Who should I vote for in today's European Elections? (It's up to you)

[Cactus Annie]

You've got 20 minutes to offer your suggestions.

 

[DrTeeth]

What country are you in?

I voted D'66 (in the Netherlands)

 

[Bonoa]

I'm going to vote SP (Netherlands)

 

[BVS]

Susan Boyle

 

[Bonoa]

^^

 

[financeguy]

If you live in the UK, I recommend you vote for anyone but Labour.

 

[Bonoa]

I didn't go yesterday. I was at home being sick.

I wouldn't vote labour either, Financeguy! I would be afraid that I have to pay for Brown's new bathtub and again!

When are the EU elections in Ireland? Was it also yesterday?

 

[Vincent Vega]

I can't got on Sunday. Was registered back in the north until last Tuesday, so I would have had to go there for voting.
If I could, I would have ended up with the Social Democrats I guess.

 

[pgv]

If you're in the UK, I recommend you vote Labour. The expenses issue was not one of party but of the entire UK political system - if it was that holding you back, and then you'd be making a very misinformed, ill judged decision.

 

[bigjohn2441]

write in George W

 

[zoney!]

You are a true inspiration to all of us...allowing US to decide who the right vote for you.

 

[financeguy]

When are the EU elections in Ireland? Was it also yesterday?

Were on Friday.

 

[financeguy]

If you're in the UK, I recommend you vote Labour. The expenses issue was not one of party but of the entire UK political system - if it was that holding you back, and then you'd be making a very misinformed, ill judged decision.

Well, it's certainly the case that both Labour and Conservatives MP's have been inculpated in expense fiddling. However, the Liberal Democrats are less culpable in the whole thing. If one is voting purely on the basis of financial probity, then the Liberal Democrats seem the obvious choice.

I don't hate New Labour because of their expense fiddling, I hate them because they're proto-fascist scum.

 

[achtung_girl]

I'm going to vote...NOW!

I will vote for one of the smaller parties (I always vote for them in the local elections, and also help them during the election campaign). In the nationalwide elections, I would vote for the social dem.

 

[last unicorn]

I always vote for the Austrian Teddybear Party, because I feel best represented by them.

 

[Salome]

I actually checked all the party programs this time
ended up voting Liberal Democrats
(it was either them or D66)

 

[pgv]

Well, it's certainly the case that both Labour and Conservatives MP's have been inculpated in expense fiddling. However, the Liberal Democrats are less culpable in the whole thing. If one is voting purely on the basis of financial probity, then the Liberal Democrats seem the obvious choice.

I don't hate New Labour because of their expense fiddling, I hate them because they're proto-fascist scum.

I'm not the biggest fan of New Labour either, but I can't see this New 'central' phase lasting much longer now - especially if Alan Johnson's elected to leader. Hopefully he'll reign the party in and take it left again. One can hope (and vote accordingly.)

I agree in regards to the Liberal Democrats, but alas it's a wasted vote. It seems to many gullible people have bought into the Conservative 'vote for change' idea and as a result the Lib Dems have suffered. Where they could have captured dissuaded Labour votes, they haven't.

 

[pgv]

The results are just coming in now, will be interesting to see how the EU Parliament fares.

 

[Vincent Vega]

In most countries the opposition fared better. Also the right-wing parties did profit from these elections in far too many countries.
43.01% went voting.

 

[financeguy]

In Ireland the vote went left rather than right. Ireland has been particularly hard hit by the credit crunch and banking collapses. It is likely that a socialist party MEP will be returned in the East constituency.

 

[pgv]

UKIP doing better than Labour. UKIP, who are anti EU, doing well in the EU elections. The irony.

 

[pgv]

In most countries the opposition fared better. Also the right-wing parties did profit from these elections in far too many countries.
43.01% went voting.

I'd have thought most would've gone left, like Ireland, what with the economy. UK aside (where everyone knew this would happen) I'm surprised about the overall results coming in.

 

[financeguy]

France has not been hard hit by the international financial crisis, so maybe that's why Sarkozy's party has done well.

 

[financeguy]

In Ireland, by contrast to the UK the Libertas party (similar-ish to the UKIP) have not done particularly well.

 

[Bonoa]

In The Netherlands, the PVV, Muslimbashers lead by Geert Wilders, have done too well!

 

[Vincent Vega]

I'd have thought most would've gone left, like Ireland, what with the economy. UK aside (where everyone knew this would happen) I'm surprised about the overall results coming in.

In many countries the right wing parties could capitalize on the fears and confusion of the public better than the left.
I guess the dangerous immigrant still is more compelling than Marx/Engels/Lenin being the saviour, to use some of the images used here. And especially in Eastern Europe I would assume that less people turn to the Socialists when it is going economically bad. Though, considering how a lot of East Germans who haven't profited from the reunion now see the GDR through pink-tinted glasses it wouldn't have come as such a big surprise.

 

[last unicorn]

^ That's right. In my country the social democrats totally flopped because they couldn't communicate properly if they were in fact for or against the European Union. All the left parties lost, the right parties won and the Conservatives ended up being the strongest party, they had the clearest pro-EU programme of all parties. Bitter, but it was to be expected. The campaigns of most parties were beyond crappy. I always vote green, but the Green Party is totally crumbling here because there are a lot of fights going on inside the party which is a shame, they just cannot get themselves together. Economically tough and instable times like these always provide the gound for right-wing parties, because they are very good at stirring up people's fears.

 

[Cactus Annie]

I voted for the Green's in the European election and Lib Dem's in the local election. For the general election I will only vote for the two major parties and I'm going to vote Tory for the first time because I find Gordon Brown and Labour hopeless.

It's Labour's fault that the BNP got a few seats. They really cannot control immigration, so this leads to disillusionment and some people will vote for them not realizing that last year its leader was involved in controversy over the fact that he was supporting a well known hollocaust deniers. I prefer UKIP because they prove that a party can hold sensible ideas about immigration without being fascist.

 

[pgv]

I voted for the Green's in the European election and Lib Dem's in the local election. For the general election I will only vote for the two major parties and I'm going to vote Tory for the first time because I find Gordon Brown and Labour hopeless.

You really, really need to understand the implications of this. Everything that Labour have thus far done, and been so largely condemned for, is evidence of them moving further right - closer to the Tories. A Conservative vote in the next general election will not be one for change, but for more of the same thing - if not worse. They're planning on cutting public spending (goodbye, NHS! Hello foundation hospitals! Hello trust schools!), and while taxes will decrease, they'll only make an impact for people on the upper end of the scale and it won't be enough to cover extra costs we'll be paying in health, education, increased public transport prices etc.
So while I, like you, feel disillusioned with the current Labour government and pretty pissed off with Gordon Brown, going Tory is not the answer. I'm holding out for a change in leadership (which will make a massive difference, and get rid of this failing 'New' Labour) or, if this doesn't happen, Lib Dem.

 

[Cactus Annie]

You really, really need to understand the implications of this. Everything that Labour have thus far done, and been so largely condemned for, is evidence of them moving further right - closer to the Tories. A Conservative vote in the next general election will not be one for change, but for more of the same thing - if not worse. They're planning on cutting public spending (goodbye, NHS! Hello foundation hospitals! Hello trust schools!), and while taxes will decrease, they'll only make an impact for people on the upper end of the scale and it won't be enough to cover extra costs we'll be paying in health, education, increased public transport prices etc.
So while I, like you, feel disillusioned with the current Labour government and pretty pissed off with Gordon Brown, going Tory is not the answer. I'm holding out for a change in leadership (which will make a massive difference, and get rid of this failing 'New' Labour) or, if this doesn't happen, Lib Dem.

Yeah I know Labour have gone to the right. New Labour= another Tory party. But any other vote is completely wasted in a general election, even Lib Dem (once a centre party now a left wing party). To be honest with you by biggest worry, more than anything, is the introduction of ID cards that Labour want to introduce. The Tories said that they would scrap ID cards. This increasing of government snooping is getting a real concern for me. Besides just because someone says they are right wing it's not always a euthanism for being dangerous. Cameroon has a particular threat like Hitler anymore than Brown does. I just think Brown is inept. I've known plenty of people who declare themselves as being liberal who turn out to be complete d*******s. The guy on a radio station that I listen to has said that he's known people who actually are members of an extreme radical left wing party and live in a large period townhouse in Notting Hill. Talk about hippocracy. The extreme left can be just as dangerous as the extreme right. Wasn't Stalin and Lenin two left wing leaders?