Common Decency

So this is common decency. The 'good guys' resign and we face five more years of welfare cuts, badger culls and tax breaks for the rich. Not in my name.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2015/05/britain-s-election-2015-seats-votes-calculator. This pie chart shows how unjust FPTPost voting is to the UK. It becomes clear after a bit of study.

Will you be able to eventually add pie charts for every seat in this election so we can see how our chosen party did?

A decent attempt by Dr Brian May to highlight the appalling waste of votes under FPTP and the need to vote. But in some constituencies (East Londonderry is a good example), certain MPs are voted in with around a 50% turnout in their constituency. Voter apathy means no change.

The need for PR is also urgent. Tories get 37% of the vote but 51% of the seats. I can't stand UKIP personally, but if 12.6% of the vote got them 12.6% of the seats, that would be around 81-82 seats instead of just 1. The SNP have benefitted hugely from FPTP this time too. One thing Cameron won't be changing is the voting system.

So now Britain will continue to be run for the benefit of the rich at the expense of the poor. And while the coalition's "Gagging Law" prevents British charities from speaking out or campaigning on issues deemed "political" during a General Election, non-dom plutocrats who neither reside nor pay no tax here ARE permitted to use their media outlets to lie and scaremonger in order to influence the British electorate's votes. This is abhorrent and it has to stop.

A terrible result for our wildlife, our people and our country. Today feels like we're on the verge of returning to the 1930's.
All the Common Decency team worked incredibly hard and did an amazing job.
When you are ready to begin the fight back we'll be right beside you.
Brian you are an inspiration. Thank you so much.
Much love.
Janice

Gutted. What hope for the NHS and humane welfare now?

Well we can't just sit back and watch our land go backwards on animal welfare. I can't believe the people really want Tory regressive politics. I am astounded that we can let this happen as a nation. Do people really want to have blood on their hands as the Tories drive our foxes and badgers towards extinction? Not to mention how they continue to refuse to put a ban in place for stopping animal testing on household products. Cruel cruel party, no compassion for any living thing. Sickening.

We definitely need a proportional voting system.

It should be you have 2 ballot papers.

1 for your local area and 1 for the party you want in charge of the country.

Common Decency did not fail. Greens had a massive upsurge of support and Scotland is now nearly cruelty-free as far as its politicians are concerned. That's a big change.

Fairer would be to say that Common Decency is yet young. In 2020 it will have far more influence in 2015 if it is wise in what it does. People will spread the message between each other. It will not be shot down by the forces of fear because it will grow back every time it's hit. Please continue the campaign, Brian. Britain needs this more than it knows.

I'm just hoping the poor animals don't suffer as a result of a forgone conclusion in this very conservative area of north Herts with the Puckeridge Hunt just around the corner.

This result is catastrophic for ordinary folk,for the survival of the NHS,and for common decency.we are now going to suffer another 5years of greed averis and corruption and I feel sorry for all the decent folk who worked so hard to be cheated in such a way.

I am absolutely devastated and sickened by what we've ended up with. Looking round the internet tonight, all I'm seeing is a LOT of angry people just as shocked and horrified as we are. I've not yet seen ONE post celebrating Cameron's return to Number Ten.

Dr Brian May, I thank and salute you for what you have tried to do. Maybe Common Decency should had been unleashed earlier, but now, we've got 5 years - 5 long hard miserable years - to hopefully try and build Common Decency up because millions are angry right now and theres gonna be a hell of a lot more anger to come. This is the blackest day in my lifetime - something desperately needs to change and hopefully the like minded supporters of Common Decency will hang and hold together. It has a valid place and purpose to fulfil... a shame it couldn't change things in 2015, but...

We now have another 5 years of treacherous Tories who care nothing for the countryside or for a vast majority of people in this country. I am appalled at the prospect but we all must continue to support Common Decency and it's principles, and hope that this highlights the greed, inhumanity and uncaring of our future government. Thank you so much, Dr Brian May and all your supporters!

First of all, well done to everyone on the CD team for all your hard work. And well done to everyone who helped by researching their candidates, sharing on social media etc. And, of course, to everyone of us in the 65% who did NOT vote Conservative.

Now we need to focus on making change. One thing that really brought it home today to me, was the possibility that many people in the 30-something % who didn't vote at all aren't necessarily apathetic, but unaware. I work with a young lady who is only just old enough to vote (but didn't), and she was asking me today what it is about and is it important. This both saddens and frightens me, but thinking about it, when I was her age, I had little more awareness. Our children and young people are the ones who will live longest with the consequences, yet education seems to be avoided, unless you want a career in journalism or politics. There are many angles reform can be encouraged from, but surely this is the big one - get the young people educated and encouraged to take an interest in the community and world they are part of, so that as soon as they are old enough to vote, a) THEY WANT TO!!! and b) they do so sensibly.

Unsurprisingly, my constituency is still Conservative, as is the rest of Lincolnshire. Given the amount of farming/rural area it takes up, well... no words are needed really. But I am PROUD to say that I am one of the 65% who did not vote Conservative.

Just found this website- wish i had seen it before. Andrew George just lost the last LD seat in the country, a completely decent man losing by just some 3000 votes, the same number that voted Green and slightly less than those who voted lbour, and what we got was an anti gay marriage pro NHS privatisation conservative. is this what we wanted? There has to be another way. I would like to get rid of Political parties all together and only vote for people.

The result proves what a shambles our whole political system is. People vote against Clegg's party because he propped up the Tories for 5 years but he still gets to be an MP but jumps ship as leader. Milliband was hopeless from the start so he jumps ship as well. To all those who voted Tory. I say One Thing "Be careful what you wish for". The Tories won solely through, lies hatred from their beloved media followers and isn't it strange that Cameron begged the Scottish not to vote yes last September then turned against them when he thought they might lose him the election.

Thankyou so much. You have restored my faith and inspired me when i was lost and deflated the most. Safe as fck BRI ;-) Just so u knows it XXX DIOLCH

Gutted, let's now hope that the league Against Cruel Sports, the blue fox conservatives, and those MP'S that want to keep the Hunting in place can stop David Cameron and his hunting buddies from repealing the Act.

Amendment to previous comment which should read..Gutted, let's now hope that the league Against Cruel Sports, the blue fox conservatives, and those MP'S that want to keep the Hunting Act in place can stop David Cameron and his hunting buddies from repealing the Act.

Perhaps Common Decency could lead a campaign for Proportional Representation? For common decency to exist every voice needs to count and that may help overcome voter apathy and establishment manipulation. It is also most likely the only way that progressive politics will ever be able to make a difference. It is an ugly reality that we have a government in place because of fear based tactical voting, leaving the majority of people with a fully empowered government that they do not want. How is this democracy, let alone common decency? For now it seems we must continue with petition and activism ... Proportional Representation Petition perhaps?

Incredibly depressing. I think the only real change can happen if individuals pitch in with money for good causes (saving a rehabilitation centre for example) or staging peaceful protests en masse. I think we should continue to vote but know that only real change can happen by direct action. Crowd funder websites seem to be the way to go. We aren't going to get much in terms of progressive compassionate change for the next 5 years, so we need to look for immediate alternatives. What a shame the Tories got in again. At least it wasn't a Tory, UKIP, DUP coalition. Small mercies..

Importantly, thank you Brian and Common Decency. I don't think what you did has gone to waste. I hope you build on this for the next 5 years so the British can be aware of their rights and be ready to vote informedly and decently the next time around. Vive la révolution!

Proportional Representation is the answer? There would have been a Conservative UKIP coalition if PR was in place. I'm sure that's what all you "vote colour-blind" "anyone but the Tories" wanted. I can just imagine the howls of outrage from you if that had been the outcome. You obviously want a government that reflects the views of the people - as long as they're the same as yours.

To last poster: yes proportional representation IS the answer. It is more reflective of what the people want. The problem lies with how ill informed people are before they vote and just choose, like sheep, whatever scares them less.