General Election 2010

That's not true. A spike in the number of spolied ballots, or regional disproportion, are recognized for what they are - protest votes. Whether this is reported as such (rather than just commented on by academics) is to be seen.

so would that leave spoiled seats in the government? is that like seats with Tynan security paste on in in the HOC.. if so i'd vote for that

has anyone seen this attrocity? murdoch apparently running it tomorrow.

i prefer this version, which has already surfaced in response to a paper that isnt out yet.

Fucking tossrag. The tabloids really make me angry. Wrong on so many levels.

If anyone needs a reason to not vote Tory: http://johannhari.com//2010/05/05/welcome-to-cameron-land?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Hari+Social+Media

A repost from the previous page but actually worth reposting.

Also, voting is a right that has been hard won, and is not available to all in the world.

I dislike this argument. The battle was to have the right to vote, not the obligation. A carefully considered abstention, rather than an apathetic one, seems to me as valid as voting. There have been, and still are, other battles beyond what is sometimes called the 'moment of democracy'. The battle for a representative democracy, for an informed democracy, for a participatory democracy. And for the first time in along while the type of democracy we have could change after this election; but only, at this stage, if the Conservatives are kept out. PR may not lead to a much better democracy but it would at least remove the egregiously unfair and unrepresentative voting system we have at present.

So what then? Vote Lib Dem and hope for a hung parliament?

I dislike this argument. The battle was to have the right to vote, not the obligation. A carefully considered abstention, rather than an apathetic one, seems to me as valid as voting. There have been, and still are, other battles beyond what is sometimes called the 'moment of democracy'. The battle for a representative democracy, for an informed democracy, for a participatory democracy. And for the first time in along while the type of democracy we have could change after this election; but only, at this stage, if the Conservatives are kept out. PR may not lead to a much better democracy but it would at least remove the egregiously unfair and unrepresentative voting system we have at present.

Yeah I hate it when people say "you have to vote because so many people died for the right to vote" such as the suffragettes. This argument is flawed because they fought and died for the right to *a vote *not this vote. I doubt many of those throughout history who died for universal sufferage died so we could have very little choice between three very similar people in a system of first past the post. I sure wouldn't die for that.

which?

it actually makes me clench my fists in anger. it makes me so angry that i become unable to express it intelligently.

so vote for one of the other parties that are running in order to enable them to claim back their election expenses, or else vote for a party that will push through election reforms.

fucking A +10000

so vote for one of the other parties that are running in order to enable them to claim back their election expenses, or else vote for a party that will push through election reforms.

Why should my vote be reduced to helping someone claim back their registration expenses? Why not spoil my ballot untill we have a system in which my vote for someone other than Lib/Lab/Con will actually mean something? at the moment a spoilt ballot and a vote for Green (outside of Brighton) mean the same thing

They've even muffed up the kerning!

are you fucking serious? do you think that somehow having proportional representation is going to make your vote count for three votes, or somehow magic one of the non-major parties into forming the government? the only way the non-major parties are going to ever become serious options is by them a) getting votes, and b) getting funding.

your vote counts for something. if you don't spoil it.

if there's a god above, shepard fairey has already contacted his lawyers.

Someone needs to make the 'It's a Trap' meme out of this.

Found this in the Guardian. I remember seeing Kinnock say this. And for all his many faults he was spot on.

On the eve of the 1983 election – which, until this year, seemed destined to represent for ever the low watermark of Labour performances – a young member of the party's shadow cabinet delivered what was to be one of his most compelling speeches. Neil Kinnock knew a landslide defeat was imminent so, speaking in Bridgend, he sketched the world to come. "I warn you," he began, addressing a nation about to descend into the bitterest stretch of the Thatcher era. "I warn you not to be ordinary. I warn you not to be young. I warn you not to fall ill. I warn you not to get old."

+1000

Its going to be the darkest day of your lives on Friday if you wake up and find we are being governed by the tories.

I warn you too ...... "I warn you not to be ordinary. I warn you not to be young. I warn you not to fall ill. I warn you not to get old."

If you can influence one person to vote and vote Labour or Lib Dem it might just be enough, if you think that you wouldn't make a difference .... think again you would and can

at this hour my artistic talents go exactly this far

At least it's a positive message, check out the mirror front page as an antidote

Does this sort of shit really make voters change their minds?

So what then? Vote Lib Dem and hope for a hung parliament?

Vote for whichever party has the best chance of beating the Tories in your constituency; if you happen to be in a constituency which is liable to swing. If, like me, you live in one with a huge, unassailable, majority for the sitting MP then vote for whichever party you most approve of. If you don't approve of any then either don't vote or spoil your ballot depending on if you have been convinced by the arguments in favour of the latter.
The priority in British elections is, and always has been, to keep the Tories out. Or so I think. Blue Quinn will be along shortly to disagree.

They've even muffed up the kerning!

and I don't think it's even the Gotham font anyway.

They've even muffed up the kerning!

A sentence you are unlikely ever to hear more than once in a lifetime :)

Thing is the sun readers are traditionally the working classes who labour should be representing better. Part of the reason that labour are likely to take a bit of a pounding tomorrow is that they forgot about their core voters and these people like that duffy lady who brown pretty much made cry are just not gonna turnout.