5 days to go - UK General Election - Your Prediction

[Viking]

On the other hand if I don't vote Labour the Tories might get in with Joanne Cash as MP 326

Which is why the LibDems won't get anywhere near the votes they need to shame the tories and labour into actually changing the voting system.

[Palisadoes]

I live in quite a rural constituency too (Kettering), and I don't think that the villages get it that bad.

Whoa!!!!

I'm that close to another Languishite? I'm a Desborough man, same constituency and only a few miles from you.

Haha! That is weird! I used to live in Desborough when I was younger (until 7 or 8 I think?). Hereford close, off of Westmorland drive near the outskirts.

As for "affordable" housing, I've never quite understood our government's need for "one person, one house" given the slow rate of population growth in our country, even allowing for immigration. And if they must build "affordable" housing, then they need to build flats, not what they are lumbering the county with.

Well the problem is that housing is often not affordable when two people are living and earning in the same house. Also, renting is a problem, since people pay practically the same as a mortgage yet they don't get any asset at the end of it. It's much better off to own, though given the prices of houses it's even harder to do.

My election prediction was in the other thread. Small Tory majority leading to a three year maximum parliament. The Lib-Dems not making the gains they expect, either.

Apparently the Labour support is strengthening in Scotland, which means constituencies in England and Wales are becoming more susceptible to going over to Lib Dem or Tory. I also don't think the Liberal Democrats will make the gains they expect from the polls, and think the Tories could get a tiny majority. The Lib Dem surge would've largely come from former Labour voters, and I think a lot of the middle class Lib Dem voters will go over to the Tories given the Lib Dem tax plans.

[Agelastus]

I live in quite a rural constituency too (Kettering), and I don't think that the villages get it that bad.

Whoa!!!!

I'm that close to another Languishite? I'm a Desborough man, same constituency and only a few miles from you.

Haha! That is weird! I used to live in Desborough when I was younger (until 7 or 8 I think?). Hereford close, off of Westmorland drive near the outskirts.

Breakley's and Furlong for me, both off of Dunkirk Avenue.

As for housing, what gets me is the "We need 1.5 million more houses" refrain...followed by a report saying the UK has 700000 empty houses...and rising.

[Neil]

In the modern era, having actual MPs is generally a waste, since people vote by party and the party's resources are required to pay for modern media coverage.

It would make more sense to just eliminate the legislature and grant absolute dictatorial power to the leader of the party who carries a majority of ridings.  In a coalition situation, you can have leaders grant each other their proxy for votes.

[Palisadoes]

The thing with the abandoned houses thing is that it's cheaper to renovate them too. However, they often tend to be structurally unsound or in undesirable areas, meaning little to no profit would be made from renovation, plus they are general shitholes that aren't worth the hassle and could be torn down with a lot less hassle.

[Sheilbh]

In the modern era, having actual MPs is generally a waste, since people vote by party and the party's resources are required to pay for modern media coverage.

The modern media coverage isn't true over here.  Party's are given a certain number of election broadcasts based on their performance in past elections, similarly during an election the broadcast media have to report on all parties with a certain level of support and in some way give a fair hearing (I'm not sure how it actually works).  In the UK party funds are needed for very modern things like teams of campaign twitterers and campaign jets and very old fashioned things leaflets, posters, battle-buses and so on.  In fact I think the parties are only allowed to spend £30 000 in any constituency, so the maximum a party can spend is around £19 million.  But I don't think any party's ever had enough money to do that

I think in 2005 the entire election spending, from all parties, was around £40 million.

[jimmy olsen]

In the modern era, having actual MPs is generally a waste, since people vote by party and the party's resources are required to pay for modern media coverage.

The modern media coverage isn't true over here.  Party's are given a certain number of election broadcasts based on their performance in past elections, similarly during an election the broadcast media have to report on all parties with a certain level of support and in some way give a fair hearing (I'm not sure how it actually works).  In the UK party funds are needed for very modern things like teams of campaign twitterers and campaign jets and very old fashioned things leaflets, posters, battle-buses and so on.  In fact I think the parties are only allowed to spend £30 000 in any constituency, so the maximum a party can spend is around £19 million.  But I don't think any party's ever had enough money to do that

I think in 2005 the entire election spending, from all parties, was around £40 million.

Wow, weak sauce.

Corzine spent like $60 million of his own money in his New Jersey Senate race.

[Neil]

In the modern era, having actual MPs is generally a waste, since people vote by party and the party's resources are required to pay for modern media coverage.

The modern media coverage isn't true over here.  Party's are given a certain number of election broadcasts based on their performance in past elections, similarly during an election the broadcast media have to report on all parties with a certain level of support and in some way give a fair hearing (I'm not sure how it actually works).  In the UK party funds are needed for very modern things like teams of campaign twitterers and campaign jets and very old fashioned things leaflets, posters, battle-buses and so on.  In fact I think the parties are only allowed to spend £30 000 in any constituency, so the maximum a party can spend is around £19 million.  But I don't think any party's ever had enough money to do that

I think in 2005 the entire election spending, from all parties, was around £40 million.

That's interesting.  My theory is that the nature of the UK (a very small, heavily-populated country), make it possible for candidates to campaign from the hustings, something that doesn't exist in North America.

[Viking]

In the modern era, having actual MPs is generally a waste, since people vote by party and the party's resources are required to pay for modern media coverage.

The modern media coverage isn't true over here.  Party's are given a certain number of election broadcasts based on their performance in past elections, similarly during an election the broadcast media have to report on all parties with a certain level of support and in some way give a fair hearing (I'm not sure how it actually works).  In the UK party funds are needed for very modern things like teams of campaign twitterers and campaign jets and very old fashioned things leaflets, posters, battle-buses and so on.  In fact I think the parties are only allowed to spend £30 000 in any constituency, so the maximum a party can spend is around £19 million.  But I don't think any party's ever had enough money to do that

I think in 2005 the entire election spending, from all parties, was around £40 million.

Wow, weak sauce.

Corzine spent like $60 million of his own money in his New Jersey Senate race.

In the UK political ads on TV are banned (iirc) but the parties do get Party Political Broadcasts, or prime time infomercials, during the campaign season. How much of that $60M did Corzine spend on TV?

[Sheilbh]

In the UK political ads on TV are banned (iirc) but the parties do get Party Political Broadcasts, or prime time infomercials, during the campaign season. How much of that $60M did Corzine spend on TV?

I think that's the big difference, though Neil is right that in constituencies hustings are quite important.

The best thing about the Party Political Broadcasts is that most parties are far too poor to have anyone with TV or advertising experience involved.  So you get some truly extraordinary pieces.  My favourite this time round has been the Christian Party of Wales which featured a crowd of people placing giant crosses on hills like some faith beacon system. 

But an election or two ago there was a truly superb UKIP one that featured a giant purple octopus with the EU flag on its head crawling out of the Thames and smashing up Parliament

[HisMajestyBOB]

I predict the Conservatives will win quite a few seats, but not enough for a majority government. They'll form a coalition government with the LibDems, with Nick as deputy PM and Cameron as PM.

[Admiral Yi]

I predict the Conservatives will win quite a few seats, but not enough for a majority government. They'll form a coalition government with the LibDems, with Nick as deputy PM and Cameron as PM.

You're bonkers.

[Viking]

I predict the Conservatives will win quite a few seats, but not enough for a majority government. They'll form a coalition government with the LibDems, with Nick as deputy PM and Cameron as PM.

Unpossible, the noble Clegg and Cable would never agree to form a coalition with tuition fee raising tories!!!!1111111oneoneoneoeneoneoen

In other news, Holland will win the WC, Mubarak and Ben Ali will successfully start reforms to democratic institutions, Silvio will not be accused of cavorting with underage tunisian hookers, the SD will not join the swedish parliament and Ireland will beat England at cricket.

[jimmy olsen]

I predict the Conservatives will win quite a few seats, but not enough for a majority government. They'll form a coalition government with the LibDems, with Nick as deputy PM and Cameron as PM.

Unpossible!