Is it game over?

[Shouldof]

I've been full of optimism for most of the campaign but today i feel deflated and feel that the die is cast for another 5 years of con/lib coalition.

Anyone care to reassure me there's hope for labour?

That isn't my reason for not voting Labour, I come from a family if Tory voters and DP is also voting Conservative. I will not either Conservative or Green. I agree with most of the Green policies but not all, so I'm wavering.

But generally I think people want a Prime Minister with the right policies and the right persona. Do yep, sadly appearance counts for a lot when no one is likely to have a majority and particularly at a time when confidence is at an all time low and the world is in a very fragile political state.

Sorry for all the typos

The conservative party does not want any kind of a welfare or benefit system. It's sink or swim, if you sink you drown and its your fault. 1 million more people using food banks, unable to feed their children. The NHS is not safe. I'm voting labour.

I'm what you might call a floating voter in that I have voted for all of the main parties (not UKIP!) over the years depending on the time of my life , the constituency I've lived in (need to tactically vote) and the general prevailing conditions IYSWIM. IM VOTING Tory this time round because it's about the economy innit? And left wing governments have never left the country in a better place than when they started, and Labour will have to lean ever leftwards because of the arithmetic.

Tadpole it's hyperbole like that that turns people off I'm afraid. It's all far more nuanced than that as I'm sure you know

i think i heard people are excited about russell brandt and the younger voters
anyone see this?
my dd, who cant vote, is keen on milliband
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/apr/22/hooray-milifans-teenage-girls-milifandom-twitter-miliband

home is right. It's dramatic statements like that that make people think fuck it I'll vote UKIP.

shouldof
Labour are gits
but they're our gits
fingers crossed
go & help at your nearest marginal
I did that - and PORTILLO! ker ching badaboom badabing

I'm certainly not excited by the millionaire, ex-heroin addict, mysogonist Russell Brand,no.

I don't think he does anything for altruistic reasons, it's all about his image and selling books and tours.

Hollywood seems to be bored of him now, so he is back to promoting himself as a political campaigner, but it's all a bit tricky to be very very rich and living a celebrity lifestyle, yet claiming to represent the poor and disenfranchised.

I thought he was suggesting a few months ago that we shouldn't vote at all and should create our own social communities or some similar bullshit? Now he is backing Labour . If he gave away his fortune, started living like a 'civilian' and stopped shagging anything with a pulse, I could give his opinion some thought.

Portillo was the defining moment of 1997 election. Good for you being part of that!

I just cannot contemplate Milliband representing the country, sorry. It was a total own goal that he got in over his brother. If the unions hadn't backed Ed I suspect you would be looking at a Labour Government come Election Day.

I agree. I've never voted Labour in my life (and certainly won't be doing so this time), but I like David Miliband and think he would've made a good leader of the Labour party and possibly a good PM. As for Ed, I think I'd better keep my opinions to myself as they almost certainly breach the talk guidelines!

I'm not voting Labour, (sorry Op I'm hoping it is game over) but I'd be less unhappy with a Labour government if David M was in charge.

I often find people's reasons for voting a particular way more depressing than their actual vote.

There is not coherence in Labour. The only party capable of managing the economy is Conservative - look a the total hash made by Gordon Brown .
Everyone I know is voting Conservative. I am a teacher, so didn't expect that, but teachers can see that Labour is washed up)

I don't think it's a charisma problem so much as a Labour party credibility problem.

The old Brown guard needs to be cleared out, to make way for people who aren't tainted by overspending. It's boring and easy to defeat Labour by asking them repeatedly to apologise for their profligacy. Not apologising makes them look arrogant and dangerous, whereas apologising implies that they acted improperly in office. It's dull. And circular.

The Labour party need some new blood.

It's labour and UKIP round here.
yes, you must vote and for who you want to.
change can and does happen.

I'll be voting Labour and my constituency is a Tory controlled marginal currently running at a 2% Labour lead. Woop woop! Feels like my vote might actually count.

Anyone voting Labour? Thing is regardless of what people say in public that x in the ballot box will be what counts. Tory for me. Ed will go after my DH and myself when they realise that the non doms have left and the mansion Tax has so many exceptions it's not worth anything very much.

I also agree that David Miliband would have been much much better. All that union support just makes me fear for the country.

I don't think its game over at all and I'm voting conservative. Labour are not in power, labour voters tend to more vocal about their political beliefs, I think they will be out in force to try to bring about change.

I think labour in power is a very worrying prospect for the country, particularly since I don't believe for one moment Ed's statements about not joining forces with the SNP and moving further left.

In my eyes Labour just haven't tried hard enough, they have been a weak opposition. When Ed Miliband was elected as leader of the party I had high hopes for them even though I wanted the other brother. I thought Ed was a breath of fresh air and passionate about his beliefs. Then as time went on the Labour senior leadership team seemed to disappear, David Cameron had free rein to do whatever he wanted because there was no opposition, the opposition had lost it's voice. Now they have found their voices again and they are talking the talk but I'm not giving my vote to a party that disappeared off the radar for 2 years.

I cannot see how Ed can do anything very much without SNP support. Unless he goes votes for vote, cap in hand when he wants policy passed.

According to the papers there have been 1000 plus votes for policies. Every time Ed needs something passed he will be on the phone to Nicola and every time she will want something for Scotland...

I agree with Alpha. New blood is exactly what they need.

I'm voting Labour because of the economy.

The only way to promote growth is by taxing the rich and spending the proceeds on infrastructure. The deficit is scaremongering nonsense. And Gordon Brown saved the economy by bailing out the banks (according to Paul Krugman).

But we never get to hear this argument because apparently the minuscule and snail-paced growth under The Coalition is evidence that the Tories are the be trusted with the economy.

who are the "rich" yoko?

Dh has been speaking to a customer in Scotland today who doesn't believe the sea of yellow for SNP will materialise. She's basing this on the 'No' vote success. People are worried up there that Nicola Sturgeon has an agenda beyond just ensuring Scotland has better representation in Westminster. Her theory based on her more recent conversations with others is that Scotland constituencies will vote along 'yes' and 'no' lines, thus giving Labour more seats up there than is currently predicted.