Election Schmelection

“Nothing is more conservative than working hard to improve your lot.” Our rundown of the Tory manifesto, the short and the long. Mentions: https://vote.conservatives.com/our-plan and http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/

“How can it be right that in the fifth richest country in the world, people’s living standards are going backwards and life expectancy is stalling?” I barrel through the Labour manifesto, so you don’t have to. Mentions: labour.org.uk/manifesto/

Chatting you through The Scottish National Party’s plans for an “open, tolerant, inclusive nation”. Och aye the yes. (Though sadly no talk of compulsory Scottish accents.) Mentions: www.snp.org/general-election-2019/

“‪No society can legitimately call itself civilised if a person must sleep on the street.” The Welsh party Plaid Cymru’s manifesto, at a pace. Diolch am wrando! Mentions: www.partyof.wales/maniffesto_2019

The Green Party of England and Wales’ plans for a bucolic future U.K. blasted through at breakneck but still understandable pace. Mentions: campaigns.greenparty.org.uk/manifesto

We read the manifestos so you don’t have to. But when it comes to making promises, which parties are crossing their fingers behind their back? First up: The Brexit Party. Mentions: fullfact.org

Labour, the Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru, the SNP, Sinn Fein, SDLP, UUP — in über-brief terms.

A wee intro to the parties, in alphabetical order. How many members do they have? Are their politics left, centre, or right? What snappy slogan are they dishing up?

Hint: it’s not a bird, it’s not a plane, it’s that old cookie, monarchy struggles, again.

We borrow the way back machine from those boys over at Stuff You Should Know and find out how the first political parties formed.

“It’s as if First Past the Post is a sports car that just won’t start for the Conservatives...” Hear about other voting systems that might turn the engine over and get the UK moving again.

It sounds a rule from a primary school sports day race, but it’s actually the UK’s voting system. Find out why the Greens don’t have more MPs, why Conservatives struggle to get a majority, and how the government that founded the NHS met its end.

Fill in boxes along with me as I register to vote (spoiler: it’s pretty easy!) at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Democracy means the people have the power. Or do they? Find out who can vote in a general election in the U.K. in 2019. Websites mentioned: www.byg.org.uk | www.votesat16.org

Covers all the basics, including: Why “general”? What do voters do on Election Day? Who is this person on my ballot? And, what does a General Election DO? || UPDATE: students can register to vote at home AND at uni — and then decide which to vote at!

Come on in new friends! Pull up a chair, crack open a beverage, and lend us your ears. We want to soothe them into calm confidence at the prospect of voting. 👍