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[olemars]

Tonight is parliament (storting) election night in Norway. The results are fairly clear already: we will be going from a labour/social left/centrist coalition to a liberal/conservative/centrist/etc coalition. The Green Party got their first representative ever, who I imagine will spend much time talking about windmills and meditation techniques.

I dropped a protest vote into the ballot box. The Pirate Party ran candidate lists for the first time ever (it was established as a party less than 9 months ago) and despite little attention, a dumb name, slightly dubious image and a lack of a general policy statement, they're doing quite well. Won't be getting any reps, but 0.3% first time running is a decent start. They're the only party with a clear position on the subjects I consider the most important right now, so it was an easy choice.

I don't really expect much from the new coalition, but it might be a good time for a slight change in direction. Unfortunately I doubt there will be much change in political culture. Too many career politicians.

edit: Live results page for anyone odd enough to be interested.

[Scoops Novel]

Yanno, I would contribute with news from our own elections next month, but they're always so uneventful that I can't even tell you the parties' stances on issues.

Where are you?

Luxembourg.

Luxembourg.

Curses, I've been found. Better move away fast.

You've left, right? It is Uneventful.

How did the election go there? Why did you know next to nothing about it?

[lemon10]

edit: Live results page for anyone odd enough to be interested.

So, it seems that both the Associated Press (AP) and Frumple (FRP) had big losses, while Hydrogen (H) and V (for vendetta) had significant gains. 

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Hydrogen 2017! The original family values.

[Descan]

Heresy! The energy, the LIFEBLOOD of our civilization comes from the God-Emperor himself, beaming his psionic groovewave across our fair planet!

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Sinner! It's H and He, not H and Fe!

[Evil Knievel]

We discuss much separatism here. I guess the importance of 11th of September for Catalunia should be pointed out:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24057082

[Owlbread]

The future of Catalonia and Scotland are intertwined, I believe. If we vote Yes before Catalonia, Catalonia's independence supporters will be bolstered greatly. If they vote Yes before us, the same will apply. If we vote No, I doubt the Catalans will take that much of a blow, but if they vote No we certainly will.

If, by some chance, Scotland and Catalonia both become independent I am pretty certain we will see more movements achieving their goals across Europe, perhaps across the world.

[Dutchling]

This reminds me of one of the polls I got in my mailbox a few days ago:

Scotland - YouGov poll on independence: 59% support NO (to independence), 29% YES

[Owlbread]

Yeah I heard that poll, that was bullshit. It was commissioned by a unionist group called devo-plus or something. All of our polls, whether they are nationalist or unionist, are twisted and biased based on the line of questioning they take. The SNP, as an experiment, released a very similar poll that got a slim 1% majority in favour of independence. Anyone can play at that game, it's just the unionists who adore quoting polls rather than arguing because it's the perfect way to keep reminding people they're losing.

Of course, the pro-independence campaign hasn't even started yet. What they've been doing for the past two years is building up a network of campaign groups and bases in every single part of the country, training up the people who are going to be campaigning and so forth. That's one thing the anti-independence campaign is ignoring - we have completely trounced them by way of membership and organisation. They only have a handful of bases, and once that sodding white paper comes out in November time, everything will start to kick in.

To give you an idea of the figures we're talking about here, look at the main pro and anti independence party membership figures. The SNP have 25,000 members, Scottish Labour have 5,000.

[ChairmanPoo]

Knowing as I know conservative nationalist parties (AKA: CiU, in this context), I doubt the referendum they're planning will contain any meaningful independentist measure. What they really want is to have their own tax office, like the Basque Country does. They started making noise after their initial petition was refused.

It might well have flown out of their hands though. Seems a good chunk of their voters DO want a meaningful independence.

[Owlbread]

Maybe if Scotland vote Yes before Catalonia, that could push the CiU in favour of an in-out referendum.

[hector13]

Yeah I heard that poll, that was bullshit. It was commissioned by a unionist group called devo-plus or something. All of our polls, whether they are nationalist or unionist, are twisted and biased based on the line of questioning they take. The SNP, as an experiment, released a very similar poll that got a slim 1% majority in favour of independence. Anyone can play at that game, it's just the unionists who adore quoting polls rather than arguing because it's the perfect way to keep reminding people they're losing.

Of course, the pro-independence campaign hasn't even started yet. What they've been doing for the past two years is building up a network of campaign groups and bases in every single part of the country, training up the people who are going to be campaigning and so forth. That's one thing the anti-independence campaign is ignoring - we have completely trounced them by way of membership and organisation. They only have a handful of bases, and once that sodding white paper comes out in November time, everything will start to kick in.

To give you an idea of the figures we're talking about here, look at the main pro and anti independence party membership figures. The SNP have 25,000 members, Scottish Labour have 5,000.

In Scotland, perhaps. You seem to be forgetting that, while the other UK countries can't vote in the referendum, they can certainly campaign or provide support for those who are campaigning. TV, radio and internet are big tools in politics these days, and anyone can use them.

The pro-independents may win the battle on the ground, but they need to remember the battle of the airwaves too.

[Owlbread]

Yes, Labour, the Lib Dems and the Conservatives have the benefit of being able to call upon London HQ for support but Labour have their hands full at the moment trying to recover after a pretty tough summer. I mean, David Cameron is actually still more attractive as a PM to some people than Ed Milliband, and that's saying something.

The battle of the airwaves seems to be going quite well. The pro-independence campaigners tend to do well in TV debates and interviews, while the anti-independence campaigners have had a few less-than-successful performances like that of Scottish Labour MP Iain Davidson when he accused the BBC of being biased in favour of the SNP. During an interview. It boggles the mind. That's not to say there have been a few issues, but the BBC is very balanced in its coverage of the independence issue.

In my opinion, the polls are going to swing hugely as soon as the TV debates really kick in, especially if Alex Salmond enters a television debate with either Alistair Darling (the figurehead of the anti-independence campaign), Johann Lamont (the leader of Scottish Labour) or David Cameron. I really, really hope that happens because Mr. Salmond would completely mop the floor with any of those dishcloths. If you doubt my conviction, remember that the Liberal Democrats got into government based on 1 television debate where Nick Clegg made Gordon Brown and David Cameron look like idiots.

The internet campaigns are also going well. The pro-independence activists remain the most prevalent and vocal, even though the anti-independence groups have grown on the internet. They're limited  by and large to a few very vocal Labour/Conservative party activists. They don't quite have the same momentum that we do.

The only real issue is with the newspapers. Every single newspaper in the country is biased against independence besides about two broadsheets, namely the Guardian and the Herald. Those are the most neutral.

[LordSlowpoke]

Germany's going to have elections soon. Expect Bavaria had them already. Huh.

Anyone know if the outcome is not obvious? It seems there's no reason for Merkel to lose this one.

Wait, these are the lower house, upper house or what elections, I managed to forget... Google, ho!