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Original poster

Depressed lefties sign in here...

878 replies

WilfSell · 02/05/2010 20:20

...on the grounds that if we assume there will be a Tory govt, then the crowing triumphalism of all the Chinless Wonders and Thrusting Monetarists and Nasty Racists who'll poke in here to crow and gloat, will somehow force a cosmic rift in the time-space continuum. And it will be like 1992 all over again but the other way round.

I fear the best we can hope for is a hung parliament.

I've suggested hemlock for the Election Night supper thread...

OP posts:
happikidz · 04/05/2010 23:17

This might give you a laugh, or maybe a tear;

TDiddy · 04/05/2010 23:18

will I get kicked out if I said that I fancy SamCam a bit (not as much as DW I hasten to add)

Molesworth · 04/05/2010 23:21

TD

Mind you, I dreamed that I was married to Ken Clarke once

pinkteddy · 04/05/2010 23:35

Just heard that on the news hundred times. Haven't read all the thread but those of you saying you feel guilty because you haven't done anything to help Labour - there is still time - they will need loads of help on polling day to get out the vote. Its still all to play for.

TDiddy · 04/05/2010 23:41

Didn't SamCam used to vote nuLabour before her man won her over My taste in women extends to posh Tottie.

TDiddy · 05/05/2010 02:34

nothing could be as bad as when Dubya won the US elections. I recall feeling sick!

justashutsupaboutnappies · 05/05/2010 06:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

monkeysmama · 05/05/2010 08:53

Morning

I've been feeling really depressed about it all. Glad I'm not the only one.

realitychick · 05/05/2010 09:01

Am I the only one who thinks Clegg is in with a chance and more left wing than Labour? Or am I living in fantasy land?

monkeysmama · 05/05/2010 09:11

I think a lot of people think that. What a damning comment on the Labour Party.

I find the Clegg mania (which I've read about but not actually witnessed) surreal. Clegg is a private schooled, Cambridge educated son of a banker who lives in a million pound plus house in London and has a second home up north. Not really a left wing man of the people. I think they'd be as likely to form a govt with the Tories as Labour.

jenny60 · 05/05/2010 09:33

No, I don't think NC would monkey: there's Europe and there's PR. He would rather have labour, of course he would. Just look at the raft between Cable and Osborne on the banks etc... He's just left it open for obvious reasons. Osborne is the one I'm scared of TBH. DC is a follower: look out for the right wing, migrant hating, banker hugging people around him.

jenny60 · 05/05/2010 09:36

Can I just say that nervous as hell though I am, I am LOVING this non-stop commentary, TV, press, MN etc... It's such an exciting election. It's rare these days, but it's times like these that I do feel like I'm part of something really big and important.

Builde · 05/05/2010 09:37

but we can look forward to the sex scandals...I miss those! (remembering fondly the early years of the 1990s when the tories seemed to be sleeping with everyone but their wives!)

theyoungvisiter · 05/05/2010 09:39

that's true Builde - and the comedy will be a lot better too.

Private Eye never seems quite as sparky under a Labour government, though they do their best.

midnightexpress · 05/05/2010 09:40

I am potentially depressed.

Now, here's a question: I live in a safe Labour seat. My heart says Labour. Given that GB has promised a referendum on PR, should I vote LibDem to encourage a continuing debate and perhaps some action on this? I really think PR's time has come. I'd also like to support the only party that is demanding a rethink on Trident. And yet I feel depressed at the thought of haivng to vote LD in order to achieve this.

policywonk · 05/05/2010 09:46

reality - I think the LibDems have good lefty arguments on some things. They're not as redistributive as Labour (who themselves are not redistributive enough IMO) - the £10k tax allowance would benefit the middle classes more than the low paid, for example, and those who earn less than the current personal allowance, or those on benefits, wouldn't benefit at all. I think Labour has a better record in terms of policies that are squarely focused on those most in need.

I like the LibDem immigration amnesty, and they say they'll stop the internment of asylum seekers, which has been a real stain on Labour's record. And they'd go further with bank regulation/restructuring than Labour is proposing. And they're talking about closing tax loopholes - everyone always talks about that though, would be interesting to see whether it can actually be done.

The big pull for me of the LibDems is PR. I still think that if we can only get PR from this election, I'd be prepared to overlook almost anything else for the next five years - including a Tory-LibDem coalition (unlikely that such a coalition would produce PR, but then this has been an unlikely campaign...)

willowstar · 05/05/2010 09:48

i live in a conservative area and have voted labour all my life, but not sure if my vote will mean anything tomorrow

RebeccaRabbit · 05/05/2010 09:48

Another leftie in a safe Tory seat signing in, but I'm not depressed. I think Gordon might actually win it for us!

LeninGrad · 05/05/2010 09:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Takver · 05/05/2010 09:59

policywonk, I think the other area where the LibDems are to the left of Labour is civil liberties (insofar as taking account of civil liberties is left wing).
One of the areas where I do agree with many of those voting Conservative on here is in the sense that Labour has been in power too long, and has gained perhaps a sense of entitlement - not quite sure how to put it - but an expectation that people will do what they tell them, and a knee jerk response if they don't.
I don't think I'm expressing myself well here, and perhaps an authoritarian streak is always a feature of left government (?) but I think that in any country, administrations that last too long become steadily more corrupt and more authoritarian.

ahundredtimes · 05/05/2010 10:00

Your vote will count willow because Labour will also need to show a healthy share of the vote. So go vote, and as my dh always says 'it'll be counted won't it?'

Listening to GB on 5Live now. He's really good.

Chin up all, I think this election will bring surprises

GetOrfMoiLand · 05/05/2010 10:05

S much as I am depressed at the thought of a potential tory victory, this election has been pretty exciting. I hate the way the media has dominated and tried to lead opinion, but I love the way it has opened up a load of debate (100% of the conversation at work at the moment is about politics which is great. Fast forward 2 months and it will all be about the bloody godforsaken World Cup).

Gordon's speech at Citizens UK made me cry.

And yes EVETY vote counts. Please don't vote for LIb Dem even if yu do live in a safe seat. There will be an election reform in this term, I am sure of it. But don't sacrifice labour votes.

CatIsSleepy · 05/05/2010 10:12

gimme those straws lenin, I need to clutch them too!

to reiterate what others have said, every labour vote counts even in safe tory seats because the overall numbers of votes cast for parties are important so vote vote vote

ahundredtimes · 05/05/2010 10:14

I don't think they're going to win it.

Also GB giving it straight on 5 Live now saying 'the reason there's going to be a rise in NI is to protect the education budget, and interest rates will stay low'

he's giving it straight.

Good

I think there's a really strong anti-Tory feeling tbh. I have REALLY enjoyed this election too - I actually feel much more engaged than previously.

ahundredtimes · 05/05/2010 10:14

Tories, I don't think the Tories are going to win it, I mean