If you live in the north-west of England and want to stop Nick Griffin being an MEP...

[policywonk]

here's how to do it

Here's the BNP's Yorkshire & Humberside candidate confirming what I'm saying:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTqskyC4wqc

He's a very bright chap, knows a lot about PR and voting systems, shame about the fascism.

I do agree that tactical voting with PR is a much riskier game than with FPTP. I was just disputing your apparent argument that the BNP are likely to do better than the Greens on the basis of the last election's numbers. That prediction doesn't seem to be borne out by any of the polls I'm aware of.

It will certainly be interesting to see what happens when the results start appearing on Sunday.

Oh that's good, I was going to vote green anyway, for a horrible moment I thought it was going to say vote conservative

Just tell me what to vote please Plonk < leaves brain at door >

I would have voted Respect I guess. So Green? Or Labour < slight shudder > Cant bring myself to vote Tory/UKIP at all, but if it would keep fascists out...shit, I have no idea.

Are you in the NW, BOF? If you have access to the latest polling data in the NW Euro seat, let us know and SomeGuy can interpret it for you!

Basically, it's safe to vote for ANY party that is likely to poll MORE votes than the BNP. This should include the Greens, but it would be good to see the numbers.

Plonk? who's this plonk?

I am plonk. It's BOF's rude name for me

SomeGuy, this is the link to the press release Spider was talking about, I think. The poll will be published tomorrow, by the looks of it.

Yes, I am in the NW. Your wish is my command

I wasn't planning on voting until I read about this in the local paper - and the polling station is on the walk back from DS1's nursery so I sure as hell am going to vote now!! (Green obviously)

But, I am a little confused - how big an area does one MEP cover?? The whole of the North West - surely not

It's about bloody time somebody said that, BOF.

It's not just one MEP CeeBee - it's eight. It is a massive region - from Manchester up to the Scottish border and across to the Pennines, roughly.

Regarding the Green 15% poll, there's brief analysis of it at politicalbetting.com

"We?ve had a Euro poll from ComRes which has been commissioned by the Green Party - who come out rather well. The shares are - CON 24%: LAB 22%: LDEM 14%, UKIP 17%: Green 15%: BNP 2%. The poll was not past vote weighted which generally means that the sample would not have been politically balanced and skewed quite considerably towards Labour. It is for this reason that I?m not attaching much importance to it.

This is the sort of polling that they had at the 1992 general election"

I am always extremely suspicious of polling showing the commisioner in a very positive light.

I think you'll find more reliable numbers at a bookmakers - sportingindex have vote percentage spreads, but only during working hours, so not up at the moment.

It's worth bearing in mind of course that if the Greens really ARE doing as well as this poll suggests, then voting for them won't keep the BNP out, because they'll comfortably have at least one seat and if the BNP are fighting to get the last seat it could be against the Lib Dems, Tories or Labour.

If enough people vote BNP, then they'll be elected, simple as.

Personally I'd just vote for your preferred party....

I'm tired and I've been working non-stop. Just tell me what to vote. I trust you policywonk.

So is there a BNP candidate standing in all of the areas of the NW (sorry if I am sounding a bit stupid ) so technically they could end up with 8 MEP's if they all got elected (are they not standing in any other areas of the UK?)

The MEP system is a bit complicated, ceebee - I don't really understand it, someguy explained it at 0001 Mon 1st June but it made me go nernernerner.

There are 8 MEP seats in the NW, & most parties are fielding 8 candidates. We each get one vote, for a party, & then they do all sorts of complicated mathematics to work out which parties get how many seats.

HTH [cross-eyed]

Ponders - thanks, I did try to read all the thread but it just made my mind go a bit funny and I am very tired.

Is there a simple answer anywhere as to which party to vote for? Is it Green?

That's what policywonk says, & we always do what she says cos she is clever, innit?

(It's also what George Galloway says apparently, not so sure about him....)

link from OP explaining why a Green vote is best

BNP support is very strong up here, what with Burnley & Oldham & I-forget-where-else, also they have their rally (yawn) in Lancs, so they think they can do it here if nowhere else SO VOTE GREEN, GUYS!!!!!!!

Oh heck, I'm feeling the weight of responsibility here... there's a reason I'm a SAHM you know

If any of you in the NW can find recent polling data for your region, that's what we need.

Basically, as SomeGuy says, you should be safe voting for anyone who's likely to poll more than the BNP.

On that basis I'd say vote Green, cos that's how I vote anyway

oh god, am a bit confused re the arguments here

am I allowed to vote Labour or will this Ruin Everything?

Yes you can vote Labour. It could be that your vote gives Labour their second/third seat at the expense of the BNP getting one.

Or not.

But it's certainly possible.

I posted another explanation of the voting system here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/765089-Will-you-vote-in-the-European-elections

Might be a bit clearer as to the mechanics of things.

Just watched the BNP you tube link very scary how proud the candidate was to be put in charge of influencing young minds on politics.

He taught me, he was very fair-minded as it happens, and in any case the study of Politics is not about the merits of policies but rather voting systems, polling, the media, etc.. The students weren't actually aware of his past (National Front leader). I did hear a whisper that he'd stood for the NF for Parliament, but I didn't quite believe it - as it happened it rather understated his considerable fascist past.

And he got on very well with one of the other lecturers who was a young Blairite type, stood for election for Labour in Leeds. The place was typically right-on lefty academia otherwise.

I haven't quite worked him out actually. Quite a conundrum - skinhead football hooligans are rather easier to decipher.

SO WHO SHOULD WE VOTE FOR??????

do tell!

Green or Labour? Please do the sums & come back on here tomorrow night

I know that politics is not te study of policies. it just concerns me that someone with those views has access to impressioable young minds. You are right though he does seem to be a conundrum and perhaps is more of a worry tan a skinead football hooligan.

I am wondering how to vote. I have always been staunch labour, almost stood as a councillor and am very political. But am in a new area where labour do not figure. Am off to think and research.