failed polititions Elections come May. My vote on this will be different from the London one if it ran at the same time. It is very wierd sometimes and isnt made easier by policies hear "TTL" (towing Tony's line) when we have a different set of issues. So to slant it if in the same sort of position how would others vote??

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Reading your profile I find it quite amazing that a person of your age takes an interest in politics,and it is a very commenable thing to see, you have a signature quoting Benjamin Franklin, beware there are no sheep only wolves in the murky world of 'politics'.;)

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Well if this is anything like a sample of how people intend to vote in Hyndburn, I don't much fancy the chances for the Tory candidate.:)

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Eighteen years under a Conservative government, eleven of which with Thatcher at the helm, or ten years of New Labour. I know which country I prefer living in.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Spain?

:D

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I'd prefer to keep my political perversions private thankyou :D

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Not that I'm bothered, but I agree. This poll should have been private, just as all elections in this country are. Surely the interest is in how people voted, not who voted for whom.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Me too!!!!!! :D

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

So Gayle, your a secret Tory and all the spout on here is just a smoke screen :D but then that makes your posts all lies and untruths so we should delete them should we????????? Oh dear then theres your disclaimer, I'm all confused now!

:D

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

That is true enough. Labour have done little or nothing to help it. All these environmental taxes on fuel used etc are crippling our industry and doing nothing to help the environment. All that happens is that our heavy industry is forced to close and we import the goods instead of making them at home. The goods are now made abroad where the same or more likely more CO2 is pumping into the atmosphere. The effect on climate change levy and other's, reduce the UK's output but do nothing to reduce the global problem We are just shifting the problem into somebody else's back yard. Meanwhile we have less jobs here in the UK.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

It’s none of your cotton pickin’ business who votes how Cyfr. You’ve got a flaming nerve asking especially as the results can be seen by anyone and that includes a visitor to this forum.

My initial instinct was not to vote but on second thoughts I did vote but not as I intend to vote come the next General Election. So your quest for information will be skewed.

Some contributions to this thread offered the opinion that Blair is a strong leader and his policies …………… That is the point – his policies, not necessarily Labour’s. He dictates the direction of Labour and woe betide anyone who disagrees with him. Anyone who does has absolutely no chance of getting a ministerial post. So some sycophantic MP’s suck up to Blair or Blair Mark II (Cameron) in the hope of getting a ministerial job and the high salary that goes with it and will agree to anything to achieve their aims. Fortunately there are many MP’s with a social conscience but they languish on the back benches and have little or no influence on government policies.

The level of Labour’s arrogance is reflected in the current machinations regarding the leadership when Blair steps down. It has been reported that some potential challengers to Brown have been persuaded not to stand against him on the promise of a cabinet post.

Thatcher’s one redeeming feature is that she stood up to Argentinean tyranny and made her own mind up, after cabinet consultation, to challenge the illegal occupation of the Falklands. Unlike Blair who prosecuted two wars at the behest of the yanks so that he could gain world Brownie points and appear to be an influential world leader. That man’s arrogant ego knows no bounds.

It makes no difference whether Labour is in office or the Tories they just shift the tax burden around to favour their own. Note I stated ‘office’ not as it is seen today as being in ‘power’. Any party that considers itself to be in ‘power’ signals their dictatorial intentions.

The government that is voted into office is supposed to cater for the needs of the country’s population and collect taxes to do it with. Both Tories and Labour collect taxes OK but fail to live up to their requirements. Instead we have a health service that is rapidly becoming private, an education system that fails a large proportion of the pupils, a criminal justice system that does exactly the same and social housing that is becoming a joke. The list is endless.

A person’s health includes their teeth and eyes yet after paying taxes and National Insurance contributions we end up having to pay for glasses and dental treatment if you cannot get an NHS dentist. And thousands cannot. Even if you can get onto the books of an HNS dentist you still have to pay something for some treatment unless age or dire personal circumstances dictate otherwise.

Both colours of government take our money and fritter the bulk of it away on projects that benefit the few instead of catering for all of the population’s needs. And then Blair has the nerve to suggest that the voluntary sector could do more. There would be no need for a voluntary sector if the government did what it was supposed to.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

[quote=jambutty;406301]It’s none of your cotton pickin’ business who votes how Cyfr. You’ve got a flaming nerve asking especially as the results can be seen by anyone and that includes a visitor to this forum.

People can make up their own minds up as to whether or not to reveal their current voting intentions. There is no need for this sort of reply, unless of course, Jambutty, you've been on the meths again. and your judgement is hence clouded.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

oh tealeaf i wish i could give more karma out in one day hahahaahahahahaha

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Looks like Cyfr missed out an option for spoiled paper. :D

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Abstain/Spoiled paper, difference in real life, but not in terms of the poll! :p

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Theres hardly any need for racist "cotton pickin'" insults, it was your choice to view the thread and your choice if you wanted to vote or not knowing full well it was a public vote. You have no problem airing your views on a multitude of issues of which included the famous Alton Towers Asian day thread, so I don't really see why you wouldn't want to vote publicly, but if secrecy is vital to your voting preference, you just didn't have to vote or post.

Additionally you voted for something other than what you would normally vote to skew the results, this is just incredibly childish so congratulations for making yourself look like a fool.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Since when has ‘cotton pickin’ been racist?

However it is better to look like a fool than to actually be one.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

see what you've started now cyfr ;)

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

It's only a poll! It's there to raise discussion, it's not like the lad is knocking on your door canvassing. Get a bloody grip.

Good thread Cyfr.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

Not yet give him time. :D

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I don't do voting. All as bad as each other.

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

According to Etymology Online, the first cite is a Bugs Bunny cartoon! Cotton-picking was first recorded in a Bugs Bunny cartoon, but the noun meaning "contemptible person" dates to around 1919, probably with racist overtones that have faded over the years. --

Re: If there was a general election tomorrow, who gets your vote?
 

I aggree ANNE, they do all seem to be as bad as each other, but not voting, allows these idiots to carry on and mighn't allow radical parties like the BNP in via the back door, so please reconsider and use your hard fought for vote accordingly. No offence intended, this is just my opinion.:) .