Home > UK Election - does anybody care?

UK Election - does anybody care?

by Open-Publishing - Sunday 1 May 2005
15 comments

Elections-Elected UK

I haven’t looked at this site for a while, and..... I’m in shock. Plenty of continuing griping analysis (????) of the election of Bush 2.2, but no mention AT ALL of the British General Election, in which there is a chance to send a clear message to Tony Blair that we weren’t happy with what he did in Iraq (and plenty of things within the country). This seems to indicate two things:

1. The sad apathy of British electors, the youth in particular (nothing new there)

2. A complete (and asymmetrical) lack of interest on the part of those "across the water" about what’s going on over here. By this Thursday night we will have had three major elections in fairly sharp succession in the "Anglo-Saxon Alliance" (Australia, USA, UK). In the first two the war party got a clear mandate (well, of course y’all are still debating that, but unfortunately he’s in there.....), and in the election here another large majority for Labour would let Tony Blair off the hook. In other words....

LAST CHANCE, GUYS.

One thing that this confirms to me is that it blows up Tony Blair’s claim that British involvement in Iraq would give us the opportunity to influence US policy to the good. If Dubya takes as much notice of what TB says, as the notice you seem to have paid to this election.... hell, what was the point?

Those who do have some interest can inspect these links, to see how our absurd electoral system will let them off the hook, whatever happens. First check out this article:

– http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/po...

then if you’d like to play with the figures, you can have a look at the BBC website.

– http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/vote...

Don’t forget that it’s not a two-party system here, and so you’ll have to have a look at the opinion polls first (there’s a link to that from the seat calculator page).

I’ve produced a little "tactical" flyer, which I’m posting up around my hometown. Any British people who are interested, please use; and the rest of you, if you know people in the UK who might like to use it, please pass it on to them. Thanks.

The_Greatest_Con

Forum posts

  • Not all Americans are stupid. (Most are, however).

    Personally, I would love to see Labour be handed their walking papers and Blair out. I’m hoping your elections are not as rigged as ours. Maybe there’s a chance because the polls are close and the allegations about Iraq (simiar to what should have been on the agenda of our elections, but were not) and Blair leading the nation to war on trumped up, phony intelligence, are damaging.

    Dump Blair! It will send a loud message and Americans will respond by opposing the president through the Congress.

    Maybe we’ll even impeach the bum. There’s a chance.

  • Yes I’m paying attention (cspan, BBC, Reuters, independant, etc). I am a dual national and a member of this planet (all govs around the world effect us in one way or another), so it’s in my interest to try and see what’s happening on both sides of the pond. Can I make a difference? Sorry I can’t vote in the UK, only give my money in taxes when I move back.

    As to the apathy in the youth, it’s understandable. Since gen X (on both sides of the pond) the possibality to do as well as your parents or maybe better have dramatically dropped. They see and hear (they are willing to look at the real ugly things)sometimes better than the adults, they just don’t express and deal with it that well.

    I pray the British oust him. But will anyone really make a differance?

    • Hi Guys,

      It’s comforting to see that at least two of you are watching things here (but where the hell are the resident British readers??????? Campaigning, I hope.) Just to reinforce the point, please pass on my flyers to anyone you think can use them, or use them yourself if you’re in the UK. I had a bit of difficulty uploading them initially, so you’ll only find them in the third and fourth messages that I sent in here % }

      OK, peace y’all,

      Kizza

    • One more thing - just to clarify about our electoral system..... it’s not that things are rigged in the same shameless way as they seem to have been in the US. It’s just that the system is so bloody STUPID, and that the one party which benefits most is Labour. Historical reasons, the way constituencies are drawn. The UK constituencies are not so clearly gerrymandered as those notorious US congressional districts that I’ve seen on maps; however it is the case that Labour-leaning urban constituencies do tend to be rather smaller than others, and they can sweep the boards there without an overwhelming popular vote. Before you all assume that this is a big conspiracy, I do have to disappoint you. The Labour advantage is nothing new, and wasn’t created by some clandestine Blairite group. Even at the height of the Thatcher era, the Tories’ dominance of the popular vote didn’t give her parliamentary majorities quite as big as Tony Blair’s rather smaller popular votes in 1997 and 2001 have achieved. Why all this should be, historically, I have no idea....

      Having said that, I can’t deny that Blair and his pals are abusing their knowledge of Labour’s built-in advantage to hoodwink people to vote Labour for fear of the Tories. It’s very dishonest, but they’re politicians, and they’re in power, with plenty to lose, so you’d expect them to behave like this.

      The one thing that they are very scared of is that as overall voter turnout falls (it probably will) the Labour vote is most adversely affected. The Tory core will always vote to protect its assets, as will those on the non-Labour left (well, I’m assuming that there is still a significant Labour left - to be debated), who are energised by more "moral" issues. But the traditional working class vote, now very much under the thrall of our good friend Rupert Murdoch, is not to be relied upon any more. That might really make a difference, though falling turnout US-style is hardly something to be welcomed.

      OK, that’s the lesson, or as much as I understand. Take care y’all and pass it on,

      Kizza

  • First as far as your comment on the interest of the American public. This may come as a surprise to you, but most of us do not feel it is appropriate to get involved in the elections in other countries. Your infamous letter-writing campaign to voters in OH notwithstanding (it backfired, didn’t it now?) we don’t have any plans to influence. Your vote is your choice, that is a matter for the British people to decide. We have nothing to do with it, and want nothing to do with it. Of course, there is the self-described anti-war movement. Good luck with them.

    As far as the remark about "stupid Americans" Yeah, I guess we’re not as smart as the Brits. I mean we only put a man on the moon (did the British?), we are the home of the major software firm in the world (MSFT) used in almost every computer on earth; the USA is still the #1 tourist destination in the world; if our stock market so much as has a hiccup, the entire world financial apparatus reacts; and if the 300 million inhabitants of the greatest country on earth ever left, there would no doubt be another 300 million out there waiting to get in!

    I hope Tony Blair gets re-elected, personally, or Michael Howard. Liberalism "is a Mental Disorder" and will soon get its reward: extinction.
    Gardis
    USA

    • Hey, Gardis, you are so Fox-newsy it’s actually laughable. Yes, we put a man on the moon. And whose idea was that? JFK’s. So, you purport to being anamored of the accomplishments su=purred by a liberal.

      As for Microsoft, OK, the company is based in Oregon, a very liberal state. Also, the Airbus is now the biggest commercial airliner in the world, NOT made by Boeing. Aw, shucks, America is not #1 in big airplanes!

      Now, do a little research and find how America stacks up in categories such as education, child death rates, standard of lving, air quality. We are not #1. Oh, my, America is not on top! Why is that, stupid? Because people like you think the government can do no wrong, that’s why.

      Stupid is as stupid does. That’s all about you.

    • Gardis is running for president of Gardis world. Its his own little fantasy world where he makes up reality as he goes. Best to just ignore him or he will troll us to death.

    • Ignorant as well as stupid? Gardis you really are an awful example for your nation. Britain has actually just concluded this week the most successful space operation in history. No crashing and burning for our rockets they actually went where they were supposed to. (Just don’t mention Mars!!)
      Maybe you shouldn’t say too much about mental disorders until they let you out of the rubber room and give you sharper things to play with.

    • "most of us do not feel it is appropriate to get involved in the elections in other countries."

      While I couldn’t stop laughing at that comment, you might want to inform your government on your feelings, they seem not to be paying attention to you and your wishes.

      All elections that happen in the world effects us. Do I want to control them? NO! Do I pay attention? Absoluetly!

    • Can’t blame the kneejerk reaction about giving Blair the boot..but.. the alternatives on offer are just as unappetising. Howard (conservative party) is pro war right wing lizard. Kennedy (lib Democrat is against the war but ..pro troops in Iraq ?

      Seems like the only party worth voting for are the Greens, who, in reality have a cat in hells chance.

      So, ....call me wishy washy liberal, but what we need is violent revolution to kill and overthrow the existing capitalist cabal and so called ’royal’ family.

      This would then be replaced with an autonomous collective, with rotating members, whose decisions would be ratified by a majority.........oh sorry wrong meeting.

    • "Liberalism "is a Mental Disorder""

      Okay, you really are stooping to new lows of ignorance. We all know what to expect from Hitler loving "righties" but your liberalism comment is simply stupid. You seem to be a little like your president, All hat and no cows.

    • By the way..... What about all those millions and millions of dollars you spent inventing a pen that could write in space? Those damned cunning Commies just used a pencil! So maybe you’re not the sharpest knife in the box when it comes to technology. And, just how can the country that "invented" the big mac have any claim on anything of worth?

    • More like all mouth and no brains.

    • i live in UK
      I have a choice of
      EU Capitalist Bankers (conserative)
      EU Captialist Banker (Labour (Tony.B) ) (half the party are still socialists and want him out)
      Liberals, who are also tied up whether they like it or not into Europe and privatization.

      There is no opposition, unfortunate but its the case all over the world.
      industrial revolution all over again

    • Welcome to our world in the US. That describes our picks over the last 20 years. They are all the same. No party has merit, they are all Capitalist Banker supporters, only ours are worse because they have to raise millions (they sale their souls to the highest bidders) to run, unlike the UK (where equal air time is FREE).

      I never understand our system, we pay for the airways and the networks abilities to use them, but we get nothing in return but commercials and a crummy newscast that they have to give by law to have those airways for free. Something is very wrong with this equation!

      Anyway, we are with you in your sameness hell.