Vote UK Forum Existed Years Ago

[Deleted]

A daft thread I know, but a bit of fun 

What elections or events would be fun to discuss?  How would the political group membership change?

[john07]

Jul 3, 2019 23:13:59 GMT Sandy said:

A daft thread I know, but a bit of fun 

What elections or events would be fun to discuss?  How would the political group membership change?

But it did exist years ago!

[yellowperil]

"Years ago" is a bit vague, isn't it? What era would you want to set your time travelling forum down in? the postwar Labour years? the thirties? Edwardian or Victorian England? Or anything else back say to classical Rome?

Actually I rather fancy the post Waterloo era - radical reformers like Hunt to discuss and blue room denizens ,endlessly repeating the mantra that the British constitution was perfect, in the catch phrase of the good old duke. And of course rallying to the defence of the Corn Laws.

[polaris]

Were there any forums or discussion boards like this in the very early days of the internet (mid-90s)? I'm sure that would have been interesting. In particular, seeing everyone get it wrong in the 1997 election (there was a widespread belief at the time - including within the Labour campaign - that the Tories wouldn't do anything like as badly as the polls were projecting).

[Davıd Boothroyd]

Jul 4, 2019 9:10:00 GMT polaris said:

Were there any forums or discussion boards like this in the very early days of the internet (mid-90s)? I'm sure that would have been interesting. In particular, seeing everyone get it wrong in the 1997 election (there was a widespread belief at the time - including within the Labour campaign - that the Tories wouldn't do anything like as badly as the polls were projecting).

Usenet was the usual forum for political discussion at the time. Some of us are veterans of it.

Would have been fascinating if this forum had been going in the 1979-83 Parliament. Or at the time of the 1931 crisis.

[pragmaticidealist]

Jul 4, 2019 9:10:00 GMT polaris said:

Were there any forums or discussion boards like this in the very early days of the internet (mid-90s)? I'm sure that would have been interesting. In particular, seeing everyone get it wrong in the 1997 election (there was a widespread belief at the time - including within the Labour campaign - that the Tories wouldn't do anything like as badly as the polls were projecting).

This is, from late 1996, is just one example of a discussion of the 1997 election (started by a familiar individual). 

But there are considerably older discussions than that to be found.

A post-debate discussion during the 1984 U.S. presidential election campaign. 

Reaction to Heseltine's announcement that would challenge Thatcher.

Someone claiming to be Chernenko in 1984, announcing that the Soviets have finally arrived on Usenet.

 

[polaris]

Jul 4, 2019 9:36:26 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

Jul 4, 2019 9:10:00 GMT polaris said:

Were there any forums or discussion boards like this in the very early days of the internet (mid-90s)? I'm sure that would have been interesting. In particular, seeing everyone get it wrong in the 1997 election (there was a widespread belief at the time - including within the Labour campaign - that the Tories wouldn't do anything like as badly as the polls were projecting).

Usenet was the usual forum for political discussion at the time. Some of us are veterans of it.

Would have been fascinating if this forum had been going in the 1979-83 Parliament. Or at the time of the 1931 crisis.

I think that the early-to-mid 1970s would have been a fascinating time to follow politics on the intranet. It was a time rather like now - global political and economic instability, increasing political extremism, the fracturing of the two-party system, and a hung parliament.

[Deleted]

Jul 4, 2019 6:07:06 GMT yellowperil said:

"Years ago" is a bit vague, isn't it? What era would you want to set your time travelling forum down in? the postwar Labour years? the thirties? Edwardian or Victorian England? Or anything else back say to classical Rome?

Actually I rather fancy the post Waterloo era - radical reformers like Hunt to discuss and blue room denizens ,endlessly repeating the mantra that the British constitution was perfect, in the catch phrase of the good old duke. And of course rallying to the defence of the Corn Laws.

As far back as you like 

[edgbaston]

Jul 4, 2019 9:49:44 GMT pragmaticidealist said:

Jul 4, 2019 9:10:00 GMT polaris said:

Were there any forums or discussion boards like this in the very early days of the internet (mid-90s)? I'm sure that would have been interesting. In particular, seeing everyone get it wrong in the 1997 election (there was a widespread belief at the time - including within the Labour campaign - that the Tories wouldn't do anything like as badly as the polls were projecting).

This is, from late 1996, is just one example of a discussion of the 1997 election (started by a familiar individual). 

But there are considerably older discussions than that to be found.

A post-debate discussion during the 1984 U.S. presidential election campaign. 

Reaction to Heseltine's announcement that would challenge Thatcher.

Someone claiming to be Chernenko in 1984, announcing that the Soviets have finally arrived on Usenet.

 

I was excited to look at these links but they all just take me to the Google groups dashboard

[Adam in Stroud]

Jul 4, 2019 6:07:06 GMT yellowperil said:

"Years ago" is a bit vague, isn't it? What era would you want to set your time travelling forum down in? the postwar Labour years? the thirties? Edwardian or Victorian England? Or anything else back say to classical Rome?

Actually I rather fancy the post Waterloo era - radical reformers like Hunt to discuss and blue room denizens ,endlessly repeating the mantra that the British constitution was perfect, in the catch phrase of the good old duke. And of course rallying to the defence of the Corn Laws.

Have you read Julian Rathbone's A Very British Agent set at that time? Not entirely successful as a novel, I thought , but fascinating on the febrile politics of the era. (You could add the Climate Crisis after the 1815 Tambora eruption to your list of parallels.)

I have a vague idea for a sprawling epic fantasy based on that era (rather as Game of Thrones was inspired by late medieval Europe, but hopefully better) possibly using the juvenile of the Brontes as a base, and incorporating Romantic Poets, opium, Frankenstein's monster and early vampire stories, characters inspired by Byron, Bolivar and San Martin, James Skinner, Ada Lovelace, John Clare, Emily Bronte etc. Since I have neither the talent nor really the knowledge or interest in the period I throw it out there for anyone else; I reckon it'd be great.

[pragmaticidealist]

Jul 4, 2019 10:03:50 GMT edgbaston said:

Jul 4, 2019 9:49:44 GMT pragmaticidealist said:

This is, from late 1996, is just one example of a discussion of the 1997 election (started by a familiar individual). 

But there are considerably older discussions than that to be found.

A post-debate discussion during the 1984 U.S. presidential election campaign. 

Reaction to Heseltine's announcement that would challenge Thatcher.

Someone claiming to be Chernenko in 1984, announcing that the Soviets have finally arrived on Usenet.

 

I was excited to look at these links but they all just take me to the Google groups dashboard

Try these:

groups.google.com/d/topic/soc.culture.british/fOs7KU5jIgg/discussion

groups.google.com/d/topic/net.politics/_WKpffStBPc/discussion

groups.google.com/d/topic/net.politics/5dG8VfZxmec/discussion

groups.google.com/d/topic/uk.politics.misc/3_KI50Hd2OI/discussion

Otherwise, try entering search terms in the box on Google Groups ("Heseltine Thatcher" for example).

[The Bishop]

I wonder if there is any meaningful early online stuff extant from the 1992 GE, given how the pollsters famously got that so wrong?

Or, maybe more likely, from the US election later that year.

Of course by 1996/97 the internet was majorly up and running, and had a significant input into both elections.

(I was active on CompuServe forums for the latter one - whilst nearly everybody expected Labour to win, its scale certainly did take many by surprise)

[greenchristian]

Jul 4, 2019 10:03:47 GMT Sandy said:

Jul 4, 2019 6:07:06 GMT yellowperil said:

"Years ago" is a bit vague, isn't it? What era would you want to set your time travelling forum down in? the postwar Labour years? the thirties? Edwardian or Victorian England? Or anything else back say to classical Rome?

Actually I rather fancy the post Waterloo era - radical reformers like Hunt to discuss and blue room denizens ,endlessly repeating the mantra that the British constitution was perfect, in the catch phrase of the good old duke. And of course rallying to the defence of the Corn Laws.

As far back as you like 

Well England did technically have an elected monarch until 1066..

 I'm imagining the Carlton of vote1066 backing Harald Hardrada because of nostalgia for the Danelaw.

[pragmaticidealist]

Jul 4, 2019 11:13:36 GMT The Bishop said:

I wonder if there is any meaningful early online stuff extant from the 1992 GE, given how the pollsters famously got that so wrong?

This is from the beginning of the campaign, but it seems to mostly drivel about the electoral system and possible television debates rather than about Labour's prospects in Basildon: groups.google.com/d/topic/uk.politics/1LsdG6y10tM/discussion

Here's an amusing morning after rant from someone who was (gasp) a bit sick of it all and happy it was over: groups.google.com/d/topic/rec.humor.funny/NCPX4LsSEgU/discussion

A reaction to Kinnock's resignation; the thread starter is obviously sympathetic to him: groups.google.com/d/topic/soc.culture.british/g-NOv3v_R0U/discussion

[Khunanup]

The economic turmoil & constant warfare of Ramesses III's reign would have been good, the commentary of the Pharonic loyalists spouting off at the striking cosmopolitans, the blaming of foreigners for economic woes, the radicals arguing for the rights of downtrodden neighbours until they try to invade Egypt itself.

While the who body politic wistfully looks back on halcyon days gone by while trying to pretend that the inevitable decline hasn't already started.

[msc]

I like this bit of contemporary posting from the 97 election thread above.

Why Brighton Pavilion, but not Brighton Kemp Town? The latter has always been the most marginal Sussex constituency, with Andrew Bowden forced to be the  only Sussex MP who had to maintain a reasonable constituency record in order to be sure of hanging on (none of the others could give a toss for their constituents, as they've all assumed they'll always be elected).

Matthew Huntbach

David Boothroyd's answer:

Not on the new boundaries. Now, Brighton Kemptown (the Boundary Commission hasn't noticed that the locals write it as two words) has a Conservative majority of 20.2%, since it extends down the coast to Peacehaven. Labour now consider it out of reach (10% swings not common). Brighton, Pavilion has a Conservative majority of 5.1% and is very much within reach.

Even history doesn't seen inevitable from the other side!

Also, top prediction here:

"Malcolm Rifkind should hold on next time. Even in the disasterous elections of 1995, The Torys still held on to most of their seats within the Edingbourgh Pentlands constituency."

Brian Jarvis Jr

We've all been with predictions at one point or other.

This thread suggests nowt has really changed in terms of online political discourse: groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/uk.politics.misc/labour$20landslide$201997%7Csort:date/uk.politics.misc/Zs0GEP70uWQ/PIgr7s_RAawJ

[carlton43]

Jul 4, 2019 11:42:09 GMT greenchristian said:

Jul 4, 2019 10:03:47 GMT Sandy said:

As far back as you like 

Well England did technically have an elected monarch until 1066..

 I'm imagining the Carlton of vote1066 backing Harald Hardrada because of nostalgia for the Danelaw.

Naturally I would support our King and the hero-victor of Stamford Bridge in his campaign to resist an invasion force from abroad. I hope every member of this Forum would also do so rather than be a treacherous traitor deserving of instant death.

[finsobruce]

Jul 4, 2019 13:14:20 GMT carlton43 said:

Jul 4, 2019 11:42:09 GMT greenchristian said:

Well England did technically have an elected monarch until 1066..

 I'm imagining the Carlton of vote1066 backing Harald Hardrada because of nostalgia for the Danelaw.

Naturally I would support our King and the hero-victor of Stamford Bridge in his campaign to resist an invasion force from abroad. I hope every member of this Forum would also do so rather than be a treacherous traitor deserving of instant death.

Well, when you put it like that....

[Deleted]

What about the War of the Roses?  Obviously I would support the noble Yorkists over the Lancastrian pretenders 

[finsobruce]

Jul 4, 2019 9:36:26 GMT Davıd Boothroyd said:

Jul 4, 2019 9:10:00 GMT polaris said:

Were there any forums or discussion boards like this in the very early days of the internet (mid-90s)? I'm sure that would have been interesting. In particular, seeing everyone get it wrong in the 1997 election (there was a widespread belief at the time - including within the Labour campaign - that the Tories wouldn't do anything like as badly as the polls were projecting).

Usenet was the usual forum for political discussion at the time. Some of us are veterans of it.

Would have been fascinating if this forum had been going in the 1979-83 Parliament. Or at the time of the 1931 crisis.

The 1832 Reform Act might have been fun.