General Election 2015 - Thoughts/Predictions/Results

[me123]

I've just voted too, having travelled all the way to Aberdeen just to do so. Forgot to get a postal vote Still, VTEC's toad in the hole certainly made up for it

I always find voting a bit anticlimactic. I get really excited, proud and patriotic going in, then panic as I double, triple and quadruple check to make sure I've voted for the right candidate, and then leave feeling like I've not done very much.

I'll be interested to see where the forum's opinion lies, though, and how it compares to the overall share of the vote.

 

[Manchester77]

As a Scot I hope you took your opportunity and voted SNP! I know I'd like to vote for the SNP but there's certain factors such as them not fielding English candidates that restrict me from doing so

 

[me123]

I am proud to say that my cross went alongside my local SNP candidate, and I hope to see an SNP MP representing Aberdeen South this time tomorrow.

To everyone who lives in one of the 650 constituencies in the UK, if you haven't done so already please go out and vote. Just under eight hours until the polls close people!

 

[bussnapperwm]

To everyone who lives in one of the 650 constituencies in the UK, if you haven't done so already please go out and vote. Just under eight hours until the polls close people!

Agree with that...People have a duty to Britain to go and vote

 

[Starmill]

Here's my little monologue about why I voted how I did:

As an [student!] Economist, voting Green has been, well shall we say a bit of a challenge. To vote for policies I would have chosen the Lib Dems. For prudence it would have been Labour. But a cynicism about Mainstream/Classical Economic theory, particularly the non-satiation (more is always better) and a decision I made long ago that this election would be about values more than it is about policies (bourne out strongly by the lack of policy details from all quarters) has led me happily to it. Ignore the swing, and if you have to, look past the people. Vote for the values you most believe in. And now to (hopefully) cast my third and final ballot!

That last line is because I voted twice in the local elections.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

I am proud to say that my cross went alongside my local SNP candidate, and I hope to see an SNP MP representing Aberdeen South this time tomorrow.

To everyone who lives in one of the 650 constituencies in the UK, if you haven't done so already please go out and vote. Just under eight hours until the polls close people!

Some can't vote thanks to the register not being correct after the Con-Dems changed it.
Others as they're polling card hasn't come yet.
And in Hull East some postal ballots were wrong(no green or labour) and it means some have now lost their right to vote effectively. They also are not allowed the new one unless they hand in the incorrect one. People who used them might have invalid votes. If they had a holiday planned they're doomed.
Also some foolishly ripped up their cards thanks to Russel Brand before he changed his mind.

I know you don't need the card, but it's a big put-off if you haven't got one.

 

[Darandio]

I know you don't need the card, but it's a big put-off if you haven't got one.

I don't understand, how? Presuming you know which polling station is yours and you are on the electoral roll, simply visit and you will be on the list.

 

[CC 72100]

Some can't vote thanks to the register not being correct after the Con-Dems changed it.
Others as they're polling card hasn't come yet.
And in Hull East some postal ballots were wrong(no green or labour) and it means some have now lost their right to vote effectively. They also are not allowed the new one unless they hand in the incorrect one. People who used them might have invalid votes. If they had a holiday planned they're doomed.
Also some foolishly ripped up their cards thanks to Russel Brand before he changed his mind.

I know you don't need the card, but it's a big put-off if you haven't got one.

They can vote if they haven't got their polling card, so that point doesn't make much sense!

As for Russell Brand - well it's a bit of a shame that his "actually, I have a confession to make, go and vote" has come after voting registrations, which is a bit object-defeating in certain cases, unless people had registered but were not going to vote to make a point.

I wasn't aware of incorrect ballot papers being sent in Hull East - I haven't seen anything about it in the news. An error in Peterborough did however make the news: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-32393131

I'm voting by proxy today. I miss the whole 'going up to the polling station / inevitably seeing someone you know from the village there / did I mark the right one" routine

 

[Antman]

Agree with that...People have a duty to Britain to go and vote

I believe it is compulsory in Australia?

I do get annoyed with the lazy individuals who just can't be bothered and try to justify their inaction by saying "what's the point..............they're all the same" which then gives them carte blanche to moan about whoever gets into power on the basis that they didn't vote for them:roll:

 

[Starmill]

The Polling Card says on it "You do not need this card to vote." It's only purpose is that you know where to go to vote. I took mine with me as did most of the people in our queue (about 20 minutes, anyone else have to queue?) but nobody needed them as they simply ask for your road, house/flat number and then confirm your name.

 

[Oswyntail]

I don't understand, how? Presuming you know which polling station is yours and you are on the electoral roll, simply visit and you will be on the list.

Indeed, I showed mine, expecting, as usual, that they would take my name and address from it. No, I was told quite severely that they had to hear the information from me.
Incidentally, in my parish council ward there were three seats up for grabs, only four candidates, of whom three were from one party. A sad indictment of public involvement, and just a tad undemocratic.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

According to a seat projection in the i newspaper:
Labour 293
Conservative 272
Scottish National 46
Liberal Democrats 18
Plaid Cymru 2
Green 1
Others 18
- Source John Curtice

 

[Senex]

I believe it is compulsory in Australia?

I do get annoyed with the lazy individuals who just can't be bothered and try to justify their inaction by saying "what's the point..............they're all the same" which then gives them carte blanche to moan about whoever gets into power on the basis that they didn't vote for them:roll:

It is indeed compulsory in Australia.

I shall end the day as one who did not vote, because I could see no strong case to vote for any of the candidates on offer. If there were the opportunity to put a cross against a box "None of the above" and for the number of those so voting to be given equal prominence with the numbers voting for each candidate, then I should quite happily have gone to the polling station to cross that box.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Indeed, I showed mine, expecting, as usual, that they would take my name and address from it. No, I was told quite severely that they had to hear the information from me.
Incidentally, in my parish council ward there were three seats up for grabs, only four candidates, of whom three were from one party. A sad indictment of public involvement, and just a tad undemocratic.

Only use one vote on the lone candidate and not the others maybe?
Better than justifying it.

 

[ASharpe]

Who else with a postal vote actually hand delivers it? I have one because I might be working away, but I still took myself down to the polling station to hand it in today.

 

[TheKnightWho]

I believe it is compulsory in Australia?

I do get annoyed with the lazy individuals who just can't be bothered and try to justify their inaction by saying "what's the point..............they're all the same" which then gives them carte blanche to moan about whoever gets into power on the basis that they didn't vote for them:roll:

Someone here tried to argue that voting was participating in the system, and we should not vote but spend our time doing "real politics".

Needless to say, even the extreme left thought this was ridiculous.

 

[Hornet]

Who else with a postal vote actually hand delivers it? I have one because I might be working away, but I still took myself down to the polling station to hand it in today.

I had to travel to the UK to do my postal vote as the morons didn't get it to me in time in Dublin. (It still hasn't arrived). They re-issued it to my folks address after I had an absolute corker of a blazing row with the returning officer for my local constituency last Wednesday and Friday. Her excuse was with the new registration regime. Didn't wash with me as I registered last year. Will be writing to the Electoral Ombudsman about this unacceptable issue. (Have had a postal vote for the last eight years and it has always arrived two weeks before an Election).

 

[me123]

Just come across an interesting update to a wikipedia election article:

I'm not quite sure if this was a Labour activist trying to support the party, or another party's activist trying to do harm...

 

[Oswyntail]

... His advice is clearly to do that staring down the camera thing as an attempt to connect with the viewers. ...

If that is the quality of advice he is getting we should all be very worried

 

[northwichcat]

Conservative supporter Katie Hopkins may have damaged Cameron's changes of remaining as Prime Minister by Tweeting the following about Miliband

If this man is Prime Minister I will leave the UK. This man is not Great Britain. This is Russell Brand in a chuffing suit

 

[Busaholic]

Indeed, I showed mine, expecting, as usual, that they would take my name and address from it. No, I was told quite severely that they had to hear the information from me.
Incidentally, in my parish council ward there were three seats up for grabs, only four candidates, of whom three were from one party. A sad indictment of public involvement, and just a tad undemocratic.

Quite right too, as otherwise anyone could just pick one up. I never take my polling card with me and also never give any info to the three wise monkeys (sometimes only two or none at all if you leave it late enough) from the main parties lurking near the entrance. Mind you, my notoriety locally is such that one of them usually knows who I am and can tick me off to her heart's content (almost always a her).

 

[me123]

Quite right too, as otherwise anyone could just pick one up. I never take my polling card with me ...

And, of course, it's totally beyond the realms of possibility that a small scale fraudster might actually read and memorise a name and address prior to entering the voting station.

 

[adrock1976]

My own predictions and thoughts on the election:

Labour will have less than 10 seats short than the Conservatives.
Lib-Dems will be heavily punished - with perhaps Charles Kennedy being the only LD to retain their seat in Scotland.
UKIP may sneak one seat (not what I would want).
Caroline Lucas to retain Brighton Pavilion, with the Green Party maybe sneaking a couple of seats in Bristol and Cambridge.
Montgomeryshire constituency (famously represented by former LD MP Lembit Opick) to go from Conservative to Plaid Cymru.
In Scotland, my desire to see Jim Murphy, Gemma Doyle, Douglas Alexander, Michael McCann, Brian Donohoe, and Tom Harris unseated (the main New Labour mob in West of Scotland) - these constituencies will fall to SNP.
David Mundell (who has the dubious honour of being the only Conservative MP in Scotland) may just hold on, but should expect a double challenge from Lib-Dems and SNP.

Sinn Fein to retain their constituencies, but does not affect the outcome overall due to SF refusing to pledge allegiance to the monarchy.
Naomi Long to retain Belfast East.
DUP to retain their seats.

The worst outcome for me in terms of forming a government would be Cameron clinging on with the support of UKIP and the DUP. This would be a worst type of politics that would be riddled with division and sectarianism, due to the DUP attracting undesirables in Northern Ireland (namely the UVF mob and Belfast branch of the Orange Order, and others who make reference to 12th July 1690).

The best outcome for me would be a progressive alliance between Labour (with not so many Blairite New Labour careerists remaining after the election compared to 1997), Greens, the remaining Lib-Dems who are truly liberal, Plaid Cymru, and SNP (even though the leadership and upper echelons of the SNP government are how I perceive it are not really a left alternative to New Labour).

I will be seeing the results coming in overnight

In peace

Adam

 

[backontrack]

Unfortunately looks like a continuation of ConDem is on the cards, but at least Danny Alexander will lose his seat.

 

[DarloRich]

Unfortunately looks like a continuation of ConDem is on the cards, but at least Danny Alexander will lose his seat.

the final four polls are still far to tight to make any predictions : http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/

The next poll will be the exit poll at 22:00

I have been and voted, the polling station was busy with a queue to get in which is always a good sign. We had three votes today, general election, local election and a local referendum on planning

 

[TheKnightWho]

Very nearly voted Mad Hatter for Monster Raving Loony as my vote means very little in this constituency, but decided to go sensible in the end.

 

[Kite159]

I voted after work, couple other voters in the polling station, steady flow of voters all day to the polling officers.

3 votes for me, borough council (lovely Test Valley), county council (the not so lovely Hampshire), and the main election.

Although the borough council had just 2 names on it!

 

[Mojo]

Here's my entry for the sweepstakes:

Con 283
Lab 261
SNP 49
Lib 29
Plaid 4
Ukip 3
Galloway 1
Green 1
Speaker 1
(+ NI Parties 18)

 

[cjp]

Went to Vote, had my ballot paper and was told I had to turn my phone off. Declined as the law is no photography of certain things , nothing about mobile phones. Spoke to the"senior presiding officer" who agreed I could / should have voted even with my phone switched on. But then said I had to queue up again for another 15 minutes. So I went home.
Only one candidate lives in the ward and all are power and money hungry. Forget it

 

[Tetchytyke]

There was a bit of a queue when I got to my polling station at half twelve, which was good to see. Less good to see was the old bat with the Tory rosette demanding to know what everyone's voter number was. She got short shrift.

We had a good list of candidates for the borough council, but sadly no silly candidates on the general election, so I had to vote sensibly. Which is a shame, as this is a very safe seat.

I don't agree that not voting is "laziness"; sometimes it is, sometimes it is a genuine view that there is no point because no party represents them. And given that records are not kept of deliberately spoiled papers- those who deliberately spoil and those who can't vote properly are just lumped together- there's really precious little point going to the polling station just to do a doodle of a willy on the ballot paper.