Doesn't mean to say that the bloke didn't say these things though does it...? Doesn't alter the fact either that the Carman is a pathetic tosser with extremely sour grapes.... I mean, if this is how he feels about the people he's supposed to be "representing", I think he needs to take a long, hard look at why he got into politics....

 

I know, I just find the idea of the EDL accusing someone of being racist as hypocritical as Eric Pickles accusing kids of avoiding salads.

Loads of elections coming up on 5 May:

1. local elections in many English councils

Scottish Parliament elections

Welsh Assembly elections

Northern Ireland Assembly elections

Leicester South by-election (for main UK Parliament)

AV referendum

I got my polling card through whilst I was on holiday. :w00t:

 

 

I'm rather curious about what the outcome of the Scottish Election will be.

English local elections

Labour should make pretty huge gains in these, purely because they've done so abysmally in council elections in recent years that the only way is up... the last time these seats were contested in 2007 (when Blair was still in power!), they only got about 27% nationwide; they should pile on about 10-15% on top of that this time. The Lib Dems got 26% in 2007, but will be lucky to even get half that score this time around - they suffer huge losses. The Tories got 40% in 2007, so should fall a bit and lose a lot of seats to Labour, but they should also pick up quite a lot of seats from the Lib Dems in the south. I think UKIP and the Greens are going to have very good results too. Personally, I'll just be hoping that Labour manage to topple the Tory-LibDem coalition in Birmingham council, which has predictably been f***ing-up the city.

 

Scottish elections

The SNP and Labour are very close, with both at around 35-40%. Pretty unexpected, because Labour looked set for a clear win only a couple of months ago, but Alex Salmond has a lot more personal popularity than Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray. I think Labour will *just* edge the most seats, but it would be a pretty big setback if they do get beaten. The Lib Dems look set for a particularly humiliating result here - a poll last week put them on 4%, behind the SNP, Labour, the Tories and the Greens.

 

Welsh elections

Labour look set to coast to victory here - latest poll puts them on over 50%, which should give them an overall majority. The Conservative vote is surprisingly holding up quite well, Plaid Cymru and Lib Dems look set for very bad results - the latter could end up with no seats at all.

 

Leicester South by-election

This was a Lib-Lab marginal in the fairly recent past, but the Lib Dems slipped far behind Labour at the 2010 election, and presumably will have fallen back further still since then - so this shouldn't be competitive. The Libs might be saved from a complete embarrassment if Tories tactically vote for them like in Oldham, but Labour should be on track to get over 50% of the vote.

Scottish elections

The SNP and Labour are very close, with both at around 35-40%. Pretty unexpected, because Labour looked set for a clear win only a couple of months ago, but Alex Salmond has a lot more personal popularity than Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray. I think Labour will *just* edge the most seats, but it would be a pretty big setback if they do get beaten. The Lib Dems look set for a particularly humiliating result here - a poll last week put them on 4%, behind the SNP, Labour, the Tories and the Greens.

As I said months ago, I can see the SNP pulling this off.

 

Salmond has a very very very talented PR team and a wonderful Spin Doctor.

 

Not to mention the desire for Independence for Scotland is only going to get stronger as the cuts from down south bite. The Scottish Governments most recent budget hasn't cut anything at all with the SNP coming out strongly against the cuts made by the ConDems.

 

The election is still a month away, plenty of time for people to get the first pay check of the new tax year.

Don't forget the Northern Irish Elections too.

 

As I've not been there for the best part of a year, I'm not too sure at how the feelings are on the ground, but I'm predicting that the DUP/Sinn Fein will remain the two biggest parties in the assembly, albeit with Sinn Fein getting closer to the DUP's total. The SDLP will pick up an extra 3 seats, The UUP will collapse and lose at least 10 seats, and the Alliance Party will gain an extra four seats, mainly from the UUP's collapsing vote. The TUV (which broke away from the DUP when the got into office with Sinn Fein and headed by Jim Alastair, the most bigoted man in NI) will pick up 1-3 seats from disenfranchised DUP voters, whilst the PUP (the UVF's political wing), and the Green Party should each get a seat.

 

This is also the first year that UKIP and the BNP are running in the Assemble in NI. I'm just glad they're not standing in my constituency.

Ooo I can't wait for the local elections - the Tories actually hold my ward (Washington South) and could hold it, but hopefully Labour will regain it - if Tony Benn was here, then Labour support would be massive, he's a HERO round here...

It seems that in Northern Ireland one issue that seems to be uniting the parties on all sides of the community is an opposition to a rise in tuition fees, which I think is fantastic. The only party running that don't seem to be promising this is the NI BNP, who instead are promising us salt. No, seriously, just check out their PEB:

 

 

What worries me about the BNP is that they're not too far off from the policies of the DUP and TUV, so it's possible that they may pick up a few votes from the unionist community.

On the subject of the BNP, i have just read the the manifestos from UKIP and the BNP for Holyrood and they are basically identical. Word for word in some cases.

 

Both are utterly horrid, but i did find myself agreeing with them on these points:

 

- Bye bye Speed Bumps [i live on a speed bump road and it's murdering my suspension as the bumps in Dundee are horrid, Fife Councils are actually alright]

- Bye Bye Speed Cameras except in accident blackspots.

 

The rest of the manifesto was complete gash.

I see the Sun have endorsed the SNP in Scotland... quite surprising, for me. Not sure whether they actually genuinely like the SNP, or if they just want "anyone but Labour". I have to admit, it seems to me Scottish Labour are fighting quite a poor campaign... whereas the SNP's policies seem quite impressive, independence aside. Definitely very interesting to see what happens there... still hope Labour can just pull it off.

Yeah i did a double take at work today. The Sun said that while they don't support Independence they believe the SNP to be the best people for Scotland.

 

 

I was reading the manifesto, and aside from independence, it is actually pretty good. Good enough for me to consider giving them a regional vote. My constituency vote is still going to the Lib Dems.

 

 

 

 

With the sun behind them, and the lovely smear campaign they began against Labour today the SNP should walk it. They Sun was strongly against the SNP last time and they got a single seat more than labour, and they have managed to keep this country running smoothly with a minority government. Not bad for a party who've never had any power before.

Yeah i did a double take at work today. The Sun said that while they don't support Independence they believe the SNP to be the best people for Scotland.

I was reading the manifesto, and aside from independence, it is actually pretty good. Good enough for me to consider giving them a regional vote. My constituency vote is still going to the Lib Dems.

With the sun behind them, and the lovely smear campaign they began against Labour today the SNP should walk it. They Sun was strongly against the SNP last time and they got a single seat more than labour, and they have managed to keep this country running smoothly with a minority government. Not bad for a party who've never had any power before.

 

I thought you absolutely HATED the SNP? :lol:

I do. Their manifesto was that impressive. Plus the rest are dire. UKIP is just the BNP [Their manifesto is a bulletpointed version of the BNP's] I don't vote Tory, they get enough support in my constituency and i'd please my mother. Labour are useless too :(

 

I've been a little too pre-occupied with the whole independence thing, but reading their manifesto they do have some genuinely good ideas.

 

 

 

And i don't plan to be in this hell hole when it all goes tits up ^_^

I dont know how to vote :( Do I have to register?

I dont know how to vote :( Do I have to register?

Your household should have received a registration form last August. It would have been up to someone to register everyone at your address. If you're not registered, it is too late.

Yeah i did a double take at work today. The Sun said that while they don't support Independence they believe the SNP to be the best people for Scotland.

I was reading the manifesto, and aside from independence, it is actually pretty good. Good enough for me to consider giving them a regional vote. My constituency vote is still going to the Lib Dems.

With the sun behind them, and the lovely smear campaign they began against Labour today the SNP should walk it. They Sun was strongly against the SNP last time and they got a single seat more than labour, and they have managed to keep this country running smoothly with a minority government. Not bad for a party who've never had any power before.

Were reductions in fuel duty offered then? :kink:

Were reductions in fuel duty offered then? :kink:

Actually, yes. :lol: I read something a couple of weeks ago about putting a levy on oil and reducing duty by 10p/l.

Rumour that latest opinion poll has SNP with an 11% lead over Labour. If that's true, it looks like the Labour campaign is imploding :o

Rumour that latest opinion poll has SNP with an 11% lead over Labour. If that's true, it looks like the Labour campaign is imploding :o

Lets be honest, their leader has the personality of roadkill.

 

Salmond is just wiping the floor with him.

Very true. Ian Gray has all the charisma of a pot plant.

 

 

One of his finest moments :lol: