Do you want a General Election now?

[artichokes]

Why does everyone sem to think a snap General Election is the answer?

I really don't want one now.

I want to wait until the expenses scandal has run its course, until we know exactly who did what, until those that abused the system have had the decency to resign (many are still clinging on as the media has not focused on them).

I want to wait until some more decent people, who had not thought of running for election, have had time to be identified and prepare for an election campaign. How can they know if they want to run when they have no idea of the terms and conditions of the job (will expenses go, will salaries change etc etc). Otherwise we will be left with the same old candidates.

I want to wait until a few more independent candidates have come forward.

I also want to wait until we can all think more clearly about wider policies and stop obsessing about expenses. A parliament voted in on this one topic would not necessarily be the best people to look at the intricacies of health, education and financial policy.

I am therefore happy to wait six months or so. Am I the only one?

No, you're not, it would be the worst possible thing to do atm.

The media must not be allowed to dictate what happens when

I don't think we should have one now. It will be a knee-jerk reaction.

And I have no idea who I would vote for so could do with a few months to get my head around it all.

Absolutely no, a period of stability is what we need.

I've not heard ahnyone say they want one in RL, I think it's largely a David Cameron ploy to make us think we want one. Which is understanfdable from his OV, just not mine.

Its difficult, at the moment I don't really feel we have a government at all. I'm loathe to carry on through until October with an ineffective unwanted government.

But you do have very good points, we do need to allow time for a proper change. We don't want to give a mandate to those who have been defrauding the country by allowing them to be reelected because there aren't any decent candidates to replace them.

One other thought to throw into the equation - we may well be in the throes of a full flu pandemic by the autumn/winter. With potential for a lot of short term disruption if you believe some projections.

Boringly, nothing to add to OYBBK's post for me.

Or indeed B-Liar

though I use the bleeurgh one meself

i dont want to see an election now, but i would like to see brown go and be replaced (alan johnson maybe?) atm i dont really feel like we actually have a prime minister, we need somebody to step up and take charge.

I like the idea of Alan Johnson or Ed Balls up there- the few I respect still, but then I liked GB before he came into power. I still think he'sprobably decent but not just a Leader IYKWIM? I didn't like Bliar but we need someone with his level of leadership skills 9as per first election) to head up a country in a recession.

Anyone but DC. I relaise I am alone in this, well Me, DH and my aprents anyway.

I don't see how GB can continue as leader if they do badly in the European elections.

I don't see how Labour can foist yet another PM on the country without have a general election.

I agree that it is a bad time for it though...

I instinctively don't want one because the Tories would win by such a huge margin if we had one right now (whereas there's a possibility that the pendulum would swing back towards Labour just a little if we waited another year or so). But obviously that's not a very good reason.

Well it's a good reason when you say it, 'cos you're concerned about the health of our democracy, rather than being motivated by a tribal allegiance (as in my case).

LOL at Goering. I don't think anyone's suggesting Balls would take over, are they? You simply can't be called Balls and become PM. Imagine the headlines.

I don't think it would be knee-jerky to call an election now - although they are louder at the moment, the calls for a GE have been going on pretty consistently since shortly after Gordon Brown became Prime Minister (by all the people who are unable to grasp that we don't directly elect our PM in this country, and that the only people who can or will ever vote for Gordon Brown are the members of the Labour Party and the constituents of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath).

I quite want a General Election, because it annoys me when we don't get them every 4 years, and Brown has lost all credibility respect amongst his party, parliament, and the electorate at large. However, I am fearful of a Conservative government, and really don't want that to happen.

We are living with the prospect of the ID card scheme and accompanying national ID database, not to mention the hugely increased powers being given to local authorities, police and other government agents to spy on us and come into our homes without warrants; the government are also giving themselves the right to change laws already passed without recourse to Parliament (those they haven't handed over to Europe that is).

I find these things much more scary than a possible Conservative government.

I would love an Election now- the whole country is in such a mess and GB seems determined to hold out until the bitter end (though why he wants the job so much is beyond me).

I don't want an election now. Politics will be great fun for a while if it's put off. I want to watch all the jockeying for position, all the wriggling out of responsibility, all the pathetic attempts to explain bad behaviour, crap decisions and total lack of understanding of the world as we know it.

It's better than sex