Disgusted with OH.......

DH has reminded me that the time I spoilt my ballot paper was for the election of the Police Commissioner. Many of us objected to the whole idea and would have liked a box stating 'I do not agree with this therefore I will not vote for any of the candidates'.

Love it janerowena! I always vote (not for...) and would happily spoil my paper rather than not be counted as turnout. We have no results yet in Scotland as we had no local elections, and won't get the European results until Monday as the Western Isles will not have a count on the Sabbath. I do hope that UKIP have not done well

SloeGinny. You say that you voted to join the EU to stop war in Europe.
It (the EU) didn't stop the war in The Balkans, did it?
Let's not forget this is where the WW1 started.

I'm not going to get into any arguements about UKIP because I don't think they're worth it but I do think they are racist and they are using divide and rule tactics and they scare me. I wish I could find the footage of the second generation UKIP man that was talking on the telly this morning because others may be able to make sense of what he was talking about.

My point entirely, HollyDaze...

But I'm totally bemused by immigrants [or second generation immigrants] who support UKIP. I'm both bemused and scared by all this. Someone who is against immigration but has a German wife etc etc

You seem to be confusing a desire to control the numbers that live in the UK with a racist attitude and they're not really the same thing are they. More immigrants speak up with regard to overpopulating the country than white people do and I think that speaks volumes.

Brilliant janerowena. Says it all.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/05/21/should-you-vote-ukip-flowchart_n_5363204.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-comedy

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/05/22/ukip-map-of-the-world-spoof_n_5370590.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-comedy

That rings a vague bell, Tegan, but I was replying to your post about immigration, I didn't think racism was the issue under discussion.

Hasn't one of their own members left the party recently Ana because she'd reached the conclusion that the party is basically racist? I don't know her name.

Your question about the sort of Prime Minister is interesting.

I think they have such a tough choice to make most of the time. It all does boil down to one choice, too.

Is it good for the majority of the population?

janerowena that is what I meant about sharing the same values..might disagree round the edges but fundamentally you have a very similar set of political opinions.

I think good local MPs are rare beings and worth voting for if the party you are more natually drawn to hasn't a hope in hell!

Yes, I have had the same dilemma, and did vote for the local MP in the end. I am not strictly affiliated to any one party, I read the manifestos, but I do know exactly which ones I don't want to be associated with. I have no idea who OH voted for, and he doesn't ask me, all I do know is that he has the same values that I have and would never vote for BNP, IKIP or other of that ilk, and that is good enough for me.

On the question of living with someone with different political views, I am an expert! Normally we simply avoid the subject, but yesterday was beyond the pale because of its "jokey" element. That really got under my skin.

As to brains - many highly educated people have no nouse, no humanity and no integrity, which are attributes that I rate highly in a politician.

There is another dilemma for voters - we live in an area with an MP whose party is one whose fundamental ethos is counter to my thinking. But....he is an excellent local MP - he has integrity, he lives and works in the constituency and has championed many local causes, including music-for-all. I doubt whether any other MP would take such a close interest nd be so involved. And he has voted with his conscience against his own party before now.

Why are you bemused by the fact that second generation immigrants don't want unlimited numbers of new immigrants to be allowed into the UK, Tegan? UKIP isn't 'against immigration' as such, they're just advocating stricter controls.

Brains are funny things... intelligence/intellect/cleverness/street wise/ practical/artistic etc etc So many different kinds of skills, aptitudes, knowledge and understanding.

What attributes would you like a prime minister to have?

What experience should they have?

They interviewed someone from UKIP in the early hours of this morning [I don't know who he was] but he was very animated and, quite frankly I hadn't got a clue what the hell he was going on about [I don't think the tv people did either]. But I'm totally bemused by immigrants [or second generation immigrants] who support UKIP. I'm both bemused and scared by all this. Someone who is against immigration but has a German wife etc etc. Reminds me of someone going on about a master race of blonde beautiful people who happens to be short and dark and bonkers . Strange also that the BNP haven't done very well in this election; can't for the life of me think who their voters might have switched to ; Green Party perhaps.....

"They have to leave their brains outside, and vote just as their party tells them to!"

petallus - Westminster is full of people who, it could be argued, have brains but all that will highlight is that having brains won't necessarily get the job done. It is those with a passion for Britain who will put Britain's interests first which, in turn, will benefit British people. Those who understand the need to balance infrastructure with population is another they would not put on the back burner (it would be nice to see some addressing the redistribution of wealth too but I won't hold my breathe on that one), those who value the entire workforce and not just given sections of it (we are all cogs in the same machine after all). Given that all of those in Westminster have failed miserably on each of those points, it goes to show that receiving public education and, hence, 'a good brain' does not necessarily equate

But how do we know who the ones with the brains are? Based on your criteria I am beginning to wonder if I am one of those without

And what's with the 'should'?

We have to give a lot of thought before we vote, but as others have already said, we may not be behind one party all the way. All should be judged by what they achieve or at least try hard to achieve.Nobody should say to themselves ' I come from a poor working class background therfore I have to vote Labour' just as anyone from a well to do family background should always vote Conservative.We have brains [some of us] and should use them.

Phew... thanks Holly. I feel better now.

If it's any consolation KatyK, both of my parents were staunch Labour supporters and both were union reps but both blamed Scargill for the miners downfall rather than blame the Thatcher government which surprised me (until they explained their viewpoint to me) so not all Labour supporters would point accusatory fingers at you

Pens - Oh am I? Holly - yes apparently it's all my fault My one and only vote for Maggie caused everything (according to some members of my family) Bless em.