MEP Elections

First topic message reminder :

It's the European Parliament Elections on May 22nd, with UKIP hoping to gain the most seats after second place last time out, with Labour and Liberal Democrats looking to hold onto their seats.

But, does anyone care? Only one in three people voted in the last elections, but there seems to be more of a media interest, especially with the TV debates between Nigel Farage and Nick Clegg, which if you haven't seen are worth a watch. Could it be argued that by Labour and Conservatives not showing to the debates, that UKIP and LibDem will gain?

It seems that this year, there will be a higher turnout but will it be a significant amount? UKIP are certainly a more real opposition and will surely gain seats, with the opinion polls showing UKIP are likely to win.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Not surprising....We were brought up as Kennedy Democrats and it is considered heresy to vote Republican..

If your Mum and Dad vote for something you may feel like you've let them down If you turn your back...

My dad can't hide his dismay at me voting Tory in 2015.... :-)

why not make voting day on a Saturday???? Might increase voter turnout

Could be a good idea. Though I'm not sure it's a valid excuse really, what with postal voting and how early and late polling stations open. I walk to the end of the road at about 8am on my way work to vote and there are plenty of people already coming & going.

If people aren't inclined to vote then chances are they won't.

If you really want to get the disenfranchised to the polls, give them something/someone they want to vote for.

And maybe, as a long-term solution to increasing voter turnout, politics can be a compulsory subject in schools in place of that fairytale subject which is still mandatory until the age of sixteen.

I never, ever had a class, or even a single lesson, in politics through primary and secondary school, which I think is little short of disgraceful.

I think that would be just as bad as RE is for 11-16 year olds Duty. 28 pupils in my class Duty, all sitting there with faces more glum than Cleggs come Friday!

Could put them off even more for the future.

I take your point, Skye, but at least politics has some relevance to today's world, rather than the medieval teachings of various cults.

Doesn't have to be much - an hour a week would do.

7 am - 10pm is enough time for anyone to get to the station...Plus Postals...

Britain is a christian Country and most wars have been fought over religion so there should be some RE in schools....

I'm a lapsed Catholic who's faith is growing weaker by the day..

No dissing on the RE you lot, it's good for youngsters to learn about other religons.

Politics should be taught though particularly in crappy areas, might give them a chance to see how they could possibly try and change things.

Duty281 wrote:I take your point, Skye, but at least politics has some relevance to today's world, rather than the medieval teachings of various cults.

Doesn't have to be much - an hour a week would do.

For a very basic understanding, fair enough.


Private/boarding schools probably have much more teaching on the subject, may explain a lot  

Derbymanc wrote:No dissing on the RE you lot, it's good for youngsters to learn about other religons.

Politics should be taught though particularly in crappy areas, might give them a chance to see how they could possibly try and change things.

  Not dissing Dm, just saying how Frak boring it was for everyone in my class  

Couldn't agree more, although it did used to be the last lesson of the day and if you sat at the back you could have a doze (probably why I have a soft spot for it   )

skyeman wrote:

Duty281 wrote:I take your point, Skye, but at least politics has some relevance to today's world, rather than the medieval teachings of various cults.

Doesn't have to be much - an hour a week would do.

For a very basic understanding, fair enough.


Private/boarding schools probably have much more teaching on the subject, may explain a lot  

If you're trying to imply what I think you're trying to imply, I'll just say that I were state educated.   

Absolutely awful school I went to.

I used to hate pottery, gee i hated that class.

Duty281 wrote:

skyeman wrote:

Duty281 wrote:I take your point, Skye, but at least politics has some relevance to today's world, rather than the medieval teachings of various cults.

Doesn't have to be much - an hour a week would do.

For a very basic understanding, fair enough.


Private/boarding schools probably have much more teaching on the subject, may explain a lot  

If you're trying to imply what I think you're trying to imply, I'll just say that I were state educated.   

Absolutely awful school I went to.

LOL absolutely not Duty.

I am implying, well fact mostly, that the high majority of the so called elite MP.s start off from such schools.

Maybe you are right Duty, it might just want to make a few more pupils from state schools want to look for a future in politics.

And then quickly move into the more affluent areas of their constituencies, or move out all together.

I reckon an MP/Councillor should have to live in the poorest part of their constituency, therefore they will know what the rest of us are complaining about all the time :-D

Ah...got you now!

On another note, YouGov have got UKIP and Labour level on 27% each.

The MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, the lovely Charles Kennedy. I understand about the distance to Westminster but at least he could visit Skye more than once a year, if that!

I had this issue last year with our local council when we complained about vandalism in the area, (to cut a VERY long story short,) when I contacted the councillor (after a month of waiting for replies,) she concluded that my wife had lied about the trouble in the area as she walked around and seen no issues whatsoever. When pressed she said she had walked around at 12 in the afternoon, she refused my invite to have a wander round at night, not sure why as the area is 'very safe'

Duty281 wrote:Ah...got you now!

On another note, YouGov have got UKIP and Labour level on 27% each.

It's all about seats. UKIP got more votes than labour 5 years ago but both got the same seats which = the same amount of power

Very true.

Tories presently on 25, UKIP and Labour on 13 each, and Lib Dems on 11. Greens have 2, and other parties have 8.

UKIP can put some good pressure on Cameron and Miliband if they win the most seats in Europe - but we won't know till Sunday evening.

Not to mention the council elections as well...

Duty281 wrote:Ah...got you now!

On another note, YouGov have got UKIP and Labour level on 27% each.

Labour haven't got an identical party with a similar name on the ballot paper though...Poor old Nige

Lost me there Truss, which other party you on about?

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Duty281 wrote:Ah...got you now!

On another note, YouGov have got UKIP and Labour level on 27% each.

Labour haven't got an identical party with a similar name on the ballot paper though...Poor old Nige

I've no idea why Farage is worried by that; if you're that thick that you can't tell the difference, I'm amazed that you got to the polling station in the first place.

Unfortunately they are at the top and UKIP the bottom of the sheet..Political betting think it could cost thousands of votes...Farage complained to the Electoral commission...

Never mind hey..

Everyone i hope looks for the £.

But Truss is right, it has happened before in some cases.

Never heard of the {We demand a referendum now} party.

My, i should vote for them.

If UKIP do gain the most seats at the EU table, the UK electorate will have seen through the manipulation by the mainstream media and will have seen these elections for what they really are. A vote on whether or not Britain should stay in the corrupt, undemocratic and elitist EU.

The media have been crap throughout and stirred the pot unnecessarily. Farage is right, it has backfired.

Pillocks.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Unfortunately they are at the top and UKIP the bottom of the sheet..Political betting think it could cost thousands of votes...Farage complained to the Electoral commission...

Never mind hey..

I am sure it is done in Alphabetical order so how can he complain? His fault his party starts with a U instead of a C.

UKIP will finish in the top 2 in these elections but just like in 2009 when ukip finished 2nd they will get very little success at the GE the following year. People just don't care that much about Europe to use their vote in the GE to vote for a party whose major policy is about Europe. Skyeman is a prime example, he shouts that he hates the EU and is voting UKIP at the Euro elections but come the GE he will vote for a different party (SNP) who are pro-europe. He says he ikes the SNP because Scotland has improved under them since they took power etc etc and that is how the majority of ukip voters will act in 2015, they will go back to labour and the conservatives like they did in 2010 and like they did in 2005.

I really want to see how the Greens do this year and would be really happy if they overtook the LD.

Why can't Skyeman vote for a party in one instance that he feels will best run his country, in spite of EU interference, but then vote in the alternative when considering what domestic political set-up he'd like in the context of continued UK involvement?

Can not see CS's posts anymore. Is he at it again. I gave up. It was like talking to a brick wall.

TopHat24/7 wrote:Why can't Skyeman vote for a party in one instance that he feels will best run his country, in spite of EU interference, but then vote in the alternative when considering what domestic political set-up he'd like in the context of continued UK involvement?

Well he wants to leave the EU and the best way to do that is by voting for an anti-eu party at the GE not a pro-eu one.

if I was anti-eu and pro-independent scotland I would vote Green at the EU elections and SNP at the GE.

TopHat24/7 wrote:Why can't Skyeman vote for a party in one instance that he feels will best run his country, in spite of EU interference, but then vote in the alternative when considering what domestic political set-up he'd like in the context of continued UK involvement?

And you just higlighted my point that people will revert back to labour/con at the GE because peole best associate them with domestic issues. Its happend in the past 2 eu/general elections where ukip have got support at eu elections but nothing at the GE.

skyeman wrote:Can not see CS's posts anymore. Is he at it again. I gave up. It was like talking to a brick wall.

"Hello, head, here's my friend brick wall. I think you two should bang."

Duty281 wrote:

skyeman wrote:Can not see CS's posts anymore. Is he at it again. I gave up. It was like talking to a brick wall.

"Hello, head, here's my friend brick wall. I think you two should bang."

  

Re RE in schools....

Whilst I think it's good to be taught in schools part of me wishes it was left to the churches, only on the sense that it's the one thing stopping fully integrated education in NI. The fact Protestants and Roman Catholics go to different schools is frankly silly IMO.

Granted, I went to a Grammar school in the state sector but many RC'S went to it as well, before I left the make up was 50/50. Was the best way I feel. We're not that different....

Looks like Farage may even be gaining ground in Scotland. In the Herald today, UKIP may get 12% of the vote and seven out of ten Scots back UKIP's policy on controlled immigration.

But, but they can't, because independance and ummm stand as an mp individually and you should all just vote for who I say   

UKIP's policy on immigration is common sense.

What we currently have in terms of immigration is something I like to call "Labour sense" - i.e. totally nonsensical.

Derbymanc wrote:But, but they can't, because independance and ummm stand as an mp individually and you should all just vote for who I say   

It is probably from people who are pro Scotland being in the Union, doubt anyone who wants Scottish independence would vote UKIP unless your name is Skye hah

Say for example, if I was a supporter of the EU {puke} and I actually believed I was in the majority, I'd be crying out for a referendum right now. It would put to bed the rising tide of UKIP and negativity.

The only people who fear a referendum are those supporters of the EU who don't believe they are in a majority and fear democracy in action. Those people are very offensive to me. Not the supporters, the ignorance.

skyeman wrote:Say for example, if I was a supporter of the EU {puke} and I actually believed I was in the majority, I'd be crying out for a referendum right now. It would put to bed the rising tide of UKIP and negativity.

The only people who fear a referendum are those supporters of the EU who don't believe they are in a majority and fear democracy in action. Those people are very offensive to me. Not the supporters, the ignorance.

vote for ukip or the conservatives at the ge if you want a referendum but you wont get a referendum voting for the snp....

I thought I'd share a post by a youtuber on a video regarding Farage/ukip racist claims as I think its very well put and in line with my opinion.

"The argument that UKIP are racist has no logic.

For example, there are 196 countries in the world of which 168 the UK impose 'controlled immigration'. UKIP wants to impose 'controlled immigration' on the other 27.....which according to the other parties and the mainstream media makes them racist. If controlled immigration on 27 countries is racist then the existing controlled immigration on the other 168 countries would also be racist.

The incorrect and over use of the term racist does not stop 'bad people from saying the wrong thing' but is stopping 'good people from saying the right thing'.

Unfortunately, the word 'racist' is being used as a tool to silence debate and which inadvertently gives weight to racist views.

This debate has only come about due to the 2008 Financial Crisis. Jobs have become very scarce and people rightfully fear more people in the job market. This is a rational fear (as apposed to racism which is irrational)."

The video is the channel 4 interview with Jon Snow Interviewing 2 romanian women, definitely worth a watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhjHEWk5eQg

Volcanicash wrote:I thought I'd share a post by a youtuber on a video regarding Farage/ukip racist claims as I think its very well put and in line with my opinion.

"The argument that UKIP are racist has no logic.

For example, there are 196 countries in the world of which 168 the UK impose 'controlled immigration'. UKIP wants to impose 'controlled immigration' on the other 27.....which according to the other parties and the mainstream media makes them racist. If controlled immigration on 27 countries is racist then the existing controlled immigration on the other 168 countries would also be racist.

The incorrect and over use of the term racist does not stop 'bad people from saying the wrong thing' but is stopping 'good people from saying the right thing'.

Unfortunately, the word 'racist' is being used as a tool to silence debate and which inadvertently gives weight to racist views.

This debate has only come about due to the 2008 Financial Crisis. Jobs have become very scarce and people rightfully fear more people in the job market. This is a rational fear (as apposed to racism which is irrational)."

The video is the channel 4 interview with Jon Snow Interviewing 2 romanian women, definitely worth a watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhjHEWk5eQg

Nothing wrong with controlled immigration for the right reasons eg depression of wages/strain on public servies etc but there is something very wrong with wanting controlled immigration because you are scared of living next door to a romanian family.

Re CS

"Nothing wrong with controlled immigration for the right reasons eg depression of wages/strain on public servies etc but there is something very wrong with wanting controlled immigration because you are scared of living next door to a romanian family."

Absolutely agree with this, what I think is a shame and disgrace is how the media have distorted Ukips stance on this.

Nice little boost for UKIP today  

Labour Donor Defects to UKIP, Tells Fellow Members to Vote for Farage's Party.

Back in NI....

One of our parties, NI 21 has just imploded.

Well, here at last.

Britain's most pro EU party set to be finished as a credible party.

Britain's only realistic Anti EU party set to win a landslide.

Milliband and Cameron set to take note!

They had better 

You would think so Skye but I think they'll go on blissfully ignoring certain issues and scream racist when it suits them to shut an argument down.

Anyone seen how hypocritical, pathetic Red Ed has slipped up again?

The man who bangs on about the cost of living crisis, the man who says Cameron is in total denial about it....doesn't know how much shopping for a family of four is, even closely, and spends £2.25 on a loaf of bread.

Clueless Ed.