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[redwallzyl]

UK news

Of Mice And Men and To Kill A Mockingbird dumped from GSCE syllabus ‘because Michael Gove doesn’t like them’

http://metro.co.uk/2014/05/25/of-mice-and-men-and-to-kill-a-mockingbird-dumped-from-gsce-syllabus-because-michael-gove-doesnt-like-them-4739561/

[XXSockXX]

Hearing grumblings that the UKIP is only doing well because the turnout is so dismal, anything to back it up?

The general idea is that any party that is able to mobilize a lot of it's potential voters to actually go and vote benefits from low turnout. Usually new-ish parties with protest potential that campaign on polarizing issues or fringe parties that look like they might gain some momentum are more likely to draw potential voters than the established ones that campaign on "more status quo". So for the eurosceptical parties, the EU election is the place where they can campaign on their main issue and convince people to make a statement, while the mainstream parties may struggle to interest their voters in an election that is not perceived as all that important.

[smjjames]

Funny polandball comic in relation to the European elections: http://i.imgur.com/tsFzt3X.png

[TD1]

Why would Germany ask America for help?

[smjjames]

*shrug* I'm not the one who made the comic. I'm guessing because UKIP and whatever the French group is are 'nazis' and so, Germany is going to America for help.

[Owlbread]

Hearing grumblings that the UKIP is only doing well because the turnout is so dismal, anything to back it up?

Despite the SNP winning the popular vote at the European Election (after being in government for 7 years), they fell a few thousand votes short of claiming a third seat. UKIP took the last seat from the Lib Dems due to it being contested by both the Greens and the SNP. The Greens got the best result they've ever had, so they basically replace the Lib Dems now as mainstream but they didn't get the seat.

But yes, UKIP took a Scottish seat on the basis that they had 10% of the vote, coming predominantly from Argyll and Aberdeenshire, areas with large numbers of elderly, middle class people (ex-Tories and Lib Dems) and also notably retired, wealthy people from the rest of the UK. In reality, out of a total electorate of over 4 million, around 110,000 voted UKIP. That means the total supporters of the party that actually voted in Scotland number at just 3.3% of the electorate. So despite representing 3.3% of the electorate, they hold a seat.

Low turnout was key.

As you can gather from this information, Scotland is no longer a UKIP free zone.

I take comfort in the fact that UKIP got their lowest vote in the UK in Scotland and only managed to gain a seat as a result of incessant blanket media coverage of UKIP (Alex Salmond, leader of the SNP, claimed tonight that UKIP got 4 times the coverage on the BBC that the SNP got in Scotland, despite being the party of government/most popular party), as well as low turnout and idiots voting Green when they should have tactically voted SNP like we've been saying all along.

I also take comfort in the fact that the elected candidate, David Coburn, is an idiot who will become a mouthpiece for anti-immigration, right-wing politics in Scotland. He will do more damage to the party's fortunes than an election campaign ever could. This has certainly sent the music through the fiddle for the Unionists, given that they're going to have to share a platform with this man. I hope the BBC get him on as much as they can.

[TD1]

But didn't you say the SNP will rely on low turnout in order to get out of the U.K?

Really, on the subject of UKIP, you either love them or you hate them. Most who hate do so for unfounded reasons. Most who love them it is mainly because finally there is a party that represents their views on the E.U.

Consecutive governments have either hinted at or out righted promised a referendum,stringing us along as it were.

In fact, there's a bit in common between UKIP and the SNP. People accuse UKIP of not liking foreigners. People accuse SNP of bein lss than friendly in their regard of the English. UKIP wants to get power back from the E.U. and get self-governance. SNP wants separation from the U.K. and self-governance.

Quite a bit in common.

[Owlbread]

But didn't you say the SNP will rely on low turnout in order to get out of the U.K?

I said I would personally rely on it because I want independence above anything else, selfishly. If I said otherwise I would be lying. The SNP haven't said that though.

Really, on the subject of UKIP, you either love them or you hate them. Most who hate do so for unfounded reasons. Most who love them it is mainly because finally there is a party that represents their views on the E.U.

My reasons for disliking them are that they stand for virtually everything I disagree with. I cannot find a single policy of theirs that I agree with.

The only thing I did agree with, if I think about it really hard, was one of Farage's personal whimsies about how .22 caliber handguns should be made legal again for sportsmen. That's it.

Consecutive governments have either hinted at or out righted promised a referendum,stringing us along as it were.

This is most likely going to happen in 2017. I fully believe the Tories will deliver it when they win.

In fact, there's a bit in common between UKIP and the SNP. People accuse UKIP of not liking foreigners. People accuse SNP of bein lss than friendly in their regard of the English.

This is nonsense. On the occasions that the SNP have been accused of Anglophobia, the accusers have apologised. UKIP on the other hand have made immigration restriction, even in a country like Scotland where greater numbers of immigrants will be beneficial, a key election policy in order to exploit the racist vote.

UKIP wants to get power back from the E.U. and get self-governance.

Could you summarise exactly what powers you want to get back from the EU and how we are currently unable to govern ourselves?

SNP wants separation from the U.K. and self-governance.

This is true, but there is a great amount of difference between a sovereign state leaving an international federation and a region becoming a sovereign state.

Quite a bit in common.

Virtually none at all. The only notable thing the parties have in common are that they are both populist nationalist parties, but the nationalism in both parties differs greatly in nature, as does the nature of their populism.

[TD1]

This is most likely going to happen in 2017. I fully believe the Tories will deliver it when they win.

I'm almost certain that some real effort will be made now, because suddenly it's been made a popular demand, as expressed by UKIP. If all else fails, at least there will be that.

This is nonsense. On the occasions that the SNP have been accused of Anglophobia, the accusers have apologised. UKIP on the other hand have made immigration restriction, even in a country like Scotland where greater numbers of immigrants will be beneficial, a key election policy in order to exploit the racist vote.

Quite. Claiming that the SNP is Anglophobic simply because the English are the ones who lose out is rather foolish. Much like claims of racism against UKIP, no?

The point is that if there's a benefit to immigration, it should happen. As such, immigration as based on skill should be allowed in Scotland, simply cutting out any criminal elements. If this is racist, then I'm a racist and proud. Not much of a racist vote to exploit, unless you redefine racist as border-control.

Could you summarise exactly what powers you want to get back from the EU and how we are currently unable to govern ourselves?

Trade. In fact, nearly everything outside our borders. And even our borders, too. And stuff inside too, e.g. agriculture. I'll go into more depth if you want.

This is true, but there is a great amount of difference between a sovereign state leaving an international federation and a region becoming a sovereign state.

Separatism is separatism. Still, do explain the main differences to me, other than scale.

Virtually none at all. The only notable thing the parties have in common are that they are both populist nationalist parties, but the nationalism in both parties differs greatly in nature, as does the nature of their populism.

Nature is different. True. I didn't say it wasn't-it very noticeably is. But there is similarity, if only in that the plight of UKIP inspires me as much as the plight of the SNP inspires you. And for largely similar reasons, I daresay.

[10ebbor10]

So apparently two countries had 90% voter turnout.

* Darvi high-fives Miauw and Sheb because he literally has nothing else to comment on.

Both of those conincidentally had mandatory voting...

[smjjames]

I thought the UK wasn't in the EU in the first place?

[10ebbor10]

The UK is in the EU. They just got a bunch of exceptions, concerning the euro and such.

[Descan]

So either the EU is so very heavy-handed that even the country with the least involvement in the EU, while still being inside it, wants out... Or the UK is a bunch of whiny pricks. Take your pick!

I know, I know, it'd mostly be the UKIP being a bunch of whiny pricks, taking advantage of voter apathy, if it were the latter. But it doesn't roll off the tongue as well!

[LordSlowpoke]

well uk politicians are all a bunch of whiny cunts when you look at them from across the channel

the eu would be better off without them, so the whole ukip shitfest has my blessing

scotland can come back if they can behave

[Sheb]

It's actually sad most of the Eurosceptics parties are right-wing populist (AfD seems to be the exception, and to a certain extent, the Tories) . Euroscepticism, in and of itself is a valid political belief, even if one I don't agree with.

Now, given who is actually defending it, it's starting to look like state's right in the USA: once a worthy idea, but now whenever a politician utters it you know he just wants freedom to be a cunt back home.