To think that we should all vote either Lab or Con?

[yolofish]

All the pre-election speculation seems to be about horse-trading between Labour and Conservative and which party might help propel them into power if the result is no majority.

Whatever your opinions about the two big parties (and I can see positives for both and trust neither), wouldnt it be better for the country to have a result where there is a true mandate? therefore that party actually gets a proper chance to put its plans into action, rather than everyone playing games and trading points off each other for their own little pet projects. With a mandate we could then judge them on their actual record while in office.

Everything I read says we'll never get a majority govt again.

I am voting Tory milliband is a duck

Stabs brother in back
Only put name down on childrens birth cert when he thought people didn't like it like wise got married

Pretends he has a tiney kitchen so to not look like a posh wanker when the reailty is its most likey his nannying kitchen he is a prize Pratt and I just can't see him standing along side Obama maybe making the coffie of checking the coats at a G8

YABU.

If the 'marginal' parties get decent shares of thee vote then it should force the main parties to address issues we are not happy with.

So for example, say UKIP do extremely well, that sends a clear signal to the Conservatives and Labour that the country is very unhappy about immigration, our relationship with Europe etc and will force them to address this.
While not going as far as pulling out of Europe altogether as UKIP might, they may decide to limit immigration, stop giving immigrants benefits or healthcare, renegotiate other arrangements with Europe and so on.

I want to see the Tories win but with UKIP as a junior partner in another coalition.
Unfortunately voting UKIP is a sure way to end up with that twat Milliband and his bunch in power so I'll vote Tory!

Conservative, LibDem and Labour are all right of centre populist 'Tory' parties.

Have a look at political compass - take te test to see who you might consider voting for based on your actual beliefs vs party policies. You may find it surprising.

www.politicalcompass.org/uk2015

I wish I lived in Scotland so I could vote SNP - they at least resemble a left of centre progressive party. Down here I've got the Greens or Plaid. I've had it with tactical voting, the blue, red and yellow Tories have given me a gutsful. As for UKIP, bunch of nutters. Thankfully they will fizzle out come May and only get a couple of seats.

There's a decent argument that coalitions better represent a greater proportion of the electorate - a greater number of voters get their views reflected in government.

The problem is that it is FPTP system for WM and that makes it much harder for smaller parties to get a voice, and is much less representative of the population than proportional representation.

I think there us a good chance PR might come up again in this coming parliament as the FPTP system is going to be working very much in the SNPs favour.

Coalitions mean that policies get decided by backroom deals instead of in front of the electorate.

I think if they become more common, politicians will have to divulge red lines in advance. It's already happening to an extent but Labour, the Tories, and the Lib Dems in particular are being particularly secretive about their plans in the event of a hung Parliament.

Unlike 2010 there is no imminent financial crisis, with Britain about to go bankrupt. That could mean post-election negotiations go on for ages.

For those posters who are based somewhere other than Scotland who are worried/'terrified'/upset at the notion if lots of SNP MPs, what was it you thought would happen?

Lots and lots of 'we need you Scotland' and 'please stay' not to mention 'you couldn't possibly be good enough to do it on your own' swung the vote enough towards a 'no' that we've stayed.

You wanted us to stay, so we did but that means you also have to accept who we democratically elect. just like we have to put up with the Tories

What did you expect would happen to the just a but less than half 'yes' voters? That they would just pack up and go home?

Coalitions mean that policies get decided by backroom deals instead of in front of the electorate.

To be frank, that's how most policies get made now - including the detail of some manifesto pledges.

Can I just say to all those gleeful scots labour could decided to go with the dip in NI what people have to be clear on any coalition between snap and labour labour will be the junior partner

Sorry poker I genuinely don't mean to be rude, I don't understand your post - can you re-write.

Can I just say to all those gleeful scots labour could decided to go with the dip in NI what people have to be clear on any coalition between snap and labour labour will be the junior partner

I dont think anyone thinks there will be a formal coalition between SNP Labour. A confidence/supply or case by case by case support is more realistic.

It is quite possible that Labour could go into coalition with the Tories - neither side has ruled it out, and they are probably one of the closest pairings policy wise, as well as together having a pretty substantial majority.

Floating voter without a clue.

I don't know... I think what we lack as a country is clarity of direction. I know which party I will vote for (although I don't like a lot of their policies, I think they might be stronger in terms of global/European activities and the economy).

I suspect it will be close run between the Tories and Labour; what will be interesting is who comes in next, and what they can offer the party they want to play ball with.

I'm not sure that just chipping away with the votes against the big 2 is that effective, because it's so splintered across Greens/SNP/Plaid/UKIP etc. But please god, anything but UKIP!

There were also many, many of us who voted yes. It wasn't quite the landslide no vote that they predicted

That's funny MrsB. I seem to remember all those SNP rallies where they were so confident of a huge Yes vote. But you lost by a clear majority.

Agree with irretating - I also think it's a good idea for politicians to have to argue their ideas and proposals with each other.

Instead of getting a whacking great majority, and then whipping through their mate Steve's brilliant idea about reorganising the entire education system, or Jim's great wheeze to strip the NHS down to the ground and rebuild it at vast expense.

But you lost by a clear majority.

Indeed they did. However, surely it is unreasonable to expect those who voted for the losing side, whether that was Yes in the referendum, or Labour in the last election, to entirely abandon their beliefs and vote for the other side, or not at all?

We live in a democracy. If lots of people want to vote SNP, or Conservative, or whatever that is their democratic right. And if enough people vote for a party so that it has a voice in Parliament, then surely that is also democracy?

Sally you are correct the 'Yes' campaign did lose by a clear majority but that in no way precludes people voting for the SNP's representation at Westminster or anywhere else.

What is interesting is that the latest polls show that the total Labour + Conservative vote share is actually increasing.

I think it's partly because they dominate the start of the campaign, I expect it to slip again once UKIP in particular get more coverage. But I also think part of it is that the generally increased election awareness leads to people thinking more about the choice between a Labour and Tory PM, and also slightly dampens the 'protest vote' effect in polls.

Would be interesting to see how the Labour+Tory share evolves over the next few dates. I expect it to decrease after the 7 way debate in particular - all the other parties will have the opinion to have a platform where they can denounce both of them, whereas they won't really have the chance to respond to all the attacks.

Labour daren't go into a coalision with the SNP, the slightest sign of preference towards the Scots will result in the end of the Labour party (hopefuly)

Apparently the DUP are more likely to hold sway than the SNP and they haven't been included in the TV debates iirc.

I went off the lib dems big time when they played politics with the whole PR/electoral seat reforms. Apparently it was the first time parliament has ever voted against the recommendation to change constituency boundaries. This would have favoured the Tories (their constituencies have many more voters than labour ones) but regardless of your political inclination it should be worrying that constituencies are unfairly distributed.

YABVU I will vote for who I want to, and I'll be glad if neither Tories or Labour get a majority. No-one in either of those parties has a single policy that appeals to me, so I won't vote for them. Actually, as a dyed in the wool Englishman, I wish the SNP were standing in my constituency, as I'd I'd be voting for them. I dunno why people are so terrified of Scotland all of a sudden. I respect the Scots enough to think they ought to have a lot more say than they've been getting.

I will vote Green though as they have a decent agenda and some actual sane policies.

YABVU people should vote for either people they believe will represent them well and fairly, or party policies they agree with.

Hence I will be voting Green!

It would be nice if they got in, but even if they don't people will have to acknowledge which way the electorate is swinging.

Voting for the slightly less horrible lizards that you don't agree with just to stop the even worse lizards getting in, is about as dumb as it gets.

I don't think people are terrified of Scotland, I think they resent the SNP leader saying that she will be running the UK Government after the election.

I think they resent the SNP leader saying that she will be running the UK Government after the election.

Hyperbole, much?