British 2015 general election poll

[Atomic Energy]

Huh? The two main parties (ignoring LibDems since they haven't had a gov't since the early 20th century) in a coalition?

Looking at the real life non-NSG polls, both Labour and Conservative seem to be head-to-head against each other, it almost looks like a tie, with Conservatives just 1 point behind Labour, other times vice-versa.

LibDems did technically come into government in the 2010 election, as part of a coalition with the Conservatives... they were pretty popular towards the end of New Labour. Now UKIP seems to hold the same level of popularity the LibDems did during the 2010 elections and its still unclear which main party is going to win (Labour vs Conservative) because they're both so..... tied.

Well, I'd assume that Labour would reach out to their lefty friends, SNP and probably LibDem to form a coalition. Thanks to proportional representation, only a few UKIP seats, which means that the conservatives are probably going to be in opposition again.

[Islamic Republic e Jariri]

Looking at the real life non-NSG polls, both Labour and Conservative seem to be head-to-head against each other, it almost looks like a tie, with Conservatives just 1 point behind Labour, other times vice-versa.

LibDems did technically come into government in the 2010 election, as part of a coalition with the Conservatives... they were pretty popular towards the end of New Labour. Now UKIP seems to hold the same level of popularity the LibDems did during the 2010 elections and its still unclear which main party is going to win (Labour vs Conservative) because they're both so..... tied.

Well, I'd assume that Labour would reach out to their lefty friends, SNP and probably LibDem to form a coalition. Thanks to proportional representation, only a few UKIP seats, which means that the conservatives are probably going to be in opposition again.

Ah..... so back to classic Labour in government, Conservatives in opposition and all the Big Little guys (UKIP, SNP, Greens) proportionately spread out in the background?

I do wonder what a Labour-SNP coalition would be like... though since I was in the No Camp for independence (plus would SNP really care about the UK as a whole outside Scotland?) that possibility does scare me...

A Labour-LibDem coalition can definitely work... though I'm pretty much Meh about the LibDems now ever since the whole tuition fees fiasco.

It would be interesting if UKIP actually got more seats than the LibDems, do you think that's feasible?

[Napkiraly]

UKIP is actually 1st place on this poll? Wow... I knew they were getting ahead of the Lib Dems but I was still contemplating over the possibility of a Conservative-Labour Coalition with UKIP as the main Opposition.

Huh? The two main parties (ignoring LibDems since they haven't had a gov't since the early 20th century) in a coalition?

It's not like it's never been done before. 1931-1945 were all coalitions with the major parties.

[Atomic Energy]

Well, I'd assume that Labour would reach out to their lefty friends, SNP and probably LibDem to form a coalition. Thanks to proportional representation, only a few UKIP seats, which means that the conservatives are probably going to be in opposition again.

Ah..... so back to classic Labour in government, Conservatives in opposition and all the Big Little guys (UKIP, SNP, Greens) proportionately spread out in the background?

I do wonder what a Labour-SNP coalition would be like... though since I was in the No Camp for independence (plus would SNP really care about the UK as a whole outside Scotland?) that possibility does scare me...

A Labour-LibDem coalition can definitely work... though I'm pretty much Meh about the LibDems now ever since the whole tuition fees fiasco.

It would be interesting if UKIP actually got more seats than the LibDems, do you think that's feasible?

SNP's leader said they would be willing to cooperate with the Labour government, and there's no chance that a government is going to be formed without three parties. I've found a helpful poll, here. This is frightening, in my opinion.

[The New Sea Territory]

Vote for Nobody! Nobody will keep his promises! Nobody will fix the economy! Nobody will listen to YOU! Doesn't nobody sound like a good candidate?

[Napkiraly]

Ah..... so back to classic Labour in government, Conservatives in opposition and all the Big Little guys (UKIP, SNP, Greens) proportionately spread out in the background?

I do wonder what a Labour-SNP coalition would be like... though since I was in the No Camp for independence (plus would SNP really care about the UK as a whole outside Scotland?) that possibility does scare me...

A Labour-LibDem coalition can definitely work... though I'm pretty much Meh about the LibDems now ever since the whole tuition fees fiasco.

It would be interesting if UKIP actually got more seats than the LibDems, do you think that's feasible?

SNP's leader said they would be willing to cooperate with the Labour government, and there's no chance that a government is going to be formed without three parties. I've found a helpful poll, here. This is frightening, in my opinion.

Yeah YouGov's latest poll had the Tories and Labour tied (though distribution of support should be taken into account). Of course a recent analysis by them also showed that if Labour were to go off centre on certain issues, it could swing into a better position if possibly a majority government.

[Napkiraly]

If anything though, if this election results in another hung parliament, the UK should start seriously considering removing the pure, majoritarian FPTP system in favour of at least a mixed system.

[The Nihilistic view]

If anything though, if this election results in another hung parliament, the UK should start seriously considering removing the pure, majoritarian FPTP system in favour of at least a mixed system.

Been there done that got the T-Shirt.

[Islamic Republic e Jariri]

Ah..... so back to classic Labour in government, Conservatives in opposition and all the Big Little guys (UKIP, SNP, Greens) proportionately spread out in the background?

I do wonder what a Labour-SNP coalition would be like... though since I was in the No Camp for independence (plus would SNP really care about the UK as a whole outside Scotland?) that possibility does scare me...

A Labour-LibDem coalition can definitely work... though I'm pretty much Meh about the LibDems now ever since the whole tuition fees fiasco.

It would be interesting if UKIP actually got more seats than the LibDems, do you think that's feasible?

SNP's leader said they would be willing to cooperate with the Labour government, and there's no chance that a government is going to be formed without three parties. I've found a helpful poll, here. This is frightening, in my opinion.

I'm pretty Meh about the Greens... I guess I wouldn't mind them though I don't see them really holding a significant presence in Parliament from these polls;

LibDems are 28 (-29) while UKIP is 5 (+5), does that confirm the LubDems are falling behind UKIP?
If so does that mean UKIP could potentially gain more seats than LibDems?

Labour looks set towards gaining the most seats with its current rating of 273 (+15) while the Conservatives have taken a considerable loss but their numbers are still relatively...

SNP is still rising in popularity.... I just don't see what these guys can do beyond just Scotland, I mean they're the Scottish National Party, they tried to separate Scotland from the UK but now they could gain more numbers in Parliament. Would they understand their responsibilities not just towards Scotland but also towards the UK, or would they just try to further press down their separatist agenda?

Do you think Labour could be the ultimate winner and form the main government while the Conservatives form the Opposition? Is there any real chance of another coalition forming?

[Napkiraly]

I'm pretty Meh about the Greens... I guess I wouldn't mind them though

The Greens are kinda like the left's version of UKIP - insanity that shouldn't be pandered to.

[Napkiraly]

If anything though, if this election results in another hung parliament, the UK should start seriously considering removing the pure, majoritarian FPTP system in favour of at least a mixed system.

Been there done that got the T-Shirt.

AV is not a mixed system, not to mention that as that article itself noted that it was an incredibly ill-informed campaign. Also, if it came to it, pass electoral reform without a referendum. Of course Labour and the Conservatives wouldn't want that, but in a case of continued coalition governments they may be forced to bite the bullet.

[Stormaen]

From a purely opportunistic point of view, I would love the SNP to be there because it hurts Labour. It might also give English voters a chance to see who Labour would be relying on for a majority, thus pushing them into voting against Labour.

Anyway, I think that the most likely outcome of the election is Cameron leading the Conservatives to about 300 seats, but with Miliband as Prime Minister leading a Lab-Lib-SNP coalition. However, I can't see this deal lasting long and I think that the Tories, who would at that point be led by Boris Johnson, would put a motion of no confidence forward after an SNP exit from the coalition by about 2017.

Maybe a bit far-fetched, but it'd be as exciting as fuck.

Hear hear!

I think Brit generally hits the mark. However, I really don't want Boris leading the Tories. It's not that I dislike him I just think he wouldn't be very good. I think the next Tory leader should be Sajid Javid. He's proven himself quite the capable minister and is just the kind of outsider who could truly modernise and broaden Conservative support bases. If Boris was Conservative leader, I'd find myself less inclined to vote for them.

[Frazers]

The DUP should be in the debates only when Labour have a good chance of winning seats in Northern Ireland.

Explain the logic in this if you can.

[Frazers]

There's more in the link. The BBC have been slipping in their bias for a while now and at this stage they're a fucking joke. I for one welcome the DUP taking the fight to them and making them explain their bullshit logic in court.

You can't only invite one NI party. That would be bias.
You can't invite all the NI parties. That would mean 12 leaders.

You can't win.

You can have a consistent logical reason for inclusion of parties and make this widely known (something which should really be simple for a media organisation). The BBC don't have this. They're arseholes.

[Frazers]

I don't see why not, you've got all the main parties Scotland and Wales why not have then from NI too? There are already a stupid number in those two debates, what's a few more?

Seven isn't a stupid number, it's perfectly normal in countries like Sweden and Denmark IIRC. Twelve is a stupid number.

12 isn't a stupid number, it's perfectly normal to have 11 in countries like Iceland

This is how it works right? You point out another similar situation and that makes your point entirely legit?

[Frazers]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31029232



There's more in the link. The BBC have been slipping in their bias for a while now and at this stage they're a fucking joke. I for one welcome the DUP taking the fight to them and making them explain their bullshit logic in court.

I think it's foolish having the SNP and Plaid there as well tbh. It's a general election, they should be debating national policy which the regionalist parties have non of and don't need to have any of.

They're all Westminster parties competing in a Westminster election.

[Stormaen]

Been there done that got the T-Shirt.

AV is not a mixed system, not to mention that as that article itself noted that it was an incredibly ill-informed campaign. Also, if it came to it, pass electoral reform without a referendum. Of course Labour and the Conservatives wouldn't want that, but in a case of continued coalition governments they may be forced to bite the bullet.

Personally, I could go in for AV. However, in 2011 it very much appeared to me that the Lib Dems were essentially proposing a voting system that solely benefitted them. Now that wasn't necessarily the case but it's hard to convince voters to vote for something that appears to benefit you but then telling them it benefits everyone. Looks suspicious to them.

I think that, actually, the first form of reform we need is in disproportional constituency sizes. The electoral system as it stands marginally benefits Labour because constituency size isn't equal. The average Labour constituency is 2,000 voters smaller than the UK average and the average Conservative constituency is 2,000 voters larger than the UK average. Add to this that Scotland and Wales – Labour strongholds with constituencies slightly smaller than the UK average – are marginally over-represented in Parliament and it gives Labour a small advantage in winning seats. Doesn't sound like a lot but any system with an inbuilt advantage for one party isn't a system I would consider democratic.

For example, if we were purely proportional, there would be no discussion of the SNP propping up a Labour government. As they'd only get circa 3% of seats, not the nearly 8% they're optimistically forecasting (and probably set to win).

[Stormaen]

I think it's foolish having the SNP and Plaid there as well tbh. It's a general election, they should be debating national policy which the regionalist parties have non of and don't need to have any of.

They're all Westminster parties competing in a Westminster election.

It could also be argued that all polls are predicting a hung parliament which means these smaller, regionalist parties will have a hand in propping up or being a partner of the next government. In which case, I suppose it's better we hear from them and what they want/stand for rather than exclude them and face unexpected, nasty surprises once they're through the front door of No. 10.

[Olivaero]

I'm pretty Meh about the Greens... I guess I wouldn't mind them though

The Greens are kinda like the left's version of UKIP - insanity that shouldn't be pandered to.

I wouldn't call them insanity. They aren't the same as north American greens, they're much more reasonable. They're also pretty much the only mainstream solidly left wing party in the UK.

[Olivaero]

I think it's foolish having the SNP and Plaid there as well tbh. It's a general election, they should be debating national policy which the regionalist parties have non of and don't need to have any of.

They're all Westminster parties competing in a Westminster election.

They may all sit in Westminster but they will never form a government as anything other than a coalition their and more importantly never have any ambition too. At least UKIP and the Greens contest seats across the UK, the DUP, Plaid Cymru and SNP don't.

[Frazers]

They're all Westminster parties competing in a Westminster election.

They may all sit in Westminster but they will never form a government as anything other than a coalition their and more importantly never have any ambition too. At least UKIP and the Greens contest seats across the UK, the DUP, Plaid Cymru and SNP don't.

Three different Green parties contest seats across the UK. Only the English and Welsh version will participate in a debate.

Only UKIP compete across the entirety of the UK. It's going to a fairly shit debate with only them allowed in by that criteria.

[Olivaero]

They may all sit in Westminster but they will never form a government as anything other than a coalition their and more importantly never have any ambition too. At least UKIP and the Greens contest seats across the UK, the DUP, Plaid Cymru and SNP don't.

Three different Green parties contest seats across the UK. Only the English and Welsh version will participate in a debate.

Only UKIP compete across the entirety of the UK. It's going to a fairly shit debate with only them allowed in by that criteria.

That still makes the Greens more qualified than the regional parties to attend.

[Frazers]

Three different Green parties contest seats across the UK. Only the English and Welsh version will participate in a debate.

Only UKIP compete across the entirety of the UK. It's going to a fairly shit debate with only them allowed in by that criteria.

That still makes the Greens more qualified than the regional parties to attend.

The Greens are regional parties.

[Stormaen]

They're all Westminster parties competing in a Westminster election.

They may all sit in Westminster but they will never form a government as anything other than a coalition their and more importantly never have any ambition too. At least UKIP and the Greens contest seats across the UK, the DUP, Plaid Cymru and SNP don't.

That same logic could be used to rule out everyone but the Conservatives and Labour, as only those two parties – under the current system – will ever form a majority government or leading partner in a coalition.

That said, I'm happy to see a debate between only those with a realistic chance of becoming PM, i.e. Cameron vs Miliband.

[Frazers]

They may all sit in Westminster but they will never form a government as anything other than a coalition their and more importantly never have any ambition too. At least UKIP and the Greens contest seats across the UK, the DUP, Plaid Cymru and SNP don't.

That same logic could be used to rule out everyone but the Conservatives and Labour, as only those two parties – under the current system – will ever form a majority government or leading partner in a coalition.

That said, I'm happy to see a debate between only those with a realistic chance of becoming PM, i.e. Cameron vs Miliband.

That leans the whole debate system towards the presidential debates of the US. Fuck that. We're British not Americans. We're not voting for PM, we're voting for policies.