General Election 2015

[TotallyFreaked]

I wrote my thoughts on this in the middle of the night...

The outspoken intellectual snobbery that comes from some (note: not all) on the left seeks to sneer at those who vote Tory. They try to paint Tory voters as stupid, nasty, selfish and/or meek sheep of billionaire media magnates. Voting Tory is presented as being unfashionable.

Beyond that, those who outwardly display Tory intentions with a board in their garden face the likelihood that it will be removed or damaged and, possibly, receive some vandalism to their property too. At the extreme end of this we saw the Conservative candidate in one of the Bristol constituency receive pretty severe damage to both her car and that of her parents.

Because of this I think that in this election at least we have seen a growing number of Tory voters keeping quiet about their intentions until they were faced with their ballot paper.

I think you are right about the Tory voter keeping quiet about their vote in fear of being labelled as being somehow selfish or ignorant. People have their own reason to vote and just because you vote Tory does not naturally make you stupid or nasty. There are lots of ' Shy Tory' voters.

At the same time I think you are wrong about the intellectual left snobbery. There are obviously some people who portray that image (as there are on the right). However the vast majority of people I speak to who vote left/Labour do so in the simple hope of simply achieving a fairer society where there is better wealth distribution and those in need are properly looked after. I do find it difficult to understand why everybody does not hold the same view but certainty do not do this from some upper handed intellectual viewpoint.

 

[Triggaaar]

The left is portrayed as lazy work shy and on benefits, yet people still say that they will vote for them

It's seen as cool to vote left, particularly if you're famous (and therefore rich), as you're helping out the little guy, down with the toffs etc. If you think that the poorer members of society are better served by a good economy run by the tories, you're sneered at, as if (as Bozza says) you're nasty and selfish.

plus opinion polls are anonymous

An opinion poll can be more like a bi-election. You can protest, you can make a point. When taking part in one, you know you're not actually choosing your government, your just making a statement. When it comes to filling in your ballot paper, you know it's the real thing, and you go with what you think is best for your country. Fear not, there will be a huge swing away from the tories at the next be-election, as people tell the tories, ok, you can run our economy, but don't privatise everything and don't **** over those that need help.

Plus I think opinion polls take into account things like you mention.

I don't think they do. They try very hard to get an even mix of voters, but they trust what the voter says, they don't just assume they were lying. Of course there are people that interpret the polls, and they will take those things into account - and indeed they did that, and predicted a tory win (although not by as much as it's been).

 

[Ernest]

Let's hope the Tories now keep ALL of their pre election promises and pledges unlike last time , the public have spoken and the Tories won.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

And the DISASTROUS night for UKIP.

Oh indeed, not a good result. As has already been mentioned though I find it utterly disgusting that UKIP and the Greens get nearly 5m votes and get two MPs while the SNP get 1.5m votes and get 56 MPs. The system doesn't represent the votes cast.

 

[Simster]

Oh indeed, not a good result. As has already been mentioned though I find it utterly disgusting that UKIP and the Greens get nearly 5m votes and get two MPs while the SNP get 1.5m votes and get 56 MPs. The system doesn't represent the votes cast.

Whilst I agree, I find it a bit galling hearing UKIP's one MP moan about it on his victory speech. He was a Tory candidate for years and didn't complain once, did he?

 

[alfredmizen]

Thanks.

Don't get used to it

 

[Bozza]

Let's hope the Tories now keep ALL of their pre election promises and pledges unlike last time , the public have spoken and the Tories won.

Why would you hope for that - you don't seem to agree with (m)any of those policies. If you did, you would have voted Conservative.

I would have thought you'd be hoping that the Conservative's wafer-thin majority means they are highly susceptible to back-bench revolts, are very unstable and Cameron loses the confidence of his party.

 

[Mr Banana]

My guess is that of the swathe of undecided voters on election day, a large number of them default to the Conservatives. The left will tell us this is because of the right wing press, but I'm not entirely convinced personally. I think it's a "better the devil you know" mindset that takes over.

It's just fear. People in this country are naturally cautious and fearful, and the Tories trade on that. They'll do it more cruelly than ever now, and anyone who isn't comfortably in the middle of society with a four-bedroom house and a 4x4 is ****ed. Those of us now need to redouble our efforts to protect the young/old/sick/poor/vulnerable from what's to come.

 

[pb21]

I don't think they do. They try very hard to get an even mix of voters, but they trust what the voter says, they don't just assume they were lying. Of course there are people that interpret the polls, and they will take those things into account - and indeed they did that, and predicted a tory win (although not by as much as it's been).

Your own wiki link says that they do! Anyway it doesn't really matter now, maybe they need to update the general methods of carrying out opinion polls.

 

[BigGully]

It's just fear. People in this country are naturally cautious and fearful, and the Tories trade on that. They'll do it more cruelly than ever now, and anyone who isn't comfortably in the middle of society with a four-bedroom house and a 4x4 is ****ed. Those of us who aren't now need to redouble our efforts to protect the young/old/sick/poor/vulnerable from what's to come.

Your'e wasting your time, you seem to be stuck in a world that doesnt exist, get on with your life, you will be forever frustrated.

 

[Nibble]

Oh indeed, not a good result. As has already been mentioned though I find it utterly disgusting that UKIP and the Greens get nearly 5m votes and get two MPs while the SNP get 1.5m votes and get 56 MPs. The system doesn't represent the votes cast.

Now that I do agree with. Personal feelings about parties aside, that is just plain wrong.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Your'e wasting your time, you seem to be stuck in a world that doesnt exist, get on with your life, you will be forever frustrated.

As song lyrics go that's actually pretty good. Why on this thread though?

Oh yes, just remembered: NUTTER.

 

[BigGully]

As song lyrics go that's actually pretty good. Why on this thread though?

Oh yes, just remembered: NUTTER.

I feel your pain mate, but move on, you're a busted flush .........

 

[Triggaaar]

Your own wiki link says that they do!

does it? Didn't read it, just googled 'shy tory' and cut/paste. If that's how it's done, fair enough. Maybe the pollsters don't realise just how shy those tories are.

EDIT - ok, read it now. It says (as you know) "Some have adopted the tactic of asking their interviewees how they had voted at the previous election, and then assumed that they would vote that way again at a discounted rate".
But that would apply equally to all parties. It doesn't seem to take much account of voters of one party being shyer than voters of another party.

 

[Stato]

I wrote my thoughts on this in the middle of the night...

The outspoken intellectual snobbery that comes from some (note: not all) on the left seeks to sneer at those who vote Tory. They try to paint Tory voters as stupid, nasty, selfish and/or meek sheep of billionaire media magnates. Voting Tory is presented as being unfashionable.

Beyond that, those who outwardly display Tory intentions with a board in their garden face the likelihood that it will be removed or damaged and, possibly, receive some vandalism to their property too. At the extreme end of this we saw the Conservative candidate in one of the Bristol constituency receive pretty severe damage to both her car and that of her parents.

Because of this I think that in this election at least we have seen a growing number of Tory voters keeping quiet about their intentions until they were faced with their ballot paper.

I think the point you make is valid, but would question the intellectual snobbery. I think that what tory voters feel subject to from the left is more to do with perceived moral superiority.

There are intellectual arguments to be made that the right wing aims to look after the interests of all, but it is a generally accepted cliche that left is a heart vote from those who want to look out for others and right is a vote with the head for self interest. As this is general perception there is likely to be more guilt felt or perception feared by those making a vote for the tories. What the left have to do if we are to gain any ground in an utterly altered political landscape is to actually start winning the intellectual arguments, particularly about economics. They did this with Keynesism, but since the Thatcher shift, Blair has been the only Labour leader to have been perceived by those uninterested in politics as winning the intellectual argument.

 

[pasty]

Here comes the Farage result....

 

[Titanic]

Conservative HOLD Thanet South... Farage fails to become an MP.

Another landmark result in an extraordinary election.

321 Conservatives elected so far.

 

[pasty]

Bye Nigel

 

[simmo]

Farage loses

 

[Mowgli37]

Excellent news