Local Elections - VOTE VOTE VOTE!

[Jo]

I don't usually encourage political stuff on the site but this is important - don't waste your vote today! ... especially if you live in the North West like myself where certain parties are in danger of gaining a foothold - lest we forget.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhbR3wuYDgw

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

We have the Lib Dems in our area; they've been better than most people in our area except they hiked up the price of parking in Newcastle.

[rufio89]

Apparently LibDem have so few seats in our area that literally everyone would have to vote for them for them to get in.

[kerrie24]

Weve never took much interest in voting really,Im not clued up on who is better or whatever,but I didnt think the BNP stood a chance of anyone voting for them!

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Normally I vote for the one with the address closest to mine...because there is no point having someone 40 miles away deciding how my area should be ran...At least the people close will see the good and the bad points and hopefully improve on it.

I think it was the Lib Dems that introduced a sweeper machine in our street to get rid of all the rubbish - I live on the same street as a school and all the kids drop loads of rubbish, homework, papers, books etc.

[RagDoll]

I voted mostly to try keep the likes of the BNP etc. out!

[Jo]

I voted mostly to try keep the likes of the BNP etc. out!

- Yay!

There are areas near me where they have a lot of support. If people don't vote against them it helps them to gain a lot of ground. They are moving more and more into the mainstream by presenting a 'respectable' front so many disillusioned people are voting for them. I'm trying to encourage everyone I know to at least vote for someone else - or don't complain when they are representing us in the EU! Don't be fooled into thinking that it can't happen - because it really can.

Wise Faithless lyrics writer once said; "Inaction is a method of mass destruction"

[RagDoll]

There are areas near me where they have a lot of support. If people don't vote against them it helps them to gain a lot of ground. They are moving more and more into the mainstream by presenting a 'respectable' front so many disillusioned people are voting for them.

Yeh, I genuinely think it's quite scary. It's only going to get worse with the recession as people are feeling increasingly disillusioned (as you said) and tensions between races tend to become heightened when times are hard. I think people want/need someone (anyone) to blame and racist views, that were probably always bubbling underneath are brought to the surface.

[crumpetsandtea]

I saw this article the other day and thought it linked in nicely with this topic, so I thought I would share it with you!

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/blog/talking_p ... cle/30756/

I would really hate the BNP to gain any ground in these elections, but I would like to think that the majority of the British people aren't foolish enough to fall for their scare-mongering and brainwashing tactics.

It makes me angry when they use the word 'British' in their party name, because I don't believe their party represents what 'British-ness' is about.
Historically, right from the day our country was settled, whether through being invaded or through immigration, we have been a melting pot of different nationalities and traditions, we've always been a bit of everything, its in our blood!
The BNP want to repatriate immigrants... but where exactly does the line get drawn? I myself come from an Irish immigrant family.. so if I take their policy literally, does that mean I would get sent back? Would we have to draw up our family trees to prove where we came from?! Ridiculous! Unfortunately, what I think they are trying to say is that if you are not white or christian, you are not welcome, which is think is an extremely ignorant and stupid stance to take!! And I would hate our country to be associated with idiots like that. What exactly would it achieve anyway? How would that make Britain a better place?

I get annoyed by the thought of people sponging off the state and claiming benefits they aren't entitled to, but I hate the way the BNP falsely make out all immigrants are abusing our benefits system and if we got rid of them all our problems would be solved, when you only have to watch flipping Jeremy Kyle to see that everyone is at it anyway! (Except they don't mention that do they?) Funny how everyone is getting on their high horse about MPs expenses, when benefit fraud is so rife. Seems to me like there is a large section of society ripping off the taxpayers, and its not just the politicians. I think we need to start having a good look at ourselves in general!

As long as everyone contributes, respects each other and obeys the law, I have no problem with immigration. I think the country would be a pretty bland place without it, and many of our country's immigrants have given us a lot to be proud of over the years and it would be a great loss if any of them were to be forced out or feel unwelcome because of propaganda from small-minded thugs such as the BNP.

Sorry a bit of a rant there but its a topic that gets me a bit fired up!

[RagDoll]

I hate the way the BNP falsely make out all immigrants are abusing our benefits system and if we got rid of them all our problems would be solved, when you only have to watch flipping Jeremy Kyle to see that everyone is at it anyway!

I couldn't agree more. Yes, I'm sure there are some immigrants that abuse the benefits system, BUT equally there are plenty of people whom are born in Britain (and dare I say it, white) that abuse it too.

It's a ridiculously unintelligent stance to think that everyone in one particular group (race, society, religion or whatever) are the same. In every 'group' there are good people and bad people. That's just the way of the World.

[crumpetsandtea]

I think when you have a social care system, (as much as people moan about it, but we are lucky to have it even if its not perfect) which is as good as ours, and generous as ours, it is always going to be open to abuse, and there are always going to be people who regard it as their right (and try to bleed it dry for what they can get), not their privilege. There is good and bad in every race, and I think our efforts would be better spent trying to weed out the baddies rather than use immigrants in general as a scapegoat for our problems.

[Jo]

Here's another good article...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree ... bnp-racism

[snail]

It always gives me such a kick to vote. I think of all the people (in this country, in the past, and in other countries, in the present) who never have that chance. I'll be in a good mood for the rest of the day now

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

There is good and bad in every race, and I think our efforts would be better spent trying to weed out the baddies rather than use immigrants in general as a scapegoat for our problems.

Of course there is; it's just a few bad people spoil it for everyone else unfortunately. My dad works with a Polish guy who moved his wife and kids over, after a year they left, the guy is still here working...but because his wife and kids were here for a year they can claim family allowance and benefits even though they live in Poland. Needless to say most of the people my dad work with now don't like the polish guy.

[crumpetsandtea]

In a way, that's our own stupid government's fault for making up such a daft law! They aren't legally doing anything wrong, but morally its a bit iffy. But that's what I mean about respect for our social care system, everyone just thinks its their right to take whatever they can get out of it, without a second thought over whether its right or not.

That's ridiculous though that people can claim benefits when they don't even live here. Who in parliament thought that was a good idea? Does no one have any common sense anymore?!