Off Topic The QPR Not 606 Rolling Election Poll

The majority of the seats the SNP will win in Scotland, if they do win any, will be Labour with a few Lib Dem. A success for them weakens Labour overall. It's a very tight election. Sturgeon is completely within her rights to manipulate the system in favour of Scotland, thats why the SNP exists.

 

Sure, she's completely within her rights. The SNP lost the vote for independence, but the momentum is its favour. Sturgeon is saying - ok, we're still in the club but you're all going to have to pay through the nose for the privilege of keeping us here (and we'll probably leave later anyway - once the price of oil is back up and the EU indicates it will approve Scotland's application for membership).

 

No fence sitting for me. Conservative for me. Whilst there are things i dislike about all politics, without a strong economy we cant spend the money

 

You're assuming the "will not votes" actually all voted on here (I think 10% is actually quote high participation in a vote to say you won't vote).

In actual fact, 35% is quite low isn't it? I thought it normally ran at about 60% turnout although during a recession I suppose more people feel aggrieved.

I don't think even the poll station voting would be fool-proof (unless those dear old ladies who administer them but look like habitual tea drinkers and actually trained warriors and enforcers of all things democratic).

 

35% of the electorate didn't bother last time Matt. The figure, until 2001, used to be less than 20% not bothering, with less than 10% back in the Fifties.

I don't really have a view on it, declining involvement is an interesting aspect of maturing western democracy, and probably a side product of politicians of all creeds presenting their role as being about satisfying the wishes of us as individuals. Ideology is far more exciting.

 

I agree and disagree with this, I find it hard to vote for any of these douche bags, don't trust Cameron, Milliband is barely recognisable as a member of the human race and Farage scares me. Seems its likely to end in another coalition anyway and frankly the differences (UKIP aside) between the main parties seem negligible, they are all sound bite spouting wastes of space and I can't say I'd have faith in any of them. I'm a civil servant so they all hate me anyway.

 

2001 was actually the low point, with over 40% abstaining - probably it was always going to be a Blair walkover. The unpredictable nature of the upcoming poll could see an increase over the 65% turnout in 2010.

http://www.ukpolitical.info/Turnout45.htm

 

The SNP will win a lot of seats up here this time, as a lot of the electorate are still dismayed by the lack of power offered to Scotland by the UK parliament after the referendum. Many No voters I know wished that they had now voted Yes, but as you correctly stated, Sturgeon is now going to use this election to increase the chances of a second referendum, or to force the parliment to give more powers whilst still retaining the Union. Alex Salmond is running for MP somewhere in Aberdeen and will be her pitbull in the House of Commons.
Where I live, the yes vote lost out in the referendum by 0.2% of the vote - if this figures are replicated in the election, with the No voters splitting their votes between three parties then the SNP will win. I reckon this will be across the board around the country, with Labour the big loser as Tories dont have many (if any) MPs up here. The dilemma for Sturgeon will be as to who to side with when forming the coaliton, amd she will obviously go for whoever is offering her the most powers.

 

Wouldn't surprise me if the Tories offered devo max and/or a fast track referendum in exchange for less Scottish representation/abstentions in votes by the SNP in Westminster until independence. A deal rather than a coalition. Reckon Cameron now sees winning that referendum as a problem, though his personal standing would be even lower if he'd lost.

If this poll is anything to go by Labour struggling to get their vote out.

 

Scottish Independence has a problem now. The oil revenues they were depending on have plummeted so their self sufficiency claims have taken a big hit.

 

Real-life Wolfie Smith and indefatigable popinjay George Galloway used to be my MP - sadly not in Tooting but when I lived in Bethnal Green.

 

True, but once the US have got the Russians back in line over Ukraine then wait to see how the price of oil rises

 

The SNP holding the balance of power fills me with dread and despair!!

 

I wish there was a recorded abstinence box on the voting form. That would wake the political class of this country up. I could see a 90% rate of recorded abstinence happening. As none of them are any different from each other. It reminds me of something my Grandmother once said, anyone that wants to be a politician, is inherently unsuitable for the job. Also reminds me of a joke..... Why don't politicians look out the window in the morning..... Then they wouldn't have anything to do in the afternoon.

 

Tax? What's that?

 

Another one with a Swiss HSBC account Wubba?...

 

As far as the U.S. is concerned, the fact that the oil price fall has had a detrimental effect on the Russian economy is but a happy bi-product, in my opinion. Russia is a major exporter or gas to Europe, with contracts pegged to the oil price, so is obviously suffering as a consequence of the sharp drop to c. $40/bbl. But the main reason for the fall is OPEC's (and principally Saudi Arabia's) decision not to cut production whilst there is a worldwide glut in supply, predominantly due to the U.S. becoming almost energy self-sufficient as a result of its shale oil and gas bonanza.

With shale extraction requiring the drilling of myriad wells, which requires a high capital outlay, many of the U.S. shale operators are now highly leveraged with bank debt but, with projected incomes significantly reduced as a consequence of the oil price, facing uncertain futures. There are concerns that many will default on payments and spark a second banking crisis. This suits Saudi.

What also suits Saudi is that the falling oil price is hurting Iran, a country they openly despise, and perhaps this is their primary driver for the actions they've taken.

To further exacerbate the problem, after some years of prevarication following the Fukishima crisis, Japan has indicated that it will once again invest in nuclear energy, which is already starting to drive down energy prices in the Far East as speculators in gas futures anticipate supply outweighing demand in the region.

Having said all that, some commentators are predicting oil returning to around $80/bbl before the end of the year. There is, of course, nothing like international crises such as war or terrorism to drive energy prices back up.

 

Spot on there Uber, the Saudis will play the long game knowing that one by one their major rivals will bite the financial dust. The US need oil to be over $60 a barrel to make fracking economical, the Saudis will drive the price down until the US pips squeak.

Cameron needs to think very carefully before pushing for fracking over here with this game be played out. Our energy policy has been shyte for so long that we will suffer the consequences for decades to come...

 

The Fu*ki what?

 

The Tory party are going to bring cruelty to animals back if they win the next general election, the sick bastards