First is, what possible reason could you have for voting for that bunch of closet racists and lying toerags? If you're going to engage in a protest vote, at least give it to someone who can't make much out of it. Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, but I despise the tories with a passion, they care nothing for anyone earning less than about 50k/year, they have no understanding of poverty or unemployment or the benefits system. They don't understand state education or healthcare because they don't use it.

What I've noticed is how much emphasis the media of putting on the BNP, yes they're fascists but they won 13 seats, the Greens gained more than that and hardly get a mention. The media concentrating on the fascists just gives them more publicity and pushes their vote up.

Surprised to see you still using those bigoted outdated stereotypes Jo. Thought better of you.

Considering the abject failure in almost every respect of Blair's Government (about the only good thing has been the giving of control of the Bank Rate to the Bank of England) and a Government as covered in sleaze as John Major's was, if not more so then voting for the Conservatives is a reasonable option. Certainly if your serious about having good Government.

A very healthy number of people seem to think so and the vast majority will be normal hard working individuals the vast majority of whom would be on perfectly normal salaries.

Given that the tories were overtly racist, in their policies and rhetoric, in the general election last year, and for the previous 2 centuries, I'm not overly inclined to think that they've changed. The tory party may have working class supporters, some bought in the Thatcher era by right to buy, which screwed and is continuing to screw those currently in need of local authority housing, but its interests, like new labour's (only more so) are those of big business. I'm not too young to remember tory cuts to healthcare and education, or the poll tax, or the cuts in income tax paid for by increases in regressive taxation. Nothing I've seen suggests that the tories have changed or are likely to change. Their recent green gloss has been nothing more than a publicity stunt, they've shown no commitment to getting cars and trucks off the road, to improving public transport, to making the tough choices that need to be made to implement renewable energy. I don't trust Blair as far as I can throw him, I don't trust Cameron enough to even pick him up. While we're on the subject lib dem insiders suggest Ming Cambell's a nasty piece of work as well, and the lib dems have been swinging too much to the right recently anyway. I've voted Green at every opportunity since I turned 18.

No I wouldn't say they were overtly rascist in the last election although it is unfortunate that ANY attempt to discuss the issues is met with a blanket insult regardless. Please be aware by the way that I have long worked in a multi-cultural environment both here and abroad and that relatives of mine are from ethnic backgrounds.

I cannot believe that a 2 centuries old mindset and environment has any relevance today. What happened then happened them when ethics and beliefs were what they were then. Still I suppose it all still rumbles on see Northern Ireland.

I cannot but agree with you on the state of the other parties & personally feel that the state of the parties is the worst I have seen in many a long year.

My own vote goes to the party I think can do the least harm; I have no trust in any of them doing the most good.

Originally Posted by Jo Bennett

First is, what possible reason could you have for voting for that bunch of closet racists and lying toerags? If you're going to engage in a protest vote, at least give it to someone who can't make much out of it. Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh, but I despise the tories with a passion, they care nothing for anyone earning less than about 50k/year, they have no understanding of poverty or unemployment or the benefits system. They don't understand state education or healthcare because they don't use it.

What I've noticed is how much emphasis the media of putting on the BNP, yes they're fascists but they won 13 seats, the Greens gained more than that and hardly get a mention. The media concentrating on the fascists just gives them more publicity and pushes their vote up.

Apologies for delay, been away a few days.

What reason? Well firstly, I voted according to local council issues and not just as a popularity contest for whichever joker in Westminster. The local Labour party here has been increasingly ineffectual IMHO, with nothing but a vague smugness to them. The local Tories have been heavily involved in campaigning on various issue throughout the community, hence they got my vote.

That said I'm very close to voting Tory next general election. I'm centre right, hence have voted Labour previously. I certainly wouldn't say the Tories were any more 'lying toe rags' than Labour, or any other politician.

The racism issue has been the biggest off put to me in the past, I had huge issues over Tory policy on immigration and asylum. However I'm reasonably hopeful that under Cameron such things will not become policy.

I always like listening to other countries talk about "center right" which means to the left of Howard Dean over here. I can't imagine what would happen if you got one of our "center right" people in office over there.

I know what you mean Steeve, I think the same way about what you guys call the far left. In all honesty I think the right wing in the US would get laughed out of the polling station, especially the fundies.

@ Phunting, if it's right wing economic policies, surely the lib dems are more your kettle of fish, given the orange book etc. As far as Cameron goes I don't expect the rest of the party to change with him anymore than the labour party changed with Blair.

Originally Posted by Jo Bennett

@ Phunting, if it's right wing economic policies, surely the lib dems are more your kettle of fish, given the orange book etc. As far as Cameron goes I don't expect the rest of the party to change with him anymore than the labour party changed with Blair.

But the Labour party did change totally with Blair. Or at least 'New Labour'. Possibly you're right, we'll see how it goes and if it looks like the Tories have actually changed.

Actually no, I hate right wing economics. In that respect I am totally socialist.

Originally Posted by Jo Bennett

I know what you mean Steeve, I think the same way about what you guys call the far left. In all honesty I think the right wing in the US would get laughed out of the polling station, especially the fundies.

Unless they stood in Barking...

Originally Posted by Phunting

But the Labour party did change totally with Blair. Or at least 'New Labour'. Possibly you're right, we'll see how it goes and if it looks like the Tories have actually changed.

Actually no, I hate right wing economics. In that respect I am totally socialist.

So in what sense are you centre-right then? If it's the racism that puts you off the tories, then what do you have left? With ASBOs and the criminalisation of protest I can't imagine you want something more right wing on the law and order front (if you do then I'm gonig to suggest your not so much centre right as far right ).

The labour party hasn't changed. Talk to grassroots labour supporters and you'll find most of them want better trade union rights, higher income taxes on high earners, and a hell of a lot of them are anti-nuclear. What's changed is that they're disillusioned with this labour government, which rather than being red, has been a sort of tepid purple. The same thing will happen to the tories under Cameron, they'll be happy for a while if it brings them victory, but when they've just got more Blair out of it, they'll start to get angry. The party leaderships, almost by necessity, represent one extreme of their party.

On Barking, you have to recall the the US fascists are usually economically right wing, low tax et al, whereas the BNP are more traditional nazis, mainly authoritarian with fairly left wing economic positions. Plus their claims to Christianity are far less fervent than those in the US.

Originally Posted by Jo Bennett

I know what you mean Steeve, I think the same way about what you guys call the far left. In all honesty I think the right wing in the US would get laughed out of the polling station, especially the fundies.

@ Phunting, if it's right wing economic policies, surely the lib dems are more your kettle of fish, given the orange book etc. As far as Cameron goes I don't expect the rest of the party to change with him anymore than the labour party changed with Blair.

Yet we are scrapping by just as well as other countries...so can't be but so bad

Yeah, you must be really proud of having an infant mortality and literacy rate worse than Cuba

Originally Posted by Jo Bennett

Yeah, you must be really proud of having an infant mortality and literacy rate worse than Cuba

You aren' that much farther down so I wouldn't be bragging. I'd hate to pull out stats where the UK fails.

Originally Posted by Jo Bennett

Yeah, you must be really proud of having an infant mortality and literacy rate worse than Cuba

Err actually the US has the same literacy rate as us: 99.9%. Cuba has 96.9%.