General Election 2015

[mnb089mnb]

This is pretty much the best piece I've read today to be honest.

Interesting that it talks of the increased Tory vote
2010: Con 36.1% vs Lab 29.0%
2015: Con 36.8% vs Lab 30.6%

 

[silkyman]

Amazingly hypocritical for any pro Tory commenter to complain about negative rhetoric when it's been the main plank of the entire Tory campaign.

 

[TimeyWimey]

I'm quite confident David Miliband will be back at some stage. Really can't see it being as a direct replacement for Ed in Doncaster though.

Quite a lot of chatter about either Dan Jarvis or Chuka Umunna taking over. I know nothing about the former and can't stand the latter. Some talk of Burnham but he was well beaten when he last stood. Can't see him winning.

On the face of it, Jarvis would be the best of the front runners. Someone who they could really sell as a "real person"; army career, no real silver spoon, bit of tragedy in personal life & no major connections to the Blair/Brown years.

 

[Laker]

Interesting that it talks of the increased Tory vote
2010: Con 36.1% vs Lab 29.0%
2015: Con 36.8% vs Lab 30.6%

I'm sorry, I'm either too thick to understand what your point is or you're agreeing with the article?

 

[TheMinsterman]

I'm sorry, I'm either too thick to understand what your point is or you're agreeing with the article?

Tories got a 0.7% increase compared to a 1.6% increase for Labour I suspect.

 

[Laker]

Amazingly hypocritical for any pro Tory commenter to complain about negative rhetoric when it's been the main plank of the entire Tory campaign.

I'd say it's been the main plank of both major parties and probably the SNP too.

The way I read it is that the reason for the sudden tide at the end was that many people in England felt scared of a Labour/SNP coalition and so they voted Tory to stop that eventuality from happening. Frankly that would worry me too. That said it didn't compel me to vote at all as I'd prefer my vote to have been for something positive and I didn't see that in any of the 5 parties in my constituency.

 

[Laker]

Tories got a 0.7% increase compared to a 1.6% increase for Labour I suspect.

But the Tory gain from 2010 to 2015 was 36.1% to 38.8% according to his figures, no? That's a 2.7 point climb and higher than Labour's 1.6 point increase?

Edit: ignore me I've totally misread it!

 

[silkyman]

I'd say it's been the main plank of both major parties and probably the SNP too.

The way I read it is that the reason for the sudden tide at the end was that many people in England felt scared of a Labour/SNP coalition and so they voted Tory to stop that eventuality from happening. Frankly that would worry me too. That said it didn't compel me to vote at all as I'd prefer my vote to have been for something positive and I didn't see that in any of the 5 parties in my constituency.

Why would it worry you? Apart from the massive and invasive scaremongering from the Tory press? HOLYSHITSCOTTISHPEOPLE was the only Tory campaign platform for a few weeks.

 

[Madejski]

I think many people overestimate the power of the press. I can't remember the last time I read a newspaper, let alone take one of its headlines seriously.

 

[BCFC Jordan]

I think many people overestimate the power of the press. I can't remember the last time I read a newspaper, let alone take one of its headlines seriously.

I think you underestimate how easily people can be brainwashed. Aren't The Sun and The Daily Mail the two best selling papers? Both very right-wing.

I find the results of the General Election staggering and really can't fathom how the Tories are getting so many votes. Obviously Labour have really struggled with the rise of the SNP but 11M voting for the Tories? Really? I guess some people just don't care about those who are most vulnerable.

 

[Madejski]

The Sun and The Daily Mail combined only sell 3.5 million papers daily, considering there's 45 million people on the electoral register it is a very small amount.

Total newspaper sales in the UK are thought to be at around 8 million, which again is only a fraction of the population. This figure is also decreasing year on year.

Maybe people do get brainwashed, and it does have an effect. But even so, the effect is probably getting smaller and smaller. It's certainly not the reason this election was won/lost by any party.

 

[Stringy]

I think the success of the Tories at this election is best explained by their dogmatism. High taxation is bad. Low taxation is good. The Conservatives saved the economy from Labour ruin; benefit scroungers are evil. It was easy to digest and given the economic recovery the narrative was music to people's ears.

Labour on the other hand offered little. There was no kind of coherency or commitment to their beliefs, probably because they weren't sure what they were. There wasn't any real attempt to scrutinise or deconstruct the view that the Tories were the experts on the economy. Perhaps the best course for Labour would be to reorganise, figure out what they stand for and explain clearly why it's a credible alternative.

 

[The Alex]

The Sun and The Daily Mail combined only sell 3.5 million papers daily, considering there's 45 million people on the electoral register it is a very small amount.

Total newspaper sales in the UK are thought to be at around 8 million, which again is only a fraction of the population. This figure is also decreasing year on year.

Maybe people do get brainwashed, and it does have an effect. But even so, the effect is probably getting smaller and smaller. It's certainly not the reason this election was won/lost by any party.

It's not just the papers though. There's much more on the internet and social media, I'd say the effect it has is getting stronger.

 

[Ebeneezer Goode]

In my experience online content, especially on social media, tends to lean left not right.

 

[Tilbury]

View attachment 926

The working classes have most definitely felt the 'recovery'... as they saunter their way down to the local food bank.

 

[Tilbury]

I think many people overestimate the power of the press. I can't remember the last time I read a newspaper, let alone take one of its headlines seriously.

You have an ounce of intelligence though, which with a generalising view, I doubt many of the tabloid press readers do. Just look at the headlines today, pretty sad really.

 

[Laker]

Why would it worry you? Apart from the massive and invasive scaremongering from the Tory press? HOLYSHITSCOTTISHPEOPLE was the only Tory campaign platform for a few weeks.

If you can't see why a party who have made it clear they only want to act for one state out of the four that make up our union would be detrimental to the rest of us then I do despair I really do.

Personally I wish Scotland had voted for independence last year as I can't see how devolved powers will ever work or be fair for all.

 

[silkyman]

But they would still only have had a fraction of the influence of whoever the senior partner was. Why would it have been something worse than Hitler teaming up with ISIS?

 

[Techno Natch]

But they would still only have had a fraction of the influence of whoever the senior partner was. Why would it have been something worse than Hitler teaming up with ISIS?

Where did he say that? :s

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

In my experience online content, especially on social media, tends to lean left not right.

This is quite interesting. I find that on Facebook, it's much more right wing, stuff about benefit scroungers etc and Twitter much more left wing. I presume it's because I control my twitter feed much more. I only follow people I want to listen to. Facebook is much more a social group of friends, family and acquaintances which would be naturally more varied.

To the person who said the effect of the media is diminishing, I very much disagree.

 

[Pyeman]

This is quite interesting. I find that on Facebook, it's much more right wing, stuff about benefit scroungers etc and Twitter much more left wing. I presume it's because I control my twitter feed much more. I only follow people I want to listen to. Facebook is much more a social group of friends, family and acquaintances which would be naturally more varied.

To the person who said the effect of the media is diminishing, I very much disagree.

The content viewed on your Facebook profile depends largely on where you grew up and the views of your immediate friends/family. I'm from Bury originally, just north of Manchester, so it's not really surprising that on my Facebook account, it's almost exclusively lefties. Had I grown up in The Cotswolds, I'd expect it'd be far more right wing.

Twitter is a different beast altogether. I've probably seen more left supporting than right, but there doesn't appear to be a significant difference. As you suggest, this probably just reflects my own interests rather than any general social media trend.

 

[Laker]

But they would still only have had a fraction of the influence of whoever the senior partner was. Why would it have been something worse than Hitler teaming up with ISIS?

Funnily enough I didn't say that but please feel free to put words in my mouth if it supports your argument!

Several months ago, Alex Salmond himself said that the smaller member of a coalition effectively holds the power. Now while I take his view with a pinch of salt, the reality is going to be somewhere between what he said and your belief that they'd only have a small influence. Either way a government with SNP influence would have to be Scottish leaning in order to keep them appeased and that would in no way be equitable for the remainder of the UK.

 

[Pyeman]

Ha, after all that it appears Bury North was a Tory hold.

Either all my Facebook friends are from Bury South, or there are a lot of shy Tories out there.

EDIT: thinking about it, a lot of my FB friends are teachers. Probably explains the overwhelming support for the left.

 

[mistermagic]

I think you underestimate how easily people can be brainwashed. Aren't The Sun and The Daily Mail the two best selling papers? Both very right-wing.

I always thought that people bought those to have a wank on the front page birds.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

The content viewed on your Facebook profile depends largely on where you grew up and the views of your immediate friends/family. I'm from Bury originally, just north of Manchester, so it's not really surprising that on my Facebook account, it's almost exclusively lefties. Had I grown up in The Cotswolds, I'd expect it'd be far more right wing.

Twitter is a different beast altogether. I've probably seen more left supporting than right, but there doesn't appear to be a significant difference. As you suggest, this probably just reflects my own interests rather than any general social media trend.

A lot of my Facebook friends are from Dagenham which leads to a bit of a dichotomy. It's a Labour area and has been forever but there's a large UKIP type support there. I see a lot of shit about immigrants and benefit scroungers (weirdly by some of my family who have lived on benefits for most of their lives). I barely look at Facebook these days Because I'm fed up with it.

 

[Pyeman]

Twitter > FB

I would do one of those big FB friend clearouts, if I actually gave a shit that is.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

I always thought that people bought those to have a wank on the front page birds.

Yeah, I can't get enough of wanking over old pictures of Maggie and Anne Widdecombe on the Mail's front page. Phwoar.

 

[Alty]

I always thought that people bought those to have a wank on the front page birds.

That's part of the Sun's appeal.

The Mail is a tabloid made to look a bit like a broadsheet. Essentially it's the Telegraph for imbeciles.

 

[Stee]

Yeah, I can't get enough of wanking over old pictures of Maggie and Anne Widdecombe on the Mail's front page. Phwoar.

*Shudder*

 

[Red]

I haven't had time to read all the other posts since I last came on so apologies if I'm just repeating others. First of all, really gutted that we're saddled with them for another 5 years. At the next election there will be no blaming 'the mess we inherited from Labour' though, that particular tactic will hold no water and it's one of the campaigning tactics that was instrumental in the Tories winning. The fact that the economy has been improving coupled with unemployment coming down month on month was also decisive I feel. Many people might have told pollsters they were voting Labour, but when they got into that voting booth they thought about how things were Labour left office, thought about the economy improving and put their x in the Tory box.

Regarding the polls, they can't be to blame for the reality not reflecting what they were reporting, they only report what they're told. It's the lying bastards that said they were voting Labour that are to blame. Fucking snakes . I think in future it goes without saying that it would be a foolish politician who thinks that polls necessarily reflect what will happen.

Another thing I think that did for Labour was Miliband himself. His image and people's perceptions of him were always going to be a problem, but I thought over the last few months he'd started to look more like somebody who was capable of being a prime minister, especially given how he performed quite well in the leaders debate. Maybe it was the little trip on the last one with Dimbleby as he exited the stage - 'I'm not voting for a man who can't navigate a 6 inch fucking step without stumbling'. Image problem was also a problem for Brown too and I think his dour persona put people off, that and the New Labour project having run its course and being a shambles.

Scotland too was clearly important, not the loss of so many seats to the SNP, but I think that the Tories constantly hammering home their argument about the control the SNP would exercise over English voters if Labour had any arrangement with them spooked a lot of people.

My main concern now is that Labour will move more to the right. Miliband did move the party a little to the left, nothing major though and I'm worried that they're going to go back.

Congrats to the SNP, I'm really pleased for them and I hope they get the influence they deserve. I'm a bit puzzled as to how they demolished Labour, nearly totally cleaned up in Scotland, yet lost the independence vote. I suppose people voted for them because of their anti-austerity package.

Terrible night for the Lib Dem's, not unexpected. They've got a monumental re-build to undertake.

The night wasn't a total disaster though. The electorate of South Thanet I hail you for removing the snake that is Nigel Farage. Typical that he says he might stand for their leadership again in September.

5 more years