# UK Elections anyone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 16, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-elections-anyone/299680 "2005-04-16T22:21:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![guinnog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7993a0/32.png) [@guinnog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guinnog)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-elections-anyone/299680/1 "2005-04-16T22:21:30Z")
I wonder if there is a critical mass of people who are following the election here over the next few weeks? I am so glad we don’t have the US model of a year-long campaign. Though recently, frankly, it’s been hard to tell… John ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-elections-anyone/299680/2 "2005-04-16T23:59:05Z")
I will venture to say the majority (overwhelming might be a good modifier) of Americans don’t know there IS an election going on. My SO asked me if any news about some controversy involving the LibDem candidate had made news over here…I said I would be impressed if a random American could name the two major parties in the UK, less alone note that there are more than two. Sad but true. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-elections-anyone/299680/3 "2005-04-17T00:11:28Z")
Oh yes. I’m following it. But it’s been really boring so far. None of the parties seem to be really inspiring so far. I’ve downloaded the manifestoes of the three main parties and expect to be going through them this afternoon. I live in a ‘safe’ Labour seat, so my vote is unlikely to affect anything, but I’m going to vote. ---
**Author:** ![6\_6\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e0b2c6/32.png) [@6\_6\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6_6_6)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-elections-anyone/299680/4 "2005-04-17T16:26:55Z")
As always it will be a case of voting for the least-worst candidate. At least we’ve got an interesting Conservative candidate in Teignbridge - Stanley Johnson, Boris’s dad. Should be good for a giggle. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-elections-anyone/299680/5 "2005-04-17T16:35:57Z")
The dissolution of Parliament and the announcement of elections already drowned in the media floods of the papal funeral earlier this month. I don’t know how Brits themselves perceive the campaigning; in Germany, there’s some interest in it, partially because the result might be an indicator for the question whether Britain is going to ratify the EU constitution. Then again, there’s the French referendum that’s going to get a lot of attention in this matter. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uk-elections-anyone/299680/6 "2005-04-17T20:31:27Z")
We’ve just got a bunch of ciphers. As some may recall, the personal qualities of candidates are important to me. So far the Tories don’t even seem to be bothering around here, and their policies have not enthused me. Labour and the LibDems keep telling me how they’re going to spend even more of my money. I’m not voting for George Galloway’s crew. This leaves the the UK Independence Party and the English Nationalists. UKIP are a bit of a joke, and I’m not entirely sure that the English Nationalists aren’t related to the National Front and their manifesto is a bit on the vague side. We don’t even have a decent loony candidate.