Should voting be made compulsory?

[Andy3536]

and herein lies the issue ITS BRITAIN AND THE UK, not the english. And the tories have had rule up here for years even though they have rarely had more than 3 MP's from Scotland and currently there is only 1.
There are 4 countries and various islands/states making up the UK and the SNP don't hate the english (as a whole), they simply want the right for Scots to govern Scotland. If thats not going to happen then holding a sway vote that can help ensure the best for Scotland is the next best thing.

I think your missing my point. Or mabee i'm missing your's ? Could be either.
I've got nothing against Scotland, or Scotish MPs influencing the direction of the UK. Just the SNP. They are a party of anger and division, who claim everything going well in Scotland is down to them while all the ills are down to westminster and the whole thing is nonesence.
Scotland has it's own parliment with more powers than ever, you have locally elected polititions. Any suggestion that the Scots arn't governing Scotland is a bit off. I bet there are far more areas that your local politions effect your life than those in westminster. 'Tory rule' in Scotland is just an SNP party line when they want to drum up support for themselves. It's a bit like when Argentina has political struggles they bring up the Falklands issue to develop some nationalism they way they use the 'torys of westminster' They seem to forget the Barnett formula means Scotland is spending tax payers money over and above what they bring in too.

[MrRockliffe]

Is there not an option to vote for none of them? If so, yes it should. That would enforce change, since it proves that people don't like any of them.

[ik9000]

yes, we need RON. It would certainly make my vote easier in a few weeks' time.

[Biscuit]

I think it should be compulsory, with the option to to select on the ballot paper, 'none of the above'.

[ik9000]

I think it should be compulsory, with the option to to select on the ballot paper, 'none of the above'.

But isn't the danger we just keep doing that and end up with a non-parliament like Belgium. No leadership is actually worse than bad leadership. Everything just drifts aimlessly.

[Dareos]

I think your missing my point. Or mabee i'm missing your's ? Could be either.
I've got nothing against Scotland, or Scotish MPs influencing the direction of the UK. Just the SNP. They are a party of anger and division, who claim everything going well in Scotland is down to them while all the ills are down to westminster and the whole thing is nonesence.
Scotland has it's own parliment with more powers than ever, you have locally elected polititions. Any suggestion that the Scots arn't governing Scotland is a bit off. I bet there are far more areas that your local politions effect your life than those in westminster. 'Tory rule' in Scotland is just an SNP party line when they want to drum up support for themselves. It's a bit like when Argentina has political struggles they bring up the Falklands issue to develop some nationalism they way they use the 'torys of westminster' They seem to forget the Barnett formula means Scotland is spending tax payers money over and above what they bring in too.

thats just utter rubbish.

Which of the SNP's policies hurt the rest of the UK? which ones are designed to drum up hatred against other members of the union?
Tory rule in Scotland when Scotland hasnt voted for them is a very real thing, look up your history books.

[ik9000]

demanding scrapping of trident - harms uk

oh and the front line of their webpage says it all

Together we can make Scotland better.

Their priority is Scotland over anyone else. Hence they won't consider reviewing the barnet formula, or free prescriptions for Scots -which they emphasise they will keep.
They claim credit for freezing council tax - something central Westminster government mandated elsewhere in the UK IRRC.
Interesting to note is this little nugget:

Scrapped the right-to-buy for new council houses therefore encouraging building of new affordable homes and safeguarding homes for the future.

Potentially sheds light on Cameron's recent pledge. Surely he wasn't trying to woo the Scottish vote?

[ik9000]

Well, BJ is certainly an exception. He'd be a great dinner guest, too, I suspect.

As in individual, I rather like him. His sense of self-mockery, though no doubt carefully cultivated, lets him get away with things most MPs wouldn't dream of. And he's NOT the buffoon he sometimes pretends to be.

But if Cameron loses this election, his neck's on the leadership block and even with a sneaky liking for ol' BJ, I'm NOT sure I see him as potential PM material. I mean, if Milliband can get lambasted over eating a bacon sarnie, the press would have a feeding frenzy with PM-in-waiting BJ.

Mate, I know we're all grown ups here and everything but that post can be read in the wrong way if you leap to the start of page 2 without having read what went before... echos of this chap:

http://<a href="http://www.youtube.c...iIP_KDQmXs</a>

[Andy3536]

thats just utter rubbish.

Which of the SNP's policies hurt the rest of the UK? which ones are designed to drum up hatred against other members of the union?
Tory rule in Scotland when Scotland hasnt voted for them is a very real thing, look up your history books.

History books? I'm refering to the present, and what i actually said (which i stand by) was this

I bet there are far more areas that your local politions effect your life than those in westminster

I won't go over again what ik9000 has said, but i will add another. SNP have said they will try and stay in Europe, and they've said they'll try and vote against the Tories when they get the chance. Which means the SNP will stand in the way of getting a democratic say on european membership. Which alot of people in the UK have wanted for years. That's our vote on independance the SNP will deny.

[Dareos]

If you want Trident so much you can have it, get it out of my backyard, put nuclear missiles in your own
And we are supposed to learn from our History, its why we have it, and I don't want a government that harbours paedophiles and starts illegal wars in charge of my country

[Biscuit]

But isn't the danger we just keep doing that and end up with a non-parliament like Belgium. No leadership is actually worse than bad leadership. Everything just drifts aimlessly.

Fair point actually, I hadn't though about it like that before.

I guess I just really want someone to speak for me, for my family, for my friends... but at the moment there is no-one doing this. No-one really comes close.

I will be voting, but at the moment I don't know who. I know who I WONT be voting for but the choice between the evil that's left is bloody painful.

[Andy3536]

If you want Trident so much you can have it, get it out of my backyard, put nuclear missiles in your own

Thousands of Scotish workers are employed in and around the area. If Trident leaves or is taken away, that's a massive loss to the Scotish econemy. You wan't that taken away?

And we are supposed to learn from our History, its why we have it, and I don't want a government that harbours paedophiles and starts illegal wars in charge of my country

How far back are you going? Because it was an illegal war that bankrupted Scotland which was why they joined the Union.
I'm not sure i understand you anger, what is it you feel the Scotish government is missing from it's parliment that would make all the difference?

Incidently, the SNPs manifesto states that they will try and force a no vote on the EU in all 4 countries before the Union leaves the EU. So if one country votes to stay, we all have to.
That's an appaling abuse of power if they can work that. The Union should be seen as a whole in the EU vote.

[ik9000]

If you want Trident so much you can have it, get it out of my backyard, put nuclear missiles in your own
And we are supposed to learn from our History, its why we have it, and I don't want a government that harbours paedophiles and starts illegal wars in charge of my country

It's there because natural geography means it is the best place for the subs, bunkers and shielding by mountains, which combination nowhere else in the UK has. We'd gladly bring that employment south of the border, believe me!

And as for your government north of the border, their demonstration of brilliant handling of the tram fiasco shows just what a good job they'd make of wider economic affairs. Don't forget just months ago they claimed oil would keep Scotland afloat... What short term memories you have up there.

[Biscuit]

am I the onlyone who ignores these last minute promises of scapping this and scrapping that and injecting funds into this or injecting funds into that? Surely we know by now that this is all pretty much lies and is done purely to try and win voted in certain areas with certain people?
Do we not learn from the hollow promises of past?

[ik9000]

am I the onlyone who ignores these last minute promises of scapping this and scrapping that and injecting funds into this or injecting funds into that? Surely we know by now that this is all pretty much lies and is done purely to try and win voted in certain areas with certain people?
Do we not learn from the hollow promises of past?

No I think they're BS too. This election is voting for the lesser of the evils: Privatisation and pandering to rich while pushing austerity cuts (Tory), but a vote on Europe and financial stability in the markets due to maintaining the current status quo; increased spending and tax rises under labour with more BS pandering to crack-pot schemes (ID cards anyone?) and no tangible performance gains despite the increased cash flow; spineless whimsy with the lib dems who have done a good job of appearing systematically useless (sex ed for infant schools? No thanks!) and who's left? The modern take on xenophobic illiteracy that is UKIP? (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...-10185070.html) Or how about the Greens, who rule themselves out on this brilliant piece of stuff-up-the-country thinking: "Phase out fossil-fuel based energy generation and nuclear power." The only two viable options for managing peak surge demand and constant background, the latter in a proven minimal CO2 and high safety record. Anyone else on my ballot paper? Some self-professed anarchist who is "against the system" and likes to swear a lot on Twitter. Yeah I love this election "choice"

[Dareos]

It's there because natural geography means it is the best place for the subs, bunkers and shielding by mountains, which combination nowhere else in the UK has. We'd gladly bring that employment south of the border, believe me!

And as for your government north of the border, their demonstration of brilliant handling of the tram fiasco shows just what a good job they'd make of wider economic affairs. Don't forget just months ago they claimed oil would keep Scotland afloat... What short term memories you have up there.

Tram fiasco was down to a council. Not a government. Oil prices fluctuate. That's life.
Scottish governments are not the one putting the uk in massive debt, invading countries we have no business being in and putting our country at risk from terrorists because of it
The very fact a nuclear deterrent is needed shows what a terrible job the past UK governments have done.