It's "make your mind up time" !

[Papaumau]

Now that Brown has officially dissolved parliament and he has been to The Queen to announce the date as May 6th for the general election we have to REALLY start to think what and who we want in power next time round.

Those of us that have political backgrounds and a thread of a particular political family history are going to have to think individually as to who we are going to support at the polls instead of blindly following our family trends any more.

Most of you will know by this time that even if I am basically a Socialist  I do not intend to vote for anything that has maybe been socialist in the past but that has now - in my opinion - completely lost it's way. New-Labour are now so far to the right that they cannot separate themselves from the Tories any more and because of this we REALLY have to decide if we want more of the same or something different.

Both of the big two are promising change but I am of the opinion that they will not now be capable of any radical change as they too are set in their ways and are controlled by the hard-line grandees in the background.

The only other choices we have are - 1). Out of apathy or protest, don't vote at all. 2). Vote as we have always voted - out of habit. 3). Vote with the minority parties  - also as a protest, OR - 4). Vote for the party that has the best chance of holding the balance of power in any hung parliament. YES, that means to vote for the Liberal Democrats even if you might see them as rather weak and "liberal" in their general makeup.

WELL....What are YOU going to do ?

[cheddar-caveman]

Don't think Ill bother with this post Pap. It's exactly the same as one I posted a couple of weeks ago!

But BNP? Certainly minority and definitely change

[Papaumau]

But you HAVE "bothered with it" by responding in any way !

I must have missed your posting on these lines as I would not have repeated it if I had seen it and it had been "exactly" the same.

Are you SURE that your post was saying what I just said above ? and if it was even slightly different I would be happy for you to point out the differences to me.

I hope - by your last comment above - that you are not suggesting that we should go to the BNP as a choice of minority party as that is one minority party that stands for nothing but stands against a lot.

I for one would not like to see that bunch of Neo-Nazi racists get any seats in the general election as if they do all they will bring to the parliament will be hatred and bile and negativity.

[Ivanhoe]

I will not be voting, because I dont believe, or like right wing politics.

Both Blair and Brown had the chance to bring fresh air to Britain after 18 Tory years, but they did not seize the chance, they threw it away and carried on with the same right wing dogma.

[Hugh]

Whats wrong with giving your vote to the Lib Dems and giving them a chance . Thats where my votes going, a vote for real change.

[Ivanhoe]

Because by voting Lib-Dem, this might put the Tories back in.

[Hugh]

You have said you are NOT voting  so how will a vote for lib dems help the tories get back in. Changing a vote from New labour to the libs could well help the tories I would agree with that..

[Hells Granny]

Ivanhoe, You talk a lot about Politics, but you don't intend to vote? What the heck?

If you don't vote, I fully expect you not to complain about the Government to come, as you won't have exercised your right to 'have your say' at the polling booth, and will, therefore, and by so doing, forfeited your right to complain.

Cheers, HG

[Ivanhoe]

H/G, Ive been involved with politics for 20 years, on the side of Britain's Seniors, but if there is no party representing Seniors, who the hell do I vote for ?

I will complain about whom I like thank you.

[Papaumau]

HG is right Ivanhoe....Those who do not vote have no right to dictate what happens in politics afterwards.

A vote is a very valuable thing if the person agrees with democracy and even if the vote is given to the Monster Raving Loony party it is an important protest vote registered.

I agree with Hugh that the more of us that vote Liberal Democrat the better as even although the Lib' Dem's have little chance of winning a majority, if they get enough votes, they COULD finish up being the power brokers between the Tories and the New-Labourites AND they could set up alliances with the other minority parties like the SNP, Plaid Cymru and The Greens.

THAT to me would be the ideal situation as BOTH of the big two need their noses rubbed in it.

[cheddar-caveman]

But you HAVE "bothered with it" by responding in any way !

I must have missed your posting on these lines as I would not have repeated it if I had seen it and it had been "exactly" the same.

Are you SURE that your post was saying what I just said above ? and if it was even slightly different I would be happy for you to point out the differences to me.

No! I tend to say the same thing in a couple of lines Pap rather than a book

I hope - by your last comment above - that you are not suggesting that we should go to the BNP as a choice of minority party as that is one minority party that stands for nothing but stands against a lot.

I for one would not like to see that bunch of Neo-Nazi racists get any seats in the general election as if they do all they will bring to the parliament will be hatred and bile and negativity.

No but I, and I'm sure many others if they're honest, like some of their policies (immigration for example?). Just a shame about a lot of the rest one would have to sign up for!

[Papaumau]

CC said:

No but I, and I'm sure many others if they're honest, like some of their policies (immigration for example?). Just a shame about a lot of the rest one would have to sign up for!

And THAT is the insidiousness of that bunch of hate-mongers mate; they use the immigration thing to push the rest of their bile-filled rhetoric so that they can jump on to that populist bandwagon and by that action attempting to look genuine and plausible as a political party.

They ARE NOT and they never will be and the fools that go to them for that point alone are going to be supporting a party that is a perfect copy of what we fought two world wars to get rid of !

[cheddar-caveman]

Eeee lad, I love raising that issue! Always gets someones blood up

[Papaumau]

Yes CC...that is one issue that will always cause invective anywhere on the internet and off it ! And....so it should !