UKY: UK Election v Mock Election

Wishing you could vote in the UK Election but can't?

We thought it would be fun and interesting to see if a UKY would elect the same party as the UK General Election, so here's the poll.

Those taking part in our poll will also be entered into a prize draw.

1st prize: £12 in High Street Gift Vouchers

2nd + 3rd prizes: One each a hardcover copy of Why People Love America

Everyone gets one vote for a party, same as in the UK. You can go back and change your vote if you change your mind and the voting will end Thursday evening (6th of May) at 9pm BST. The prize draw will take place on Friday the 7th of May. The prizes can be sent to either USA or UK addresses.

Some good resources for finding out more about the parties, their manifestos and campaigns are:

Election News:
www.bbc.co.uk/elections

Beliefs and Views tests matched to Party
www.howtovote.co.uk
www.votematch.co.uk

General Voter Info
www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

Let us know if you know any other good election sites you'd like to share.

This topic is also open for discussion of the circus election but not at length about the party politics and debate, please discuss these in the Politics board.

(note: The BNP is included because they are on the ballot and therefore they are an option here)

How about the SNP and Plaid Cymru for those of us in Scotland and Wales?

How about the SNP and Plaid Cymru for those of us in Scotland and Wales?

There's also a Cornish party, but I think there are too many of those small parties to list them all. How about an 'Other' category?

I've added all the parties that BBC includes on their guide to the party policies page, and an "Other" for anything else.

Nice to see a good voter turnout.

Thanks! 

What?  No option for the Monster Raving Loony Party?   

Has anyone done the votematch type site and been surprised by the result? I was, hugely.

I wasn't surprised by my result, but I was happily surprised that they had a test specifically regarding the Northern Ireland parties.  I took it, and it came out pretty much as I expected.

Well, I guess if I were currently resident in the UK I would be entitled to vote, being Irish and all. Surprised that I had some Tory leanings on the How to Vote thing! 

On all of those "who to vote for" things I pretty much get what I expect.  Mostly Greens and Lib Dem and I think one of them had a Tory answer.

Before I moved here I took a test to find out which British party I should support and it was overwhelmingly Tory.  I think it's because that one didn't list the minor parties and the Tories at that time were more left liberal than the other two.

Well, I guess if I were currently resident in the UK I would be entitled to vote, being Irish and all. Surprised that I had some Tory leanings on the How to Vote thing! 

Irish as in the Republic or Northern?
If it's Republic then you wouldn't be entitled to vote in the General Election, you would if Northern Ireland.

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0017/13274/0906whocanvote_23253-6144__E__N__S__W__.pdf

Yes she could, if she were resident in the UK at the time of the election.

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0017/13274/0906whocanvote_23253-6144__E__N__S__W__.pdf

Yes she could, if she were resident in the UK at the time of the election.

I didn't realise that. Sorry.
I assumed it was the same as for other EU citizens.

I do kinda wish that the American media would adopt a more British-style system.  So many of my British friends here have complained at length about always hearing election stuff on the TV or radio, but I say they don't know what it means to be sick of political advertisements until they have live through an election year in the US.  They've only had to deal with it for what, 6 weeks?  That's nothing!

I also like the requirement that coverage of each party is balanced, at least in theory.  I'm not sure how well it works out in practice, because I don't watch enough TV to get a good idea of how much bias there is in reality.  But it seems to be a good idea to strive for on the face of it.

The US also used to have a requirement that there be balanced coverage for each party, but it stopped because it was determined that it would have a "chilling effect".

In other words, if a TV station wanted to give airtime to one party and found out that they had to give it to two or three parties  - when they could be using that time to show TV programs that made advertising revenue, and when they might not agree with the policies of some of the parties - they might not give any party airtime at all.