So who do you vote for?

[Hugh]

Who ever gets in I believe its going to be a very close call. Not long now before we find out.

[Ivanhoe]

It could be a hung Parliament, and on a very low turn out.

[Papaumau]

Thanks for that lads....good reading !

I think that the major idea going through the minds of the electorate these days is that the New-Labourites have had a good innings and have made a lot of mistakes and the only other party that seems possible is The Tories.

AS Cameron does not really look like a Prime Minister and his Shadow Chancellor is wet behind the ears too and because most of the electorate do not really know what "Conservative" stands for any more many of them are either not going to vote at all or they are going to vote for one of the minority parties. The Liberal Democrats are growing a pace and with Vince Cable as their treasury spokesman they are looking more like a plausible alternative every day.

If we all agree that a hung parliament is likely then it falls that the Liberal Democrats are going to be the ones that are going to finish up holding the balance of power. This makes them a very good choice for all of the people that are disenchanted with the old two-party system.

Even as a Scottish Nationalist in Scotland I too will be voting Liberal Democrat in the national elections for the reasons already stated.

Sometimes we have to lay aside our political hangups and vote strategically if we want real change to actually happen !

[Hugh]

It could well be a very low turn out and it could well be from unhappy labour voters. Cons. voters will be out in force to try and get rid of G Brown.

[Ivanhoe]

My view is you're wrong.

[Hugh]

Won't be long now before we find out for sure. You don't seem happy with new labour and you being a true labour supporter which as made me reach that conclusion. I am pretty sure it won't be a low turn out with Cons. supporters. With labour supporters I am unsure about.

[Ivanhoe]

Do you actually read my postings ?

[Papaumau]

Won't be long now before we find out for sure. You don't seem happy with new labour and you being a true labour supporter which as made me reach that conclusion. I am pretty sure it won't be a low turn out with Cons. supporters. With labour supporters I am unsure about.

Hugh......

I think that the disenchanted previous Labour supporters are just the ones that might not bother to vote at all at the GE.

This could give the Tories an edge as people who normally vote Tory are the types of people who usually get out and vote anyway.

This is the worst-case scenario as far as I am concerned as when apathy reigns  it is often the default alternative that gets in.

The only saving grace is the fact that many previously Tory voters are also swing-voters who move back and forth easily at general elections. This is what happened when Blair managed his landslide victories during the first eight years of the New-Labour machine.

These "floating voters" - as they are called - are the people who make or break political parties and governments and I am just hoping that amongst these floating voters are a hard core of protestors that are sick of the two-party system. If these people get out and vote we may see a shock result in May. At least I hope so.

[Hugh]

My opinion for what its worth Cons will easily win. Cameron is more popular than you may think Papa. The only thing I have got against him at the moment he as made a lot of promises with out saying how he will pay for it. Being a very intelligent person he may be waiting until the last minute to reveal all.
You must also give a thought to a large number of young people with large student fee debts and no jobs I am pretty sure they won't be voting for Brown.
Brown could well end up in third place behind the libs. 

[Papaumau]

Well spotted Hugh !

I agree that Diddy Dave and his Tory cohorts are, up until now, an unknown quantity. A lot will come clear after the manifestos have been published and I think that a lot of potential voters are waiting until that time to make up their minds.

I also agree that Cameron is  - or tries to be - the acceptable face of Conservatism and while he is "easy on the eye" and oh-so plausible to many he is also a very inexperienced politician that has the Tory grandees working him from inside the back of his jumper.

He tries VERY hard to be a Tory "Blair" but I do not think he has half the charisma or a quarter of the intellect that Blair had in his heyday.