British General Election

[Abstract]

How much (if it all) do you in Canada care about the outcome of the British General Election? Labour are still certainties to win but their share of the vote will take a kicking with many votes going to Lib Dems, Tories, SNP, Plaid Cymru and shamefully even the BNP. The loss of votes is obviously due to the war which is hugely unpopular here. But again - do u care?

[MarchHare]

I haven't noticed a whole hell of a lot of coverage here. I don't get the labour party term. Isn't Tony Blair a Bush backer but the term labour conjures up a very left wing image in my head. How the hell does that work?

It's the "New Labour" of Tony Blair...basicly what we'd call a Blue Liberal in Canada. From my understanding their policies are similar to our Liberal Party's (minus the Iraq war), with the Tories being (roughly) akin to the CPC and the Lib Dems like the NDP.

[Edit]

How would all the parties rank in the left-right spectrum with the us democrats and republicans included?

From right to left:

Republicans, [Conservative Party, Tories], Democrats, ["New" Labour, Liberals], NDP, Lib Dems

The ones in brackets share more or less the same ideology, by my understanding.

[Abstract]

Traditionally its Labour on one extreme and Conservatives on the other and everyone else somewhere in between. However these two extremes get closer each year and really their is no distinct line any more. Their policies differ obviously but not in such a way as you can predict what they'll do with no trouble. So far with 4 results declared Labour have them all. Target is 324 seats for a majority.

[peter12]

Originally posted by fotze+May 5 2005, 04:59 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (fotze @ May 5 2005, 04:59 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-MarchHare@May 5 2005, 04:45 PM
Republicans, [Conservative Party, Tories], Democrats, ["New" Labour, Liberals], NDP, Lib Dems

So Thom Yorke would be after Lib Dems?

I just always figured as the Brits having very right wing government with the US backing. I guess when compared with the rest of Europe they may very well be Right.

So I assume Maggie Thatcher was a Tory? [/b][/quote]
Thatcher was one of the first hardline fiscal conservatives to come out of the collapse of the welfare state.

Every British conservative leader before her was a Tory.

Are we using party terms or political?

[Abstract]

Tory is an abbreviation of Conservative. Yes Thatcher was a Conservative and her reign is one o the main reasons people will still vote Labour.

[tjinaz]

Do you realize if Blair gets re-elected that completes the list of leaders of the coalition of the willing that were up for re-election and got it? I thought the Iraq war was going to cost them their political careers? It seems the war was much less an issue than people thought.

[peter12]

Originally posted by Abstract@May 5 2005, 05:04 PM
Tory is an abbreviation of Conservative. Yes Thatcher was a Conservative and her reign is one o the main reasons people will still vote Labour.

Wrong. To be a Tory is just to be a type of conservative.

[Abstract]

I think the problem here is that there is no real alternative. The Conservatives have no seats in Scotland or Wales before tonight and the lowest in their history in the UK as a whole. The Lib Dems arent seen as a seriously able to rule party. Then the others will win maybe 10 seats between them. Labour will win almost by default. Expect Gordon Brown to be the PM before long though.

[Abstract]

Originally posted by peter12+May 5 2005, 11:07 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (peter12 @ May 5 2005, 11:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Abstract@May 5 2005, 05:04 PM
Tory is an abbreviation of Conservative. Yes Thatcher was a Conservative and her reign is one o the main reasons people will still vote Labour.

Wrong. To be a Tory is just to be a type of conservative. [/b][/quote]
Ok let me qualify that to pander to your arrogant tone - as far as this election in Britain is concerned and politics in general over here Tory is an abbreviation of Conservative.

[peter12]

Originally posted by Abstract@May 5 2005, 05:09 PM
I think the problem here is that there is no real alternative. The Conservatives have no seats in Scotland or Wales before tonight and the lowest in their history in the UK as a whole. The Lib Dems arent seen as a seriously able to rule party. Then the others will win maybe 10 seats between them. Labour will win almost by default. Expect Gordon Brown to be the PM before long though.

Hasn't Blair alienated alot of the British Leftie voters as he waters down Labour policies?

Who gets those votes?

[peter12]

Originally posted by Abstract+May 5 2005, 05:10 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Abstract @ May 5 2005, 05:10 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Wrong. To be a Tory is just to be a type of conservative.

Ok let me qualify that to pander to your arrogant tone - as far as this election in Britain is concerned and politics in general over here Tory is an abbreviation of Conservative. [/b][/quote]
Sorry, there was meant to be more to that post. I didn't mean to sound so abrupt.

[Abstract]

Originally posted by peter12+May 5 2005, 11:10 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (peter12 @ May 5 2005, 11:10 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Abstract@May 5 2005, 05:09 PM
I think the problem here is that there is no real alternative. The Conservatives have no seats in Scotland or Wales before tonight and the lowest in their history in the UK as a whole. The Lib Dems arent seen as a seriously able to rule party. Then the others will win maybe 10 seats between them. Labour will win almost by default. Expect Gordon Brown to be the PM before long though.

Hasn't Blair alienated alot of the British Leftie voters as he waters down Labour policies?

Who gets those votes? [/b][/quote]
He has indeed. However as there is no one party that will benefit from these votes you have a situation where although the Labour vote in a constituency may drop say 7% its split between 3 or 4 parties so nobody makes up enough ground to hurt Labour really. Labour now 5 for 5.

[Abstract]

Originally posted by fotze+May 5 2005, 11:13 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (fotze @ May 5 2005, 11:13 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-Abstract@May 5 2005, 05:09 PM
I think the problem here is that there is no real alternative. The Conservatives have no seats in Scotland or Wales before tonight and the lowest in their history in the UK as a whole. The Lib Dems arent seen as a seriously able to rule party. Then the others will win maybe 10 seats between them. Labour will win almost by default. Expect Gordon Brown to be the PM before long though.

Sounds exactly like Canada where the NDP=Lib Dems, Labour=Liberals, Conservative=conservatives. Conservatives once powerful screwed it all up back aways and now they scare people so they vote the Liberals as the party they hate the least. [/b][/quote]
Yup thats pretty much it in a nutshell. Lesser of the evils rather than a good option.

[moon]

My only real interest is to see that Blair wins and isn't kicked out for making the right decision on Iraq.

Also, who are the BNP? I am assuming some sort of nationalistic Ultra right wing party based on your "shamefully" comment.

[Abstract]

Originally posted by moon@May 5 2005, 11:31 PM
My only real interest is to see that Blair wins and isn't kicked out for making the right decision on Iraq.

Also, who are the BNP? I am assuming some sort of nationalistic Ultra right wing party based on your "shamefully" comment.

Yeah think Nazi's but with Union Jacks instead of swastika's.

[lucid]

51 of 646 seats declared.
And I'm dead tired... no way I'm staying up for this. I'll be (not so) surprised in the morning.
I was stuck studying the other day, but my friends told me I missed a wicked debate with the LAB candidate just being pelted with questions, and ripped to shreds. lol

[KevanGuy]

Blair’s Labour wins, but narrowly

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7706165

[Cheese]

Election? Britain? Isnt that an Island somewhere in the Atlantic?
Arent they ruled by a Queen? Does that mean Gay marriage is legal there?
Isnt that the place where they speak with that funny accent we saw on a TV show called Monty's Python...you know...way back when the English had comedians?

[Flame On]

Originally posted by MarchHare@May 5 2005, 03:45 PM

It's the "New Labour" of Tony Blair...basicly what we'd call a Blue Liberal in Canada. From my understanding their policies are similar to our Liberal Party's (minus the Iraq war), with the Tories being (roughly) akin to the CPC and the Lib Dems like the NDP.

[Edit]

From right to left:

Republicans, [Conservative Party, Tories], Democrats, ["New" Labour, Liberals], NDP, Lib Dems

The ones in brackets share more or less the same ideology, by my understanding.

It should be noted though that the Tories in the UK don't have the values platforms they dable with here, which is why I voted for them. Sure every once in a while they'd create a tag line about "Back to Basics" or something, until one of their MP's would be caught in bed with a mistress wearing her thong or something (sorry for the mental image) then they'd shut up and then drop it. But for the must part it was just financial responsibility and other core conservative agendas.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally posted by Cheese@May 6 2005, 06:40 AM
...you know...way back when the English had comedians?

Without adding anything to this Election conversation I wll respond to this quip by Cheese.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0315041/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290978/