When is the next UK election and what are the key issues?

Question

Sounds like a lot of the issues we have on this side of the Pond: the war in Iraq/ MidEast policy, education, healthcare, immigration.

What's wrong with the BNP (I assume British National Party)?

Answer 1

Hello,

(ANS) The next general election isnt due to take place here in the UK until 2008.

The problem as I see it is that the New Labour project is a miserable failure due to Tony Blairs track record of spin spin & more spin (or should that be lies,lies, & more lies??).

Gordon Brown should he follow on from TB and become the next PM which is looking more likely now. Will inherit a dreadfull posioned challis, Blairs legancy is a shambles and its going to take years to sort it out & turn all the negatives back towards positives.

I'm NOT even convinced that Gordon Brown can do it?? **Being chancellor is one thing but being PM is a totally different ball game and I'm not convinced that Brown has what it takes. **Problem is New Labout doesnt have anyone else who could take on the PM role.

**The Tories are a joke!! I cannot take Cameron seriously for a second, he's hasnt got any really original ideas of his own and it shows badley too. Cameron is only trying to play Blairs game of trying to steal back labours ideas so that he can take back the centre ground that Blair pinched from under the nose of the Tories.

**The Lib Dems dont inspire any confidence any more under Cambel either.

**I think the British people are sick to death of all three useless parties, non of the main three parties have anything new or original to offer. Non of the 3 main parties have figure heads that truely show real leadership qualities, non of them have the obvious qulaities that PM role requires.

**I'm totally cynical and utterly disillusioned with party politics in this country, the system is utterly useless & outdated but what you put in its place is even more of a difficult dilemma. I dont know what the answer/s are? But I do know millions of people feel like me as well, that the political system doesnt represent our views or opinions. That voting seems more & more like a waste of time, nobody listens NOT really.

IR

Answer 2

The General Election has to be held before June 2010, but can be held at any time before then.

The current rumour mill at Westminster says that Gordon Brown will succeed Tony Blair in June/July this year, and will call a General Election to coincide with the local elections in May 2008.

The key issues can be difficult to forecast: what seems important today may be overtaken by something that we cannot forsee, but right now they will be public services (particularly health and education), the economy (despite what people tell opinion pollsters before an election the majority always vote on this issue), the war in Iraq (although if, as is almost certain, British troops are withdrawn in 2007 this may be less of an issue), immigration and border controls, and national security.

Despite the hopes of one or two morons on this site, the BNP will win NO seats at that election, and it will be a straight race between Labour under Gordon Brown and the Conservatives.

Answer 3

To be honest with so many people the key issues don't matter. There is a large population set who vote only for Labour/Tory/whoever, and often the reason given is that 'my dad voted for them, and his dad, and his dad'.

I see no real difference in the way politicians between parties behave, and the key to winning the next election will be to play to the minority of the nation who are swing voters, who don't have a particularly party affiliation and who will win the election for whichever party promises the least in Tax, better living conditions, less intrusion by 'big brother', etc. In this respect the Tory's can carry some votes just by cherry picking labour policies that the average person does not like and saying they'll do the opposite.

Answer 4

As stated elsewhere before May 2010. Probably not after May 2009

Key Issues

The important ones
==============

ID cards and the resultant threat to civil liberties

The covert new labour assault on small businesses and the entrepreneurial culture (You don't really believe what they SAY do you?)

Increasing erosion of privacy and freedom

A government culture of lying to the public [1]

Corruption in high places ( The cash for Honours scandal)
The Government spending deficit
Electoral reform
Disregard for the rule of law (cancelling a police investigation into potentially corrupt arms dealing because it would "be against the national interest", but probably because the investigation offended Saudi Arabia)[2]
The ones the public care about
=======================
Taxes
"Immigration" i.e an excuse for British Xenophobia
public transport
Which minister is sleeping in the wrong bed
Iraq war


Pardon my cynicism. I tend to the view that the worst thing about political jokes is that we keep electing them.

Answer 5

The next UK General Election will be some time before the end of 2010, and we know no more than that. It depends when the Prime Minister of the day decides to call one, and that could happen tomorrow, or on the 1st of May 2010.

The main issues are very likely to be tax, health, education, public spending and foreign policy. As they always are.

Answer 6

aThe biggest issue is how this so called Government has run this country and will be doing so for the next two tears, by then they will hand over to the Tories as they did last time with us owing so much money to the world bank the interest rates will go up, the sad thing is that Brown is running out of things to tax, having let the mandarins of government recruit until there are more quangos and management staff for the NHS than there is anywhere in the country , and they still cannot get it right, the had the right to blame the Tories for the fist term of office, but now they have and will have had it for 12 years , there is no one to blame but themselves, the billions we have poured into Iraq AND THE REST OF THE WARS, WOULD HAVE MADE US ONE OF THE MOST STABLE GOVERNMENTS IN THE WORLD IF WE HAD STAYED OUT, Tony Blair TO SAY THAT Iraq WAS A THREAT TO US , WAS AND IS A OUTRIGHT LIAR.

Answer 7

The next UK General election - that is the election for Members of Parliament - The House of Commons, is in about three years time, approx.

UK general elections for the House of Commons are held every five [5] years. The prime minister can call an election any time he/she wants, but at the five year point must go to the 'country', as we call it in UK and ask the people to elect a new government.

Local elections are held every 2 years. Elections for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly, not sure about these - you'd better check their sites.

Answer 8

generally what Paul mentioned,different than that the only human beings announcing "a vote for the Lib Dems is a wasted vote" are Conservatives and Labour supporters annoying of the present Liberal Democrat enhance in help,no longer least between scholars and accepted-time voters. The Lib Dems have additionally been optimal on civil liberties,reform of the vote casting equipment and have been the only party antagonistic to the unlawful invasion of Iraq. they are additionally pledged to abolish college training costs. A poll interior the cases confirmed that adolescents now positioned the Liberal Democrats in front on 40-one, Labour on 28 and the Tories languishing 0.33 on 26.

Answer 9

I reckon it will be in 2009 when Gordon Brown has had two years with his feet under the table (by the way, did we actually vote for Gordon Brown to take over ...? I didn't!).
I think the issues that the electorate will want to have on the table will be vastly different from those that the politicians actually decide to canvass on. I think the electorate will want the immigration issue on the table and law and order ... but I think the politicians will sweep this away and concentrate on environment and global warming.

Answer 10

Hopefully soon as this country needs to get rid of Blair, Bush & their cronies. This place is disliked as much as the USA now & the world is an unsafe place because of their policies.

I do not feel that it is now great to be British & it is sad. At one time I could hold my head high abroad but not now.

WE are also bottom of the world in child poverty.

What has this government done to us & how long will it take to repair the damage.