UK Elections
 

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 11 (May 2010).



General elections in the UK will be held on 6 May 2010. Whether you're registered or not (and we hope you or your parents are!) it is important to know what is going on in the government. Do you know who is running and what they stand for?

First, let's have a quick lesson on the basics of political parties in the UK. There are many parties in the UK, including minor ones like the Green Party or the British National Party (BNP). There are three major parties running for election this term, among the several smaller parties, and they are the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and the Labour Party. So who leads them and, more importantly, what do they stand for?

The Conservative Party wants to...

• ensure all future Prime Ministers are elected.
• expand the Freedom of Information Act.
• provide direct funding to neighbourhoods.
• make a new Right to Data Act.

The Liberal Democrats Party wants to...

• cut taxes.
• abolish the income tax for 3.6 million lower class families.
• cut class room size for better learning.
• return banks to lending money to boost the economy.

The Labour Party wants...

• faster health services and results in a week.
• a high speed rail service.
• broadband for all.
• to increase the Minimum Wage.

As mentioned, there are several minor parties. Maybe you want to vote for one of them instead. Who are they, and what do they stand for?

British National Party (BNP): stricter immigration laws, repatriations for existing immigrants.
Democratic Unionist: Northern Ireland remaining with the UK.
Green Party: sustainability.
Plaid Cymru: Welsh independence.
Scottish National Party (SNP): Scottish independence.
Sinn Féin: Northern Ireland independence.
UK Independence Party (UKIP): UK withdraw from the European Union.

Whether you support the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, or one of the minor parties, remember to get out and vote on 6 May and ensure that your voice counts!