Mac's Poll - Let's Vote

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POLL: Voting intention UK Snap Election
Wednesday, April 19, 2017 @ 2:20 PM

Theresa May has called a snap general election for June 8, claiming that divisions at Westminster risked hampering the Brexit negotiations.

The Prime Minister will require the support of two-thirds of MPs to go to the country, with a vote scheduled in the Commons on Wednesday after the surprise announcement on Tuesday morning.

The move stunned Westminster, as Mrs May and Number 10 have repeatedly insisted she would not seek a general election before the scheduled 2020 poll.

But Mrs May, who has a fragile working majority of just 17 in the Commons, said she wanted "unity" at Westminster as talks on Brexit begin in earnest with the European Union.

Justifying the decision, Mrs May said: "The country is coming together but Westminster is not."

She said the "division in Westminster will risk our ability to make a success of Brexit".

This week's Times voting intention figures see the Conservatives on 44% (from 42% last week) while Labour are on 23% (from 25% last week), giving the Tories a 21 point lead.

These results represent the lowest voting intention share for Labour since June 2009 when the party was in power and Gordon Brown was Prime Minister.

Elsewhere the Liberal Democrats are on 12% (from 11% last week), UKIP are on 10% (from 11%), and votes for other parties are at 10% (from 11%).

Theresa May continues to be the favoured choice for best Prime Minister, with 50% of people preferring her to Jeremy Corbyn. The Labour leader is backed by 14% of voters, whilst 36% don't know.

What are your voting intentions?

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34 Comments

karisy said:
Wednesday, April 19, 2017 @ 9:51 PM

I’m really surprised she didn’t call one immediately after triggering article 50; it has always been obvious to me a general election is the only way to shut up, once & for all, the “remoaners”, loony left liberalists & a SNP leader hell bent on Scottish independence at any cost. If we are to have any hope of negotiating the right deal with Brussels, its essential the UK show the strongest possible mandate for leaving; we mustn’t show any sign of indecision or weakness & anyone who’s ever worked in a serious negotiating environment will tell you that’s the worst thing you can possibly do. At least with a general election under a defined mandate “the people” will actually get to finally decide if they are serious about leaving a totally corrupt EU. I just sincerely hope the right choice is made (hopefully again) but if it goes the wrong way & the UK does an “about turn” rest assured, we will be sunk. Brussels will punish us & break our “sorry please can we stay” begging bowl into the bargain for daring to question their authority & Europe will become ever closer to a totalitarian state.

I just arrived in Spain at the weekend for two months & the first thing I did this morning was to organise a postal vote for me & the wife. I just hope everyone who voted to leave the EU doesn’t get cold feet & be swayed by the crap propaganda that’s been pushed around by the “remoaners” & bandwagon political chancer’s ever since the leave vote was cast by the majority last year.

frangipani said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 8:31 AM

Remoaners, loony left liberals, corrupt EU, CRAP Propaganda. Any chance you have any well-informed opinions without using offensive language?

JAS4805 said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 8:40 AM

I'll informed happy chappy nonsense, if we leave the EU we will lose all our rights in Europe, Spain could reimplemented the extranjero tax that the EU court prevented them imposing a few years ago, this will be a disaster for example pats in Spain

midasgold said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 9:50 AM

Please understand that any " ANTI " brexit vote is now a LOST cause. It is very important that Mrs May is given your full support. Any other vote is anti British and could be dire
not only in our negotiations but also for your grand children.

wilj said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 10:09 AM

Totally agree with Karisy and Midas gold.Our family has never voted Conservative in our lives but our country (the UK) needs to show a bit of guts when it comes to this election and back Mrs May 100%.The EU is a total shambles and as regards being a disaster for ex pats in Spain I totally disagree with that statement as we pump billions in to their economy.I can tell you they will all agree to reciprocal agreements on ex pats whatever European country they are living in.

anthomo16 said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 10:16 AM

Totally agree with Karisy from what I have read the expats are just thinking of themselves and their lives in Spain and not about the UK as a whole. I too am coming to live in Spain, thanks Karisy for reminding me to arrange a postal vote.
The country has already voted to leave the EU let it be.

Watchmanager said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 10:24 AM

Well said and reasoned Karisy.
I voted to remain but am now a brexiteer as there is no longer Remainers or Leavers. We are leaving! So we all have to make this work as like it or not, you are all Brexiteers now.

Make sure you know that this is NOT a normal General election!
This election is about BREXIT and nothing else.
Yes! The normal stuff such as education, immigration, NHS is important and will be discussed by all parties but remember on these issues nothing has changed since you voted in the general election 2 years ago. Therefore this IS about BREXIT.

Now, not withstanding your views and how you voted in the referendum, we are mandated to leave and the only person that can pull this off is Teresa May and all the remoaners need to think hard now and consider to vote her in, as karisy stated, if you don't then expect to be slaughtered by the 27 non elected bureaucrat countries.
You need to talk the UK up! not like the sourgrapers who are constantly trying to bring it down.
Sturgeon, will get a shock when she finally realises that the Scottish voters don't all think the way she does. This will be shown in the loss of seats of the SNP.
Also don't be surprised if Labour don't have a quick change of leader within the next few weeks.
For the best outcome of all, I need to vote May. The only one strong enough to get a deal that will suit the UK and expand alike.
That's purely my take on this and you vote how you want. However, do it for the right reason!Well said and reasoned Karisy.

Make sure you know that this is NOT a normal General election!
This election is about BREXIT and nothing else.
Yes! The normal stuff such as education, immigration, NHS is important and will be discussed by all parties but remember on these issues nothing has changed since you voted in the general election 2 years ago. Therefore this IS about BREXIT.

Now, not withstanding your views and how you voted in the referendum, we are mandated to leave and the only person that can pull this off is Teresa May and all the remoaners need to vote her in as karisy stated, if you don't then expect to be slaughtered by the 27 non elected bureaucrat countries.
You need to talk the UK up! not like the sourgrapers who are constantly trying to bring it down.
Sturgeon, will get a shock when she finally realises that the Scottish voters don't all think the way she does. This will be shown in the loss of seats of the SNP.
Also don't be surprised if Labour don't have a quick change of leader within the next few weeks.
For the best outcome of all, you need to vote May. The only one strong enough to get a deal that will suit the UK and expand alike.
That's purely my take on this and you vote how you want. However, do it for the right reason!

Watchmanager said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 10:33 AM

Sorry about the repeat at the bottom of my answer but was due to the stupid verification techniques they use.

catalanbrian said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 10:34 AM

Could Wilj please explain his comment that the EU is a complete shambles. I will ignore the ludicrous remark that "expats" pump billions into the Spanish economy. I am also surprised at the number of Tory supporting Leavers on here. If the EU is that bad, why don't you go and live in the land of milk and honey known as Brexitland?

midasgold said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 10:53 AM

Cata... What "Wilja" said is 100% correct - we do pump billions into the Spanish economy. We are net contributors (as is Germany ) to the EU. Spain a " taker " along with the likes of
the other lost cause Greece.

wilj said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 11:32 AM

Catalanbrian, this is my reply to you.We have owned our apartment in Torrevieja for 17 years now.We pay all our dues to Spain and spend a minimum of two months a year at our apartment.we are spending many thousands of euros on upgrading our apartment employing Spanish builders.We fly out on a Spanish airline and hire Spanish hire cars on every visit.We eat out quite a lot at Spanish restaurants and contribute thousands of euros in to the local economy on a regular basis.Further more we do live in the land of milk and honey ,the only thing missing on a regular basis is the sunshine,so now you know why we have a home in Spain also.

Richard said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 11:54 AM

It appears to me that the conservatives will take this opportunity to abandon some of the commitments made in their last maifesto whilst all eyes are on Brexit.
I will be voting Conservative reluctantly as I believe we must show a unit front to Europe to get the best deal.

briando55 said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 12:51 PM

Ok. Admit it, someone is multiple voting lol.

karisy said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 3:14 PM

Don’t think multi voting is possible is it? Sorry if my views & frank speaking have upset a minority but it’s hardly offensive in this day & age & I always say it as I see it.

OK, it’s going to be a very small sample on here but, presumably, the unexpectedly high % vote for the Lib Dems is coming from those who would normally vote Labour & don’t want to leave the EU but realise Labour under JC is a lost cause in this election. The UKIP &other vote is a little more worrying; UKIP under Nigel Farage played a huge part in forcing the issue & the UK to where it stands now with Brexit but, although a part of me wishes otherwise, it’s unfortunately now a spent party with no clear direction. By voting UKIP in this election you will take votes away from the Tory Brexit campaign & weaken it’s position, they will effectively be wasted votes as UKIP doesn’t have a hope in hell & will only manage one or two MP’s if that. UKIP has done what it set out to do & needs time to refocus & formulate a new party agenda & if it does that successfully, could well become a political force to be recognised in the future & a successful opposition party.

I agree with Watchmanager; make no mistake, this election IS about Brexit, nothing else should cloud your thinking & you should vote accordingly even if it means temporarily abandoning your core political views & whichever party you normally vote for.

briando55 said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 8:12 PM

Not at all Karisy, strong views and very real views.

I think your calling it ok.

wilj said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 10:22 PM

Well said Karisty that is precisely why our family are voting Conservative for the first time ever.We realise that Mrs May needs the country solidly behind her.

Charlietwice said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 11:34 PM

It's so sad that those that want to cut Spain off from the rest of Europe want to holiday and buy in Spain. I won't even suggest it hypocritical, it's much much worse. Add to that the cheap tabloid jibes such as that word "remoaners". Oh dear, you give away your ignorance and bigotry with just one word. On the general election it seems that if you want a private health service in the uk, few public services and an authoritarian government then Tory is the way to go. I however love people, I love all nationalities, I love difference, which is why I came to live in Spain. This makes me a supporter of labour or liberal. If you have any concern or love for the uk you cannot support Tories. They only care about the rich and powerful. The working class Tory is a strange breed indeed. One I will never undersatnd.

mac75 said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 11:40 PM

Multiple voting is not possible on this poll.

Viewfnb said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 11:46 PM

I know we are never short of pride, sometimes unpunctuated strathospheric pride but take a sober moment to reflect on this:
The brush-off in Berlin shows the struggle that remains for Prime Minister Theresa May to convince even some of her more sympathetic European counterparts to give Britain the best possible Brexit deal. That’s unlikely to change even if she arrives at the negotiating table with a strengthened mandate from U.K. voters, Holger Schmieding, chief economist at Berenberg Bank, said in a Bloomberg Television interview on Thursday.

The U.K. “is in a very weak bargaining position anyway,” Schmieding said. Victory for May’s Conservatives in the June 8 election “gives her a strong hand in selling to the domestic audience in the U.K. whatever she wants to sell, but it does not give her any advantage in selling in Poland or in Romania or in France or Germany,” he said. “Brexit will mostly be shaped by what the EU-27 is ready to offer, and Theresa May will just have to accept that.”

Charlietwice said:
Saturday, April 22, 2017 @ 11:52 PM

Not quite sure why my post above has been added three times. Still, while we are here, let's give a big cheer to those hardy souls who either move to Spain or holiday in Spain a lot for voting to leave the eu. If you are so concerned about leaving the eu, why are you in Spain? Are you really that stupid to realise that the country you live or holiday in is in fact part of the eu! Can you please go back to your insular, miserable lives and leave us alone. I love Spain and Love the uk. My children and grandson are there ffs. Spain has been so welcoming to me and I love it here. I love the uk and Europe. To be called a traitor by small minded people (you really are) a remoaner (oh dear can't you think of something original?) is a bit of a joke. Don't you see what you are doing? At best you are divisive, at worst... well just think for a minute (sorry if I'm being a little testing). I've saved lives for most of my working life yet now I'm known as a remoaner. It just about says it all. If you love the uk the conservative should be the last place you should look.

karisy said:
Sunday, April 23, 2017 @ 12:16 AM

Who said anything about cutting Spain off from the rest of Europe or hating them! I love Spain & the Spanish; they are not even considering leaving the EU as far as I know! This is not about Spain, it’s about the UK where the majority of citizens have voted to leave the EU! Its called democracy! It doesn’t mean we hate Europe, Europeans or think any less of them, certainly not in my case anyway. Those who voted to leave clearly no longer want to be a part of a Brussels beurocratic/autocratic “United States of Europe” which I & clearly the majority of others never signed up for when we voted to join what was sold to us as the “Common Market” in the first place!

Your comments are all getting rather personal now & your arguments make even less sense!

midasgold said:
Sunday, April 23, 2017 @ 2:01 AM

Europe is NOT the same as the EU.! We were conned into the EU. We are not anti Europe We are anti EU.REPEAT this is NOT the same thing. The EU is a dictatorship - we fought WW2
not to be ruled by a dictator. We want freedom - why is that so difficult to understand ?

Watchmanager said:
Sunday, April 23, 2017 @ 9:33 AM

Charlietwice (aka Victor Meldrue) - Me thinks you protest too much, even to the point of being an internet troll.
Not one of the comments you refer to have even been mentioned.

As others have said, who are neither stupid, miserable or insular, we are leaving the EU, economic union (once the common market) NOT Europe! For someone who chose to move to Spain you seem to have little knowledge of just where you do live.
I too have had a 30 year career of saving lives, what's that got to do with the price of fish?
What right have you to call us hypocrites for wanting to holiday in a warmer climate such as Spain. The warmer climate and sun is why most chose to live or holiday in Spain. In Europe! Which we are in geographically and ALWAYS will be.
We don't need personal jibes such as yours that have no foundation. If the title remoaner upsets you then you certainly are one. That title is not aimed at the ones who voted to remain, it's aimed at those who want to talk the UK down just because they lost a democratic referendum.
Stick to the topic of the post please.

RICHARD said:
Sunday, April 23, 2017 @ 9:37 AM

Well said karisy.

karisy said:
Sunday, April 23, 2017 @ 10:06 AM

Your absolutely right watchmanager, fish is far too expensive these days; I blame it on the EU.

I also think too much Saturday night sauce might be responsible!

dustyjack said:
Sunday, April 23, 2017 @ 7:15 PM

To people who comment that those who voted to leave the EU dislike Europe, can I point this out: they are NOT one and the same! Europe existed for eons before the Eu came along. I have lived in Spain for 24 years now and like it and Europe very much. But I do not like or trust the EU. if the Eu is so wonderful why is it run by second-rate politicos such as Juncker? Had anyone heard of him before he became what he is? What about Barroso, now gone on to an even bigger trough to fit his face?

colin said:
Wednesday, April 26, 2017 @ 11:59 AM

I cant believe the comments from some people here I,m sure they must be UKIP trolls,either that or they think Spain is Orihuela Costa the British enclave with only one Spanish person.The EU is brilliant imagine having a visa everytime you want to leave UK show your passport everytime you need to cross a border such as Spain/Portugal,remember all the different currencies you needed.
Expats may be allowed to stay in Spain but they will probably need private health insurance which will cost far too much for some of the older ones with pre existing conditions,and the European Health Card will no longer apply so fall over in a drunken stupor as many Brits do make sure you have Insurance or a pocket full of money.Anyone who thinks Brexit is a good thing is definitely in need of psychiatric counselling .

midasgold said:
Wednesday, April 26, 2017 @ 1:47 PM

Hi COLIN - As a physo who voted for freedom from dictatorship
the E1111 card was in operation prior to the EU. and its use
therefore should not be a problem weather drunk or sober.

karisy said:
Wednesday, April 26, 2017 @ 5:21 PM

Colin, are you a Spanish resident? When did you last visit Spain? As the UK is not part of the Shengen agreement, you have to show your British passport to Spanish (& all other EU) immigration control anyway or use one of those fancy new iris scanning machines!

The currency situation won’t change as far as the UK is concerned either unless other countries start to drop the Euro (which is becoming a distinct possibility) all we will need in the future is Euros, the same as now. The EU is becoming rather unstable, the Euro may well weaken & the £ get so strong after Brexit, some EU countries may prefer it anyway; not the first time this has been the case!

As far as health care goes, the Spanish system can get a bit complex; the E111 card has been in existence for many years but it only covers up to 3 months in Europe & only covers Spanish National Health System hospitals (around 40%) when in Spain, the rest are private hospitals & you have to pay anyway. Free healthcare beyond this is only available if you’re under 26 & studying in Spain, a state pensioner or become a Spanish resident so unless you fall into any of these categories, you should already have private health insurance & are taking a huge risk if you don’t. These policies can get expensive for pre-conditions (as I know only too well) but you only need one as a “tourist” spending less than 90 days in any 180 days in Spain but these policies mostly WILL NOT cover you for stays of longer than 90 days anyway & some will only cover 30 days! If you spend more than 90 days of any 180 days in Spain, strictly speaking, you should register for a short-stay Schengen visa (visado de corta duracion). If you become a fully fledged Spanish resident (required if spending more than 180 days a year in Spain) but do not qualify for free health care you can register for “convenio especial” which is the Spanish public health insurance scheme where you pay a monthly fee to access free state-run healthcare anywhere in Spain. Policy holders pay on an individual basis, regardless of pre-existing conditions.

As for Brits falling over drunk in the street, I don’t think many if any ex-pats reading this forum will fit that category. The drunken mob are a PITA, a total disgrace & deserve to be arrested in a dark corner by the Guardia Civil who are generally not to be messed with! Thankfully this type of Brit is generally the “two weeks a year tourist” or part of the stag do/football culture visiting the “Brits Abroad” tourist resorts, places I never go & we never see any problems here in Calpe where I’ve been staying for the last 10 years.

I do think Brexit will be a good thing as long as people get behind it, stop trying sabotage & pull the wheels off the wagon at every turn, hence the need for a General Election. As for needing psychiatric counselling, I did have some many years ago, it wasn't for believing in Brexit but I was told I’m now fully cured!

frangipani said:
Saturday, April 29, 2017 @ 8:49 AM

Midasgold. You really can't believe the EU is a dictatorship. Most Brexit voters think it is too DEMOCRATIC! Having collaboration in Europe means no more wars. Every decision made was with British participation and agreement, that's the way it worked. The referendum was a con, surely you realise that now. Red bus, etc?

mutley51 said:
Saturday, December 15, 2018 @ 3:23 PM

Well said Karisy.

When I read some of the comments here particularly those of Charlietwice and colin, I really do despair and can see why the UK has ended up in the position it now finds itself.
The UK decided to leave by a majority of over 1.4 million and people like Charlietwice et al should get over themselves and accept the will of the majority.
Unfortunately, our PM and the majority of parliamentarians are Remainers and have no intention of delivering on the will of the people. Why am I not surprised- it was forever thus.

One other point- how many times do you here the Remainers saying they respect the 2016 Referendum result but .............?

If they truly do then why does the call for a Peoples (Losers) Vote have to include an option to Remain - that decision has been made. I do not believe a second referendum is necessary or advisable ( it would cause civil unrest) but if it does happen it should be limited to two options - leave the EU under the Withdrawal Agreement or leave the EU on WTO terms - and publish a pros and cons document on each option. The people would then be able to make an informed decision.

Of course Parliament should make this decision on our behalf but they are clearly unable or unwilling to do so.