vote Boris

And despite all of the media promotion, despite all of teh ex-pop stars and Sirs and Lords and all of teh great and the good and despite all of teh 1%'s promotion of it through the media, the public still don't believe it.

'Global warming is a threat that is going to wipe out civilisation as we know it. The liberal elite and political classes are signed up to the message that, unless we take urgent action within ten years, we are all literally doomed to burn up.

But who else believes them?

Beyond the corridors of Westminster and the offices of environmental pressure groups, where global warming and sustainability are buzzwords of the moment, British consumers continue flying, driving and buying with unchecked enthusiasm. The gulf between the pronouncements of our politicians and what the majority of people think and do, could scarcely be wider.'

Why we don't believe it

I don't support the Greens. I don't believe in negative growth for the people of this country. I don't believe in catastrophic climate change. I don't believe in hype and fear that wishes to impose extra taxes on the public and limit their growth and even give them negative growth. I believe in the 99%, not the 1%.

You seem to have an issue with the Green party, Claig.

Yes, the Big Society is just more spin. But austerity is not a vote winner. The media don't often publicise the greens austerity measures. The media does push the allied word "sustainability", but that sounds nice. The first time I heard about the Greens austerity type ideas was on the Daily Politics when Andrew Neil interviewed their deputy, I think it was, at their conference, and he said that their policy docment, I think it was, contained a call for zero growth and even negative growth.

The media knows that the public won't swallow that easily, they know the public are not like turkeys voting for Christmas, so the media concentrate more on the polar bear.

*foxes

Yes I like the food waste bins - makes me think about how much we chuck too and we're more careful now. I don't think that's a bad thing - we waste so much food etc.

In fact I think many "Green" ideas can save us money (eg use less energy, throw less away), but unfortunately the greens are viewed with scepticism by those who think climate change is a load of woo. If they campaigned on an austerity basis as well, then more might listen to them. I've read their manifesto and it seems reasonable to me. More so than the corporate rubbish headed "The Big Society".

The Greens did well to get an average of 9% of the vote.

'The party's average share of the vote increased by one point to 9%.'

We have food slop bins, I thought it was to make compost for the parks . As an aside: they have stopped fixes ripping into the bin bags and I find that I am much more aware of how much food we waste now .

Thanks, iggly.

Yes, the media promotes food slop bins. The grreens bang the drum and the media amplify it.

Green's progress

I live in a conservative constituency and they've introduced "food slop bins"....

Was this what is known as a "tipping point", where the public tipped over the media promoted green bandwagon and did not turn out in large numbers for more food slop bins, even though they can be used to create what is known as "biogas"?

When I first read the word 'biogas', I thought it was some sort of flower - a bio ga, but then I realised it was a gas, a biogas. Doubtless the media will be telling us much more about it in the future.

'One of the pet projects in their manifesto is the ?regular collection of food waste? to produce cheap biogas, which is burned to generate electricity.'

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics-news/2012/05/03/local-elections-2012-greens-will-demand-food-waste-collections-as-price-for-supporting-potential-allies-86908-23846050/

It sems that UKIP received 13% or 14% of the votes in areas where they stood. I can't find any analysis of what the Greens got. The media seems a bit quiet about that. Has anyone seen a breakdown of their votes? Did the calls for food slop bins and messages about catastrophic climate change and the polar bear have more appeal to the public than UKIP's policies?

Yes, some of the public are stupid. But some use protest votes, which was possibly the case with Respect's success in Bradford. It doesn't mean they believe in everything parties stand for.

But the fact that the public is not led by the nose by the media and doesn't necessarily vote for candidates promoted by the media, and often choose UKIP over the Greens, shows that the public is not easily fooled by media spin.

"UKIP still often poll higher than the Greens, who are often favoured by the media. That shows that the public is not stupid and is not taken in by propaganda."

Lots of people vote BNP in some areas. That shows that the public is stupid.

Lawrence Webb wants to charge 'foreigners' a 25p tax to help repair the clock tower housing Big Ben.

How can you vote for someone who just plucks a few policies out of the air without actually thinking them through? UKIP have done just that.

No

I would if I could, we have to watch London TV news (and party political broadcasts) but are a long way outside the voting zone!

No way, under any circumstances, ever.

I actually didn't see this was in politics

I didn't realise you were mucking about .
But it is quite possible that your mum is a genius and far from as mad as a snake in a jar and that may explain why she has seen something in UKIP, because scientists tell us that there is a fine line between madness and genius

www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/6243747/Fine-line-between-genius-and-madness-scientists-find.html

Oh god, I was only messing about, the majority of people I have met who vote UKIP have been a bit "odd" though. For example, my Mum was considering it, and she is as mad as a snake in a jar

vote Boris. His hair is just like my toddlers. adorable!

DialsMavis, I don't vote UKIP, but I don't have the contempt that you have for fellow citizens. UKIP poll higher than the media promoted Greens in many areas, in spite of the media not giving them much publicity and giving more airtime to the Greens. In spite of all the negative publicity and lack of publicity, UKIP still often poll higher than the Greens, who are often favoured by the media. That shows that the public is not stupid and is not taken in by propaganda.

People who are voting to UKIP, are you not worried you will give off that UKIP-esque vibe? Everyone I have ever met who has voted for them has just seemed a bit 'not quite right', not something I can put my finger on, but a definite oddball vibe. A whiff of the strange. Like that farmer who shot the burgler or Jimmy Saville, I bet they would be quite UKIP. There was usually a neighbour like that in every road- the one that you wouldn't want to go and ask for your ball back from when you were a child. I bet your friends will start to inch back when you speak, THEY WILL KNOW.....

Erm Innit are you suggesting that we like/don't like politicians for something other than their policies? Do you really think we're so daft that we form our opinions on anything other than what they say and they will do and their history of keeping their word?

Because if you're suggesting we base the decision on something like how much we like/dislike their hair or accent or how much port they are likrly to neck at a dinner party or anything other than their policies and reputation you are insulting many of us, if not all.