MEP Elections

First topic message reminder :

It's the European Parliament Elections on May 22nd, with UKIP hoping to gain the most seats after second place last time out, with Labour and Liberal Democrats looking to hold onto their seats.

But, does anyone care? Only one in three people voted in the last elections, but there seems to be more of a media interest, especially with the TV debates between Nigel Farage and Nick Clegg, which if you haven't seen are worth a watch. Could it be argued that by Labour and Conservatives not showing to the debates, that UKIP and LibDem will gain?

It seems that this year, there will be a higher turnout but will it be a significant amount? UKIP are certainly a more real opposition and will surely gain seats, with the opinion polls showing UKIP are likely to win.

Duty281 wrote:They're only focusing on their central policy during these elections because it's only the European elections.

Doubtless, they will focus on a much broader scope during the next General Election; which will be their first general election in which they will be partaking seriously.

they came 2nd in the 2009 elections and in 2010 focused solely on the EU. In recent by-elections they have focused solely on the EU. nothing will change from now til next year.

Question Time then the Council election results tonight for me with much anticipation for a Lib mauling  

Heaven.

skyeman wrote:Question Time then the Council election results tonight for me with much anticipation for a Lib mauling  

Heaven.

Liberal democrats deserve everything they get.

Woman on Question time just said what I have been saying all the time that UKIP only talk about EU haha

WOW in Sunderland!!

skyeman wrote:WOW in Sunderland!!

0 councillors?

And most others on here have been saying your wrong   

OUCH!

Painful night for Labour, massive losses suffered, big inroads made by UKIP.

I worked the elections yesterday in a polling station. Obviously risky taking one local polling station in Rotherham as a sample, but my prediction is UK are going to win massively. Turnout was bigger than expected and loads of people of a decent age voting for the first time. Seems fairly obvious to me if you are voting for the first time at 40 you are not voting for the same people who have been on the ballot for the last 30 years.

The losses for Labour in the Northern heartlands will do for now. Rotherham was stunning. Labour failing to make the expected gains. Labour MP's criticising Milliband and calling for a referendum. Tory losses all over and some calling for a pact. Lib dems mauled and a minister saying LibLabCon are not seen as human enough. UKIP looking likely to double the experts predictions of seats.

Shaking them all up. All three are worried.

UKIP gained 89 new seats according to BBC.

Not as bad for Labour as I first thought when reading the news 7am this morning. Tories seem to have suffered the most significant council-control losses. No Overall Control being the most common outcome though.

Our new super councils start counting today. Elected in shadow form but will take full power in April. My new council is Derry and Strabane, we might get a bit more investment now being governed from Derry!

Dave. wrote:Our new super councils start counting today.  Elected in shadow form but will take full power in April. My new council is Derry and Strabane, we might get a bit more investment now being governed from Derry!

What are the pollsters saying over there Dave. Winners and losers?

My guess is DUP and SF to hold ground, UUP and SDLP to lose ground, Alliance to sit pat, TUV to gain in in some areas.

Ni21......well guys if you want to read on how not to run an election campaign, read that! Their Euro candidate quit the executive before polls closed.

On the Euro, SF and DUP to hold, last seat favours the UUP but SDLP and TUV within string distance.

Should point out we use STV, which is also used in Scottish councils.

I'm now awaiting all the analysts and newspapers to say 'oh it doesn't really matter' as they realise UKIP have made big gains despite everything that has been said.

Cheers Dave. STV i see is used in the Regional assembly elections,  European elections and Local government elections over in NI. A much fairer system for me, even in the Highlands.

Read about N21 the other day.  And i thought the Lib Dems had their own internal problems 

Derbymanc wrote:I'm now awaiting all the analysts and newspapers to say 'oh it doesn't really matter' as they realise UKIP have made big gains despite everything that has been said.

Some might   But i think most will now change tact. Already seeing this. No longer just an MEP protest vote.

Derbymanc wrote:And most others on here have been saying your wrong   

but you know i'm right, UKIP campaign solely on the EU.

Rowley wrote:I worked the elections yesterday in a polling station. Obviously risky taking one local polling station in Rotherham as a sample, but my prediction is UK are going to win massively. Turnout was bigger than expected and loads of people of a decent age voting for the first time. Seems fairly obvious to me if you are voting for the first time at 40 you are not voting for the same people who have been on the ballot for the last 30 years.

reading reports of 36% turnout which is pathetic.

Champagne_Socialist wrote:

Rowley wrote:I worked the elections yesterday in a polling station. Obviously risky taking one local polling station in Rotherham as a sample, but my prediction is UK are going to win massively. Turnout was bigger than expected and loads of people of a decent age voting for the first time. Seems fairly obvious to me if you are voting for the first time at 40 you are not voting for the same people who have been on the ballot for the last 30 years.

reading reports of 36% turnout which is pathetic.

Is all relative, if the usual turnout is 20% 36% is impressive. If the usual turnout is 80% 36 is indeed pathetic.

Turnout is always pretty low in the UK.

Which tends to favour the Tories traditionally.

If you go a bit further up the page CS, there's a link there to a thread that shows you your wrong (as per normal)   

Does anyone know if the turnout was good or bad?

Derbymanc wrote:If you go a bit further up the page CS, there's a link there to a thread that shows you your wrong (as per normal)   

Does anyone know if the turnout was good or bad?

I'm not wrong in the slightest

Go to UIPS page, there's lots to campaign on there. Oh and Labour campaigns on how bad the tories are, that's it, unless it's a quickly made up 5 min news flash (we'll support the working wage, hmmm tell me how that went again :-)

Derbymanc wrote:Go to UIPS page, there's lots to campaign on there. Oh and Labour campaigns on how bad the tories are, that's it, unless it's a quickly made up 5 min news flash (we'll support the working wage, hmmm tell me how that went again :-)

Ukip can ut on their page that they have other policies but the fact remains they only campaign on 1 policy which is the EU.

As does labour

Although to be honest, I can't actually name 2 of labours policie's and I only know about the living wage thing because Ed Miliband didn't know the price of a loaf of bread   

Derbymanc wrote:Although to be honest, I can't actually name 2 of labours policie's and I only know about the living wage thing because Ed Miliband didn't know the price of a loaf of bread   

To be fair some shops sell bread that is £2.25

Now now, don't make excuses, (not that i reckon any of the other party leaders would konw either mind you)

Very interesting that UKIP get 25% overall but only 7% in London. Is this a sign of how foreign London is - Labour will say 'international' but the reality is it is experiencing unprecedented immigration added to unprecedented London born flight. It's also a factor in why the political elite is so out of touch with non-Londoners and so politically correct versus the rest of the country.

Or is it as Farage says "because of a lack of infrastructure in London" ?

So UKIP gains bigger than expected, Labour gains less than expected.

Tories and Liberals taking a bit of damage.

Duty281 wrote:So UKIP gains bigger than expected, Labour gains less than expected.

Tories and Liberals taking a bit of damage.

Yep, quite clear which party has gained the most thus far and we stilll have the EU results to come  

Still 82 councils to declare according to the BBC, and UKIP have already gained over 100 seats!

Looks like turkeys will vote for Christmas after all.

Gobble Gobble

skyeman wrote:Gobble Gobble

 

Ukips projected national share has dropped from 23% in 2013 to 17% in 2014.

Labour's projected national share is up from 29% in 2013 to 31% in 2014

Here Rod what's your DEA and what do you make of these recent events?

Just found that the Derg DEA doesn't count to tomorrow.

skyeman wrote:Very interesting that UKIP get 25% overall but only 7% in London. Is this a sign of how foreign London is - Labour will say 'international' but the reality is it is experiencing unprecedented immigration added to unprecedented London born flight. It's also a factor in why the political elite is so out of touch with non-Londoners and so politically correct versus the rest of the country.

Or is it as Farage says "because of a lack of infrastructure in London" ?

It looks as though cities which have a large university population have completely ignored UKIP and UKIP have failed to make any significant gains in those cities eg London, Cambridge, Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, Oxford, Reading etc etc etc

I wouldn't class Manchester as having a large University population, we have a university here but it's not like students are the main population?

your statement makes no sense, please explain

Derbymanc wrote:I wouldn't class Manchester as having a large University population, we have a university here but it's not like students are the main population?

your statement makes no sense, please explain

I read somehwere that Manchester has the largest student population not just in the Uk but in the whole of Europe....

I'm just highlighting that cities with large student populations or large graduate populations have avoided voting for UkIP. Do you have a theory why?

My theory - people put too much emphasis on student 'populations', Never seen it and don't understand it in relation to the population of the whole area. Seems an easy claim to make that in reality means nothing. (unless of course your talking about say the small area where all the students live.)

Derbymanc wrote:My theory - people put too much emphasis on student 'populations', Never seen it and don't understand it in relation to the population of the whole area. Seems an easy claim to make that in reality means nothing. (unless of course your talking about say the small area where all the students live.)

I think there is a lot that can be read into the result of student poulations and the demographics of UKIP suporters and the demographics of non-UKIP supporters. It appears that students and graduates are ignoring UKIP and a lot can be inferred by that (I'm not going to go into it because I need to jump in the shower and go to football training very soon).

No probs mate, I disagree with you on it anyway unless you can show me that the student population is significantly higher than the 'normal' population, or that more students than general pop voted.

Young Independence, the youth wing of UKIP, has 2,000 members and 20 university branches, so I have no idea what C_S is trying to claim.

According to YouGov, 13% of voters for UKIP at these Euro elections are age between 18-24, which is higher than the Green Party.

From personal experience the student vote will only make a difference if they actually live where they go to Uni or if they can be bothered to register in their Uni town/city. Which the vast majority I know have not. Would be suprised if they make up the majority or even close to the electorate.

Looks like Labour are a bit disappointed as they've fallen short of expectations - Ed Balls has said the council elections weren't good enough for Labour.

Duty281 wrote:Young Independence, the youth wing of UKIP, has 2,000 members and 20 university branches, so I have no idea what C_S is trying to claim.

According to YouGov, 13% of voters for UKIP at these Euro elections are age between 18-24, which is higher than the Green Party.

I am on about actual voting patterns which from this and previous elections the student and graduate voters are ignoring ukip. You can't deny it as all the major university cities that I mentioned have highlighted this.

Greens are doing ok in NI - could be picking a handful of councillors, not much but it's a base.

Dave. wrote:Greens are doing ok in NI - could be picking a handful of councillors, not much but it's a base.

They have increased their councillors by about 15% which is very good. I like the Greens and would be tempted to vote for Caroline Lucas if she was standing as an mp in my area.