h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm doing Government & Politics as an 'A' Level and I'm also planning to go into it as a career. An evil little politician no less !

So, I thought to myself one merry day, are H2G2's researchers more right wing or left wing? What are their reasons for choosing one over the other? What are their most heartfelt political beliefs?

You tell me! Right or left?

OK Mr Machiavelli

I'm in the middle

everyone one else is to the right or left of me

I have to admit there are probably more to the right than to the left of me but I regard that as being their problem

Well, if the Labour party were still socialists, and the Torys still conservatives...

Do the concepts of Left and Right have any real meaning any more?

On a more practical level, you might like to set yourself up with an email address in your username ([email protected], for example) and invite private responses. I did this to ask people about their religeous beleifs, and got some very helpful private responses, while the main posting degenerated into flame wars.

For the record, I vote in every election I am entitled to vote in; but agree with Mercutio when he said "A plague on both your houses".

Ah, but there is something fun in the cut and thrust of it all!
You're right of course. Both the main parties have drifted towards the middle over time. I suppose it's just some sort of natural progression because the extremes have been shown not to work.

However, the good old days could soon be returning! Take a look at http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk_politics/newsid_1099000/1099369.stm . It's a BBC article about a possible vision of the political near-future. It makes it sound like Britain is about to degenerate into anarchy, although I find that hard to believe.

Although to be honest it wouldn't bother me, because then I could swoop in to save the day!

And if someone does want to contact me privately then my address is [email protected]

I would consider myself left of centre (in favour of free education to tertiary level for all, free essential medical care etc.) but with sharp rightward swings on the 19th of every month (when I pay my taxes). There is a lesson for all politicians there.

*Both* the main parties? Come to Scotland mate! - we've got twice that many!

Well I haven't really looked at Scotland in that much depth. Let's see...presumably you've got Labour, Conservatives and Lib Dems. Hmmm...then there's the SNP and isn't there some kind of Scottish Labour Party as well?

And us Welsh have Plaid Cymru of course. You can just see them forming the next government can't you?

Do the conservatives count as a party in Scotland? It must be a pretty quiet party .

The problem with "modern" politics is that there are number of axes on which you need to identify yourself..it's no longer just left and right. So to extend my previous posting I would also say that I am broadly Europhile but anti federalist, republican (in the UK meaning of the word), pro-choice, etc. etc. - basically a wishywashy liberal

Hmmm...I have mixed feelings on Europe. On the one hand it's always nice to see a bit of international cooperation. On the other, the EU can't manage the economy for toffee.

My only gripe about the British monarchy is that there is an English/Greek prince of Wales, which is an oppressive symbol of an archaic regime. (you can tell I'm a student can't you! )
But overall I suppose they are an important national symbol.

My gripe about having a monarchy is that we are "subjects" rather than "citizens". Lots of people think it is just a semantic distinction and not worth bothering abouit but I reckon playground rules apply - if the Queen wants me as her subject she has to beat me at an arm wrestle .

As for the economy being badly handled by Europe - well, not by comparison to Norman Lamont's standards. I think that the UK must be one of the few countries whose economy was worse off after a massive oil field was opened up.

There are 129 members of the Scottish Parliament, 73 elected for constituencies on a first past the post basis, 56 elected in blocks of seven for the eight regions. This is called the additional member system and it breaks down like this:
Labour: 52 constituencies, 3 regional seats Total: 55:/129
Scottish National Party: 7 constituencies, 28 regional seats Total: 35
Conservatives: 1 constituency, 18 regional seats Total 19
Lib Dems: 12 constituencies, 5 regional seats, Total: 17
Scottish Socialist Party: 1 regional seat
Scottish Green Party: 1 regional seat
Other (Dennis Canavan): 1 constituency seat
So: althought the conservatives were trounced in the constituency votes (they only won their one seat in a later by-election!) they are still are force to be reckoned with because of PR... ho hum

Jamie, if you are hoping to go to Westminster one day, then do look at Wales and Scotland (and Northern Irelnd, if it ever gets sorted ): the House of Commons Modernisation Committee is paying close attention to the Devolved Assemblies and recent proposed changes to Westminster have been strongly influenced by them - it should give you a taste for the future!

And as you may have guessed by now that I am in someway involve IRL, I'd better not say anything about MY personal politics

Good luck!

I think devolution is just going to lead to even more beaurocracy. I'm Welsh and I take pride in my country but I see no reason why we can't be fully integrated with England.

Of course Scotland has always done things its own way but is it possible that an unnatural degree of national pride is holding it back?

How can the UK ever expect to become fully integrated with Europe if it can't even integrate within its own borders?

Many valid points - but I don't think Devolution is just about lacking integration. One of the biggest problems with union in Scotland has been that because Scotland has its own legal system, education system, financial system and even established church, legislation has been botched and rebotched to cope with it. Since devolution the passage of legislation has been far simpler, clearer and with *less* bureaucracy!
Of course, Wales' position is different, although unique, especially with regards to language status... What I feel I have seen from within has been a strengthening of ties through the devolved assmblies (including ther Greater London Authority!) However, i wouldn't like to predict where things will go in the future, or what will happen to them - that's so much a case of what people make of them...

As for National pride - big subject! Support for independance has actually gone down in Scotland since devolution (though you know what opinion polls are like...), but I think the whole of how people feel about the UK will take years to settle down after the 80's - interesting times!

South Wales or North Wales, BTW?

South. Born in a town called Aberdare. I went to north Wales once when I was a kid and as I recall about four people live there. In caves. Speaking Welsh...

I was putting my money on South, but of course wasn't going to commit myself in writing!

I was brought up in the North West of England, within easy reach of the Welsh border, and later on visits to South Wales (and meeting people from the South) realised just how great the contrast is. In Scotland it s the furthest North - places like orkney and Shetland - where Devolution and/or independence has least support - funny isn't it?

I suppose it is. Do you know of any particular reasons for this north/south divide? My guess is that it's some kind of social phenomenon. Perhaps Scots from the south feel a greater sense of aggression towards the English due to their proximity...

The reason for north Wales being more against devolution seems obvious to me - it's where all the die-hard Welsh traditionalists live!