Hindsight is great isnt it? It turns out that Blair was right in a way when he said "Vote Lib Dem/independent and you'll get Tory" as they have split the vote in St. Albans where I live. :twisted: More people voted Lib Dem it seemed so it let the Conservatives in. Grrrr
Overall though Blair won of course.
I didnt vote independent/UKIP though, breaking up of the UK/pulling out of Europe nonsense
How did you vote for guys? If you don't mind me asking. Me I voted Lib. Dem. all the way! I didn't really mind as long as the Torries didn't get in and UKIP of course but they never would!
I saw a bit on the racist bastard who runs BNP. It amazes me people vote for them and they're not being arrested (assuming they're breaking the law? Which they must be).
The Torries it seems to me are completely out of touch with most of the British public today unless you are in your 60's or more of course.
Me too Brad I wasn't really bothered as long as it wasn't the Tories or UKIP or some other independence party who got in. Did you see that clown George Galloway has won an election somewhere taking Oona King's seat?
For me, the Lib Dem stuff I got seemed the nicest as it contained less sniping at the other parties etc and more about what they would do in my area But I didnt think they'd split the vote I wasn't sure who to vote for them or Labour really.
Did you see the Dead Ringers show Brad and also the Bremner one "A Bunch of C(o)unts" - very funny
Well, obviously I didn't want war-mongering Labour to win, and the cuddly Lib-Dems are a waste of space, so I voted SNP, a respectable opposition. We lost; Labour won. But then as has been said you could put a sheep with a red rosette in Scotland and it would walk the vote.
Interesting that everyone here is so anti-Tory. I disagreed with Howard's pro-war stance, but like the stuff about more police and cleaner hospitals. It's always a case of the good with the bad. At the very least Labour doesn't have the kind of mandate it had before, with a drop of 100 seats; and the two main rival parties are strengthened. Which can only be a good thing.
Some strong showings for independants too. George Galloway's speech was genius. Did anyone see his argument with Jeeremy Paxman? Class. I find it bizarre that most of the objection to his winning the seat was that he ousted a (half)black female - like that gives her a divine right to be elected? Very peculiar indeed.
Don't have time for Galloway. OK he was against the Iraq war fair enough, but he's admitted to being a Saddam admirer/sympathiser.
The irony of his party winning a seat is that if he had his way, people in Iraq couldn't vote.
Don't all the parties propose more police/cleaner hospitals?
I've add a poll for fun. It's anonymous so don't worry. I'm most interested to see how many people voted UKIP or BNP!
Have I left anyone out?
Markgway wrote:Well, obviously I didn't want war-mongering Labour to win, and the cuddly Lib-Dems are a waste of space, so I voted SNP, a respectable opposition.
Very much so. I'm glad you decided to vote in the end.
Markgway wrote:George Galloway's speech was genius. Did anyone see his argument with Jeeremy Paxman? Class.
I saw it to. The man should be in jail! Probably.
To think it's acceptable in this day and age that the party only accepts white people. How can he not be racist?
I saw it to. The man should be in jail! Probably. To think it's acceptable in this day and age that the party only accepts white people. How can he not be racist?
Who should be in Jail? Galloway or Paxman? Sorry, I'm not understanding your point.
I think Brad means Galloway should be in jail.
I saw a clip of the interview on HIGNFY (Have I Got News For You). Very funny, but showed what an idiot Galloway is. (The one where he keeps saying "Aren't you going to congratulate me?" ignoring the significance of who Oona King was).
Mark how can King be half-black? She's either black or she isn't?
grim_tales wrote:I think Brad means Galloway should be in jail.
You mean for the comments he made about the war?
I saw a clip of the interview on HIGNFY (Have I Got News For You). Very funny, but showed what an idiot Galloway is. (The one where he keeps saying "Aren't you going to congratulate me?"
Actually, Paxman came off the worse for asking a stupid, racist question.
ignoring the significance of who Oona King was
Eh? How is she significant then? Sounded like another Blairite lackey to me. Glad she lost.
Mark how can King be half-black? She's either black or she isn't?
I'm sorry I didnt understand what you meant by "half-black" thats all
How was what Paxman said racist?
Galloway shouldn't be in jail for his anti-war comments no, Brad was referring to the fact that his Respect party only accepts white people to join it.
If you mean the question when Paxman asked Galloway the significance of beating "a respected black female MP", he definitely shouldn't have brought race into the question, and just said "a respected, significant politician" or something so I agree with you on that point Mark.
He's trying obviously to make Galloway admit he's prejudiced in some way.
King is significant as she was one of the few black women in Parliament as Paxman said.
It had been quite a nasty, mean-spirited campaign by Respect against her, slashing her car tyres and stuff. Galloway himself made much of the colour of her skin (and Jewish heritage to boot).
Here's the whole interview (from BBC.co.uk):
JP: We're joined now from his count in Bethnal Green and Bow by George Galloway. Mr Galloway, are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament?
GG: What a preposterous question. I know it's very late in the night, but wouldn't you be better starting by congratulating me for one of the most sensational election results in modern history?
JP: Are you proud of having got rid of one of the very few black women in Parliament?
GG: I'm not - Jeremy - move on to your next question.
JP: You're not answering that one?
GG: No because I don't believe that people get elected because of the colour of their skin. I believe people get elected because of their record and because of their policies. So move on to your next question.
JP: Are you proud -
GG: Because I've got a lot of people who want to speak to me.
JP: - You -
GG: If you ask that question again, I'm going, I warn you now.
JP: Don't try and threaten me Mr Galloway, please.
GG: You're the one who's trying to badger me.
JP: I'm not trying to badger you, I'm merely trying to ask if you're proud at having driven out of Parliament one of the very few black women there, a woman you accuse of having on her conscience 100,000 people.
GG: Oh well there's no doubt about that one. There's absolutely no doubt that all those New Labour MPs who voted for Mr Blair and Mr Bush's war have on their hands the blood of 100,000 people in Iraq, many of them British soldiers, many of them American soldiers, most of them Iraqis and that's a more important issue than the colour of her skin.
JP: Absolutely, because you then went on to say "including a lot of women who had blacker faces than her"
GG: Absolutely right, absolutely right. So don't try and tell me I should feel guilty about one of the most sensational election results in modern electoral history.
JP: I put it to you Mr Galloway that Nick Raynsford had you to a T when he said you were a "demagogue".
GG: Sorry?
JP: Nick Raynsford. You know who I mean? Nick Raynsford. Labour MP?
GG: No, I don't know who you mean.
JP: Never heard of him.
GG: I've never heard of Nick Raynsford, no.
JP: What else haven't you heard of?
GG: Well, I've been in Parliament a long time...
JP: He was a Parliamentary colleague of yours until very recently.
GG: Well, most of them just blend one into the other, Jeremy, they're largely a spineless, a supine bunch.
JP: Have you ever heard of Tony Banks?
GG: Yes I have, yes.
JP: Right, Tony Banks was sitting here five minutes ago, and he said that you were behaving inexcusably, that you had deliberately chosen to go to that part of London and to exploit the latent racial tensions there.
GG: You are actually conducting one of the most - even by your standards - one of the most absurd interviews I have ever participated in. I have just won an election. Can you find it within yourself to recognise that fact? To recognise the fact that the people of Bethnal Green and Bow chose me this evening. Why are you insulting them?
JP: I'm not insulting them, I'm not insulting you
GG: You are insulting them, they chose me just a few minutes ago. Can't you find it within yourself even to congratulate me on this victory?
JP: Congratulations, Mr Galloway.
GG: Thank you very much indeed. [Waves, removes microphone]
I didn't know about the Whites Only policy for the Respect Party. Are you sure about that? The man loves Arabs. His whole platform was in defence or Arabs. And a large share of his vote was from Arabs. So he's racist how? But do tell more about the "whites only" deal.
I re-read the interview and see nothing wrong with what Galloway said. He's right when he said it's ridiculous that so much should be made of Oona King's skin colour. Like that gives her a right to be there. If Oona King was white there would've been no complaints. I don't care what colour my MP is as long as they do a good job. The constituency of Bethnal Green obviously felt Galloway would do a better job or speak for them. What more can you say? I know why Paxman asked the question: as the issue had been raised just before by that muppet Tony Banks. I think Paxman didn't expect the rebuff is all.
I think thats what Brad meant anyway.. Care to elaborate Brad? I didnt know that but its pretty shocking if its true.
You're right Mark I did see some supporters were Arabs as well (so it wouldnt make sense to have a whites only policy..?)... did you see the bit on Newsnight where they showed the Bengali (?) programme saying Respect annoyed Muslims/Arabs who represented the other parties as well. (The bit with the 3 candidates shouting).
grim_tales wrote:... did you see the bit on Newsnight where they showed the Bengali (?) programme saying Respect annoyed Muslims/Arabs who represented the other parties as well. (The bit with the 3 candidates shouting).
No, I didn't. Of course, many Muslims want to be represented by the traditional parties. Respect only fills a niche gap of anti-war protestors, who at this election wanted to be heard. They were angry at Blair, and since King was a vociferous supporter of Blair's, she was likely to get it in the neck. The victory for Galloway wasn't anti black or any such nonsense, it was anti-Blair and anti-Iraq. Next election when the war is less of an issue I'm sure Labour will be voted back in. What bothers me is all this talk that King had some kind of right to be elected because of her colour/gender, which is quite outrageous.
bradavon wrote:Isn't religious slander illegal or at the very least grounds to be sued?
In this PC-age probably... but I don't know what you're referring to? Who did Galloway racially slander? It wasn't in the interview. If something happened before the election that I don't know of... tell me.
grim_tales wrote:It wasn't in the interview but as I said it seems as if Oona King was racially targeted during the campaign by some people.. is that slander?
Depends on what was said. But of course it is wrong to use someone's race against them. But in the interview Galloway makes it clear the election wasn't about race and neither is the ability to represent a people. So you can see why I'm confused?
PS you're right of course her race/gender does not give her a "divine right" to win a seat.
That's what Galloway was saying when Paxman suggested by question it was wrong for a white man to displace a black woman.
Ah. Thanks Brad for explaining. I thought you meant Galloway and his party specifically.
Well the BNP are cocks Just ignore them and they will go away.
They pretend theyre not racist/prejudiced but they are.
:twisted: More people voted Lib Dem it seemed so it let the Conservatives in. Grrrr 
But I didnt think they'd split the vote 
