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It seems like a real exciting and close race . So to all you Brits what did you vote for and why. (Any chanse you all withdraw from EU )

Yeah, Conservatives took us into the Common Market all those years ago, but now they use the Euro, which is really a loginbal progression from the Common Market -> European Community thing, as a political bargianing chip, but it's a lesser of two evils thing at the moment.

The Cons have said we will NOT join the Euro in the next Parliment if they get in. The Labs sat on the fence, but the view is that they will go for the Euro. Not 100% sure on the Lib Dem stance on the Euro, but I think it's a no.

I would vote Lib Dem but, with the current oppinion poles standings, the only way to end the Labour governement is to support the Conservatives. That said, my only issue with the Conservatives is that Hague is such a simpering little **** . If they had a strong leader, like Portillo, then they'd probably walk this election.

So, as I always have, I will be voting for the Conservatives.

I'm on the extreme left.

But that's just the seating arangement in the office I'm afraid.

Well I would vote Lib dem but I am afraid i don't agree with there "abolish all independant schools" idea. Hmmm!

Well I hope it doesn't take as long over there as it did over here to decide the winner.

I can't believe you guys are falling for the "Vote for us and we'll keept he pound" crap. You DO know this is about voting in governments with the the best policies and NOT a "Should we go for the Euro" vote.

And No I would never in a million years vote for Torys. I'm currently on the fence between the Lim Dems and Labour.

BTW finti, according to the opinion polls this is not going to be a close call....but a landslide for labour...again.

In the final analysis, my vote was to try and push the Labour party out of power.

Education, Healthcare and Transport have all suffered in various ways under the Blair regime. In the 19 or so years of Conservative government that I can remember I always think things were pretty good, though that is my opinion, based on my background, lifestyle, etc.

The closer we bond with Europe, the less of a country we become. I think the whole issue of the Euro is intrinsic to our independence as a nation and our standing in the worldwide arena.

As a nation I think our worldwide standing has fallen in the last four years.

Although our Economy has been the doing great under Labour. Inflation is low, Interest Rates are low, Unemployment in under one million etc.

The transport (I'm assuming you mean trains) was a blunder on Railtracks part...which BTW the Torys privatised!

Do you really think the Torys would do a better job?

Well I just wanna keep my school. That's all there is to it. What? I'm a kid! I don't kno what I'm doing. Heck they shouldn't even allow me to vote! i don't feel old enough to do it!

Edna, where did you hear the "abolish all independant schools".....not from the Torys I hope

No like I said. It's some Rash Lib Dem policy! Not that they could ever actually inforce it! I can't see it happening myself! There would be riots!

I'm not blaming them for the issues as such. But they promised improvements and I don't see them. How can you have someone like Two Jags speaking out about why we should all use Public Transport?

Exactly! Bring back Maggie Thatcher I say! She was the best bloody Prime Minister we had for a long time!

Anyway as much as I would love to stay and talk politics (yeah right!), I have something very important to be doing today so I will see you guys later! Ciao!

nobody got the irony even after I posted about it

Bring back Maggie Thatcher???????????

She's the one who was so nice to miners. Of course we want someone like that back.

Well, I'm not going to vote on the basis of somthing that happened in the 80's.

All I know is that in the 4 years of Labour rule the public services in my area have taken a dramatic downturn, 3 hospitals have been shut whilst only one has been opened and that's already in need on expansion 12 months after it came online.

The roadways are crubling and the cheap and nasty repair job they did just caused more problems than it solved.

Petrol, well don't even go there.

I think the thing about 2 jags precott that got me was at the Labour conference a couple of years back where his wife was driven 300 yards in a Jag to avoid the wind upsetting her hairdo! This is the man who has committed to promote the idea that we don't use our cars for silly little trips....

When that Labour party gets back in, and I think it is a foregone conclusion unfortunately, I think the first thing Blair should do is sack Prescott.

I think everyone got the irony, Finti, but I'm afriad you opened quite a can of worms, there...

I voted Tory in the end (sorry, Raz, but you know how torn I was), purely based on the quality of local candiates. Which is odd, because I think John Whittingdale is a nutter, but the other candidates were far worse. Locally I voted for the Lib Dems, who have always done good work around here.

The Labour government has been far from perfect, to be sure. I never wanted them in. But it must be said they have got a lot of things working., and social progress has happened in a way that never would have done under the Tories. Heck, the fact that things are happening at ALL was better than the last Tory Government!

Trouble is, a lot of Labour personalities make me very nervous, and meanwhile I am with Edna on the schools thing- some of the Lib-Dems over socialist policies are very worrying indeed, and sometimes Labour is dangerously close to that. Tony Blair ISN'T, but it is always a tenuous control he has.

Heck, I'm not happy with the Tories, either, whoi have plenty of useful stuff but are INSANELY held up on this Euro thing.

Trouble is, a thread about Europe would go on forEVER...

So like I say, in the end, I took it on local candidates, and there you go.

I feel bound ro repeat to Raz, however, that the Lib-Dems are the only people insane enough to put up the taxes necessary to abolish tuition fees. Basic economics has defeated the studnets there, and that is a force that is foten far more powerful than politics...

Wow! he actually agrees with one of my political views! Not that I have many!

Well... I am worried about you coming to hast decisions on the Euro... VERY complex subject...

OK when I said the Euro I actually meant theEU as a whole. i was thinking more about the job market actually. I'm not a please save the pound person. Couldnt give a damn about the currency but do care about the job market and if we join the EU then I trully believe that the brits will lose out there.

Well, I kind of guessed you mewnt the whole thing. It is still a VERY complex subject. But the job market is pretty much blown open already; stopping the globlisation drive is beyond the cpacity of anyone country, or perahps beyond anyone at all.

Sorry finti...I missed the " ".

According to the exit polls...its another Labour landslide.

Ushgarak, I KNEW you would vote for the Torys...very predictable.

And no-one answered my question...do you really think the Torys would do a better job than Labour??

I dont know but quite frankly can they really do much worse?

Don't assume to predict me, Raz, it was a damn close thing.

I don't see why they wouold do any worse per se. I'm not certain if the current Tory party would bring in the sort of legislation I would like. Maybe in a few years, though, when they are less badly focused.

Ush I knew from the start you would vote Torys....you're that kind of guy.

Anyway Labour haven't done as bad as the previous administration.

I am absolutley not that kind of guy, Raz, and that is a very hasty and incorrect assumption. I loathe the Tories in all sorts of ways. I am a long way from a traditional Tory voter.

Sometimes, though, you have to do these things.

Hmmm General eleaction. An exciting and close race? Are you sure this is the general election you are talking about Finti? That's not exactly how I would describe it.

I'm about to pop next door and vote myself. Don't have a clue who for. I know nowt about politics. I'm just a dumb 18 year old. I'll probably vote conservative though as I don't think we should join the Euro and Lib Dem are even more Left wing than Labour. Not that I know what I am talking about at all. It just sounds impressive. And Ush will be impressed that I did a little, though minimal, research since he last saw me!

Can anyone say Landslide?

ehh does the word irony roing a bell?

Yes....I can....

LANDSLIDE

Very good. But you do realise that the lefties will have you saying it in Flemish soon......

Blimey, the Lib Dems are ahead of the Tories right now! Won't last, of course, but it is funny to see.

Well, I guess Hague is on the way out.

I love the way that all the presenters are trying to get any member of the tory party tp say that Hague will go.

It's obvious that tonight of all nights they will tow the party line. Tomorrow morning may be a diffeent story of course.

Question is, who is brave enough to lead a party even WEAKER than it was? Portillo et al were all waiting for the party to be re-built first...

Portillo will do it... He's got the strength and the presence they need.

On a slightly different note, haven't they given Peter Snow and absoilute feast of graphics and charts to play with.

It's BEAUTIFUL! Even better than the fly-by shooting from last time. They are the funniest ever!

Well, Portillo would certainly make me feel better about the Tories. Get them back to sane ground.

Depends how you feel about Thatcherism I guess, after all he was her progidy.

Oh, I dare say he will freak me out in a number of ways, but it will be nice to see a Tory party that works properly.

I think Jeremy Paxman, or whatever tha arrogant gits name is, should go for the job.

He would be a VERY interesting leader... imagine him at PM's Question Time!

'Come ON!'

Did you see him and Portillo when he was asking if Portillo would want to be leader.

Irresistable force meets immovable object!

Well it's all over now anyway but it's interesting to see that more people didn't bother to vote than actual votes made for Labour. A complete lack of trust in any party and also lack of choice makes people not bother voting.

The BNP's plan worked...thankfully they didn't get a seat.

What about right wing stuff guess they did well in Oldham.

God, I feel stupid now. Still, who would have thought that Portillo wouldn't make the final ballot?

For get Attack of the Clones....

It's Attack of the Ancient Threads!!!!

I wasn't here when the election was happening. This year for the first time I voted Scottish National Party.

There used to be three hospitals in my area. The Tories closed two, and Labour finished the job by closing the third. The thought of the Tories ever getting back into power scared me enough to vote for the only Scottish independance party.

What their symbol?

It's sort of a cross. Original or what.