U.K General Election

[Ceisiwr]

Hi,


As the UK election is approaching I am curious as to how UK Buddhists will vote.

Who will you be voting for this election?


Personally I'm torn between the Green Party, https://www.greenparty.org.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, or the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition http://www.tusc.org.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Also any comments on UK politics by member's outside of the UK are welcome

[Kim OHara]

I've always found the political left (and centre-left) more congenial than the right. The Left still has traces, at least, of compassion and a social conscience, whereas the right is all greed and delusion. YMMV, of course (but I hope not).
See if you can find a Vote Compass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote_Compass set up for your election. Our ABC has been running them online for the last year or two (e.g. http://www.abc.net.au/news/nsw-election ... e-compass/) and I reckon they are great.


Kim

[Ceisiwr]

I've always found the political left (and centre-left) more congenial than the right. The Left still has traces, at least, of compassion and a social conscience, whereas the right is all greed and delusion. YMMV, of course (but I hope not).
See if you can find a Vote Compass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vote_Compass set up for your election. Our ABC has been running them online for the last year or two (e.g. http://www.abc.net.au/news/nsw-election ... e-compass/) and I reckon they are great.


Kim

I would agree that the left can be more compassionate than the right, although of course there are people on the right who feel that their position is based on social conscience, however I do think that the left has a more visionary and correct view of where human society (as a whole) should progress to, i.e. economic planning etc.

[Dhammanando]

Who will you be voting for this election?

I'm a floating voter, most often voting Tory but sometimes not if I think there's some pressing issue that the Tories aren't adequately addressing. The issue that I'm most exercised about at the moment is the need for Britain to recover her purloined national sovereignty, the independence of her lawmaking powers, and control of her borders from the EU. For this reason — and in spite of my mixed feelings about libertarianism — I'll be voting for UKIP.

[Ceisiwr]

Who will you be voting for this election?

I'm a floating voter, most often voting Tory but sometimes not if I think there's some pressing issue that the Tories aren't adequately addressing. The issue that I'm most exercised about at the moment is the need for Britain to recover her purloined national sovereignty, the independence of her lawmaking powers, and control of her borders from the EU. For this reason — and in spite of my mixed feelings about libertarianism — I'll be voting for UKIP.

Well the Socialist party and the Communist Party of Britain also want an exit from the EU, just without the Thatcherite policies of UKIP.

[Kim OHara]

I'm interested in this Vote Compass, how does it work?

Just click on the link and try it!
You don't have to be a voter. If it asks which state you're from, you have my permission to become an honorary Queenslander.
In brief, it asks you a set of questions, then (1) compares your answers with the stated positions of the parties on the same issues and tells you which party you are closest to, and (2) it feeds your answers into its opinion poll results, which tend to be more representative and more accurate than commercial ones because the number of respondents is so much greater.


Kim

[Spiny Norman]

I'm really not sure at the moment! I don't trust the Tories with public services, but then I don't trust Labour with the economy. Lib Dems seem to have lost a lot of credibility, UKIP have some dodgy candidates and policies, Greens don't seem to live in the real world, and so on.

I reckon it will be another coalition.

[Ceisiwr]

I'm really not sure at the moment! I don't trust the Tories with public services, but then I don't trust Labour with the economy. Lib Dems seem to have lost a lot of credibility, UKIP have some dodgy candidates and policies, Greens don't seem to live in the real world, and so on.

I reckon it will be another coalition.

I think so as well, I think a Labour-SNP coalition is on the table.

[Spiny Norman]

SNP

For me they always conjure up images from the film "Braveheart"!

[Ceisiwr]

SNP

For me they always conjure up images from the film "Braveheart"!

Haha! I personally cant see Alex Salmon charging into battle.

[Spiny Norman]

SNP

For me they always conjure up images from the film "Braveheart"!

Haha! I personally cant see Alex Salmon charging into battle.

Don't the SNP want an independent Scotland? It's difficult to see how they'd work with Labour on pivotal issues like that. Though I guess they'd be the "junior partner" anyway if they joined up with Labour, maybe like the Lib Dems currently are with the Tories?

[Ceisiwr]

If there was a coalition there would be more devolution to Scotland, which I think is a good thing, but there wouldn't be independence. Scotland had its referendum and the people said no. Labour and the SNP aren't silly enough to push something through that is that big without public support. On other issues though they share common ground.

[Spiny Norman]

If there was a coalition there would be more devolution to Scotland, which I think is a good thing, but there wouldn't be independence. Scotland had its referendum and the people said no. Labour and the SNP aren't silly enough to push something through that is that big without public support. On other issues though they share common ground.

Sure, but it seems likely that if they got into government the SNP would keep pushing for further referendums until they got the answer they wanted. Scotland gaining independence would lead to the UK government collapsing, presumably forcing another election?

[Ceisiwr]

If there was a coalition there would be more devolution to Scotland, which I think is a good thing, but there wouldn't be independence. Scotland had its referendum and the people said no. Labour and the SNP aren't silly enough to push something through that is that big without public support. On other issues though they share common ground.

Sure, but it seems likely that if they got into government the SNP would keep pushing for further referendums until they got the answer they wanted. Scotland gaining independence would lead to the UK government collapsing, presumably forcing another election?

Full independence just wouldn't happen. The SNP would look to dictatorial if they challenged a referendum so soon. All that would happen would be more devolution to Scotland, which I actually welcome as it would open up the doors for more powers to the Senedd in Cardiff, as well as laying the foundations for having an English parliament.

Personally I think it would be a positive coalition, not just for the socialist polices that would be enacted, but because it would push the U.K. nearer to federalisation instead of the centralisation that we currently have.

[Disciple]

Who will you be voting for this election?

I'm a floating voter, most often voting Tory but sometimes not if I think there's some pressing issue that the Tories aren't adequately addressing. The issue that I'm most exercised about at the moment is the need for Britain to recover her purloined national sovereignty, the independence of her lawmaking powers, and control of her borders from the EU. For this reason — and in spite of my mixed feelings about libertarianism — I'll be voting for UKIP.

What are you views on the bnp?