That’s right! It’s back to the polls time. This is the (un)official thread for discussion of all things election, both British and French. There are some polls above this post, be sure to place a vote who you will/would support in either election.
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[size=18pt]UK
Conservative Party - Right wing, led by Theresa May (current prime minister). The Conservative Party’s platform involves support for free market capitalism, free enterprise, fiscal conservatism, a strong national defence, deregulation, and restrictions on labour unions. This party supports Brexit.
Liberal Democrats - Centrist, led by Tim Farron. The party supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, environmentalism, human rights laws, banking reform and civil liberties. This party opposes Brexit.
Labour Party - Left wing, led by Jeremy Corbyn (current leader of the opposition). The Labour Party has been described as a “broad church”, encompassing a diversity of ideological trends from strongly socialist to moderately social democratic, including nationalization of railways and increased social welfare. This party supports Brexit.
UK Independence Party - Far Right wing, led by Paul Nuttall. UKIP promotes a British unionist and British nationalist agenda. UKIP’s primary emphasis has been on Euroscepticism, calling for the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU). It has also placed strong emphasis on lowering immigration, opposing multiculturalism, and encouraging a unitary British identity. This party supports Brexit.
Scottish Nationalist Party - Centre-left, led by Nicola Sturgeon. The SNP is a Pro-European party, in which it would like to see an independent Scotland as a member of the European Union. Due to its nature, it is mostly neutral on issues unrelated to these two. This party opposes Brexit.
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[size=18pt]France
Benoît Hamon - Socialist Party (left). Hamon wants to give all French citizens a basic income, believing that the availability of work will decrease due to automation. He supports a 35-hour workweek, and less if a worker chooses in exchange for state compensation, and supports the legalisation of cannabis and euthanasia. He also argues for sizeable investments in renewable energy, aiming for renewable sources to provide 50% of French energy by 2025.
François Fillon - Republican Party (right). Fillon voted against the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2013, however, he says he will not ban the same-sex marriage law if elected President. He aims to reduce the public sector and cut 500,000 civil-service jobs, as well as increase the retirement age to 65.
Marine Le Pen - National Front (far-right). The National Front has a commitment to a massive reduction in legal immigration, and wants to up police numbers and powers and create 40,000 new prison places. Le Pen argues French citizenship should be “either inherited or merited”. As for illegal immigrants, they “have no reason to stay in France, these people broke the law the minute they set foot on French soil”.
Emmanuel Macron - En Marche (centrist). Macron has notably advocated in favor of the free market and reducing the public-finances deficit. He supports the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union, and has controversially described France’s colonization of Algeria as a “crime against humanity”.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon - Unsubmissive France (left). Jean-Luc Mélenchon is a socialist republican and historical materialist, and he is a proponent of increased labour rights and the expansion of French welfare programmes. Mélenchon has also called for the mass redistribution of wealth to rectify existing socioeconomic inequalities. Domestic policies proposed by Mélenchon include full state reimbursement for healthcare costs, a reduction in presidential powers in favour of the legislature, the opposition of NATO, and the easing of immigration laws. He also supports the legalisation of cannabis.
EDIT: Memes are encouraged.
