How will you be voting in 2014?

[Munzy]

I will try to elicit a response again. I see N Ireland has apparently lost its European franchise. Not sure if that means we have a regional exception from EU bureaucracy or if uk government has negotiated withdrawal for N Ireland and not told anyone?

If you wish to add another party I believe I can edit the poll.

[Munzy]

Strange to have Plaid Cymru as an option, but the 4th largest Westminster party doesnt feature, plus a number of others.

Added DUP and Sinn Féin for you. If you are voting for another then let me know which and I'll add it.

[Dr D]

Great. In no particular order then, DUP, UUP, Sinn Fein, SDLP, Alliance. They all have seats in parliament and will run candidates.

[Munzy]

Great. In no particular order then, DUP, UUP, Sinn Fein, SDLP, Alliance. They all have seats in parliament and will run candidates.

All done mate!

[Dr D]

Cheers. Good man. Now we have a uk wide test of opinion.

[Munzy]

Hope if didn't cause offence, I'll be the first to admit my political ignorance!

[overandunder2012]

They will have forced the issue and we're likely to get a real reformed Conservative party at the end of it

god help us you really think those old crooks are any more honest than the other scoundrels ?

Edited December 24, 2013 by overandunder2012

[sterling]

Now bear with me because I'm not a polititian or a very bright person in general, but....The trouble with UKIP is that they're just playing the marginal seats game. The only party to come from nowhere to take a general were labour because they had the full weight of the unions behind them. UKIP can't do that. What happens with a UKIP vote is that the tories lose seats to labour. Labour are pro-Europe and you end up with the opposite of what you wanted. I reckon we'll end up with Labour or another stinking coalition.

 

The other point to bear in mind is that UKIP know just what buttons to push to score votes with regard to immigration but have a look at what their real policies are on direct issues like employment and the economy. I'll save you some time; they don't have any. So where's my vote going? UKIP, because they're marginally less of a joke than the UK Libertarian Party.

[overandunder2012]

ukip maybe worth a punt in the europeans could be amusing but would they have any idea on how to run a country thats the real question isn't it ?

[Imperfection]

Undecided.

 

Part of me would like to vote BNP.Not because im racist (im not),but simply because the more votes they get-the more it makes the two main political parties sit up and take notice.

[overandunder2012]

Undecided.

 

Part of me would like to vote BNP.Not because im racist (im not),but simply because the more votes they get-the more it makes the two main political parties sit up and take notice.

a non racist bnp voter i nearly spat my tea over my keyboard , pure gold , dont tell them your not a racist they may think of you as a lesser being. not sure anyones ever taken any notice of the bnp only in nick griffins dreams as a protest vote ukip would be a better choice mate

Edited December 24, 2013 by overandunder2012

[Nikk]

Now bear with me because I'm not a polititian or a very bright person in general, but....The trouble with UKIP is that they're just playing the marginal seats game. The only party to come from nowhere to take a general were labour because they had the full weight of the unions behind them. UKIP can't do that. What happens with a UKIP vote is that the tories lose seats to labour. Labour are pro-Europe and you end up with the opposite of what you wanted. I reckon we'll end up with Labour or another stinking coalition.

 

The other point to bear in mind is that UKIP know just what buttons to push to score votes with regard to immigration but have a look at what their real policies are on direct issues like employment and the economy. I'll save you some time; they don't have any. So where's my vote going? UKIP, because they're marginally less of a joke than the UK Libertarian Party.

 

I'm a member of UKIP and I have seen policies on all kind of things are you sure you've read their website?

 

No parties will release a manifesto until 2015 and UKIP are no different. They're a fairly new party which started like as a protest party but things are changing.

 

There are plenty of historical comparisons for a new party to start making serious inroads in to politics, the Labour party in the late 1800s for example, more recently the SDP, the Liberal Democrats etc

 

Why should it be surprising that UKIP would be any different? Now they have money and backers and a large membership they are probably going to be around for a long time to come. Like or hate them you cannot deny they have been shaping many debates recently and started to frighten the establishment.They don't just affect the Tories, they took 2nd place in several Labour by-elections most noticably 24-25% in South Shields....hardly a Conservative stronghold.

[Dr D]

Hope if didn't cause offence, I'll be the first to admit my political ignorance!

Not at all. Just to add a bit of confusion though, to your poll. European elections are contested using a PR system, closed party lists and stv. So technically very few of us will vote for a single party, most will list our preferences 1, 2, 3 etc..... So really your straw poll is at best testing first preferences and not the voting behaviour of the good members of PW. Hence, it probably will say very little about the prospective results in 2014. Here ends the politics lecture. Can you tell I am sitting here bored!

[Munzy]

Not at all. Just to add a bit of confusion though, to your poll. European elections are contested using a PR system, closed party lists and stv. So technically very few of us will vote for a single party, most will list our preferences 1, 2, 3 etc..... So really your straw poll is at best testing first preferences and not the voting behaviour of the good members of PW. Hence, it probably will say very little about the prospective results in 2014. Here ends the politics lecture. Can you tell I am sitting here bored!

That makes sense, it was more to see the political leanings of PW members and the results are pretty unsurprising!

[pegasus bridge]

Now bear with me because I'm not a polititian or a very bright person in general, but....The trouble with UKIP is that they're just playing the marginal seats game. The only party to come from nowhere to take a general were labour because they had the full weight of the unions behind them. UKIP can't do that. What happens with a UKIP vote is that the tories lose seats to labour. Labour are pro-Europe and you end up with the opposite of what you wanted. I reckon we'll end up with Labour or another stinking coalition.

 

The other point to bear in mind is that UKIP know just what buttons to push to score votes with regard to immigration but have a look at what their real policies are on direct issues like employment and the economy. I'll save you some time; they don't have any. So where's my vote going? UKIP, because they're marginally less of a joke than the UK Libertarian Party.

I don't think it's an accident they have a few key policies - like I said it's clear to me that the country needs seismic change on. Few key issues, IMHO UKIP address this. Leave fancying around worrying about gambling machines on high streets to half wits like ed miliband - quite frankly that is the least of our problems- UKIP get this.

[Gimlet]

 

I'm a member of UKIP and I have seen policies on all kind of things are you sure you've read their website?

 

No parties will release a manifesto until 2015 and UKIP are no different. They're a fairly new party which started like as a protest party but things are changing.

 

There are plenty of historical comparisons for a new party to start making serious inroads in to politics, the Labour party in the late 1800s for example, more recently the SDP, the Liberal Democrats etc

 

Why should it be surprising that UKIP would be any different? Now they have money and backers and a large membership they are probably going to be around for a long time to come. Like or hate them you cannot deny they have been shaping many debates recently and started to frighten the establishment.They don't just affect the Tories, they took 2nd place in several Labour by-elections most noticably 24-25% in South Shields....hardly a Conservative stronghold.

 

Spot on. I'm also a UKIP member. I think few people bother to read the manifestos of any political party. They're happy to regurgitate media propaganda or merely voice their own political prejudices without checking the facts. UKIP have a full raft of policies. It is true they have not published detailed costings, but as you say, no political party does this far ahead of an election because there is no way of knowing what fiscal situation they will face. Those parties who do publish and be damned invariably end up with egg on their faces and have to perform damaging U-turns.

I attended our local hustings a few weeks ago to elect our Westminster candidate. It emerged that many of the most active party workers, the leafleters and door knockers, were former Labour voters. They may not have agreed with every policy but they understand that we cannot have any democratic debate about the details of how we run our country until full soverignty is restored. The presence of left wing defectors is a most healthy aspect of UKIP. Left and Right have to face each other's concerns in a spirit of co-operation rather than antagonism. It produces the opposite of the tribalism that weighs down the other main parties.

Edited December 24, 2013 by Gimlet

[figgy]

I'm a member of UKIP and I have seen policies on all kind of things are you sure you've read their website?

 

No parties will release a manifesto until 2015 and UKIP are no different. They're a fairly new party which started like as a protest party but things are changing.

 

There are plenty of historical comparisons for a new party to start making serious inroads in to politics, the Labour party in the late 1800s for example, more recently the SDP, the Liberal Democrats etc

 

Why should it be surprising that UKIP would be any different? Now they have money and backers and a large membership they are probably going to be around for a long time to come. Like or hate them you cannot deny they have been shaping many debates recently and started to frighten the establishment.They don't just affect the Tories, they took 2nd place in several Labour by-elections most noticably 24-25% in South Shields....hardly a Conservative stronghold.

South Shields folk are known as Sand Dancers due the large amount of desert folk who live there.

 

Figgy

[kdubya]

ukip maybe worth a punt in the europeans could be amusing but would they have any idea on how to run a country thats the real question isn't it ?

ha ha and the rest of the thieving parasitic self serving diversity inclusive bunch of cretinous low life scum have,.

 

KW

[sterling]

 

I'm a member of UKIP and I have seen policies on all kind of things are you sure you've read their website?

 

No parties will release a manifesto until 2015 and UKIP are no different. They're a fairly new party which started like as a protest party but things are changing.

 

There are plenty of historical comparisons for a new party to start making serious inroads in to politics, the Labour party in the late 1800s for example, more recently the SDP, the Liberal Democrats etc

 

Why should it be surprising that UKIP would be any different? Now they have money and backers and a large membership they are probably going to be around for a long time to come. Like or hate them you cannot deny they have been shaping many debates recently and started to frighten the establishment.They don't just affect the Tories, they took 2nd place in several Labour by-elections most noticably 24-25% in South Shields....hardly a Conservative stronghold.

 

As I say, I'm not actively involved in politics but your response was interesting nonetheless. I think folks are generally disillusioned with the current system as a whole rather than UKIP as a party. In short; you've got my vote for whatever that's worth.

 

 

Spot on. I'm also a UKIP member. I think few people bother to read the manifestos of any political party. They're happy to regurgitate media propaganda or merely voice their own political prejudices without checking the facts.

 

That's a bit fierce pal. I think you'll find few people have the time in their lives to memorise party manifestos and instead, rely on what they see of the leadership in the media. I've heard a lot from Nigel Farage piping on about immigration but he seems a bit timid when pressed on concrete issues to do with the economic situation and possible remediation and yes I know there's a tenuous connection (in my opinion). Prejudice or opinion, it's a fine line. On that note, that's me out of this thread because I'm probably out of my depth and more importantly; I've got venison to marinade. Have a good Christmas

[Reece]

I really hope the person who voted for the Green party is just having a laugh. Especially considering they're strongly anti shooting.

[safc1973]

ha ha and the rest of the thieving parasitic self serving diversity inclusive bunch of cretinous low life scum have,.

 

KW

+1

[kev56]

+1

+1

[SHOOTEMUP]

 

+4

 

X5

[poontang]

I think it's fair to say there aren't many 'Guardian' readers on the forum

[SHOOTEMUP]

 

I'm a member of UKIP and I have seen policies on all kind of things are you sure you've read their website?

 

No parties will release a manifesto until 2015 and UKIP are no different. They're a fairly new party which started like as a protest party but things are changing.

 

There are plenty of historical comparisons for a new party to start making serious inroads in to politics, the Labour party in the late 1800s for example, more recently the SDP, the Liberal Democrats etc

 

Why should it be surprising that UKIP would be any different? Now they have money and backers and a large membership they are probably going to be around for a long time to come. Like or hate them you cannot deny they have been shaping many debates recently and started to frighten the establishment.They don't just affect the Tories, they took 2nd place in several Labour by-elections most noticably 24-25% in South Shields....hardly a Conservative stronghold.

 

I Agree with you and of the people I know who ever discuss politics they all intend to vote UKIP as they see that their policies are what they want, ie they want their country back! and without wishing to upset the Liabour voters on here they nearly all are ex Liabour voters

The other parties have had their day and we need something new that wont be intimidated by the civil servants who seem to make all the rules and will just tell them to do as they are told and indeed what they are paid for, enough is enough there is too much at stake now and we the Great British public have to make the change happen and make a few trough swillers redundant

Edited December 24, 2013 by SHOOTEMUP