Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Looks more like a cynical attempt to make large proportion of the population dependent upon the state for their income and thus securing their votes against any reduction in that income however damaging that may be for the country as a whole.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

David Cameron 'won't serve third term' if re-elected.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32022484

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

That'd be right.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

That's interesting. Why has he done that? I can't think what he has to gain from it from announcing it now as he isn't that unpopular - at least not relative to his rivals - so there isn't a case of people wanting Conservative but not him. In fact he out polls the Tories. :confused:

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Might be because if elected, by the time the next Parliament comes around he will have served 15 years as leader of the Conservatives. Actually, I wouldn't mind betting he gets elected, and then in 2017/18 he steps down and we get another scenario of Blair/Brown.

But realistically, who could replace him as leader? Bo Jo would be a disaster, Teresa May I don't think would command the respect and loyalty that Thatcher did.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Ok Dave. thanks for letting us know Dave.

I wonder if he'll retire when he gets evicted in a few weeks time?

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Salmond keeps saying he'll write the first budget for Labour. Pretty sure the SNP's plan is:

1) Dominate Scotland but the Conservatives get into No 10.

2) Win the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2016 with the promise of another referendum.

3) EU Referendum is scheduled by Westminster. Scotland to vote on the same day on the UK union too?

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Yeah, I reckon that will be the deal breaker for the SNP to form a coalition. With the Liberals it was the AV referendum. Personally, I never understood why the Tories were so against it, as David Laws pointed out in his autobiography, they use the AV system to elect a leader. Also it would have meant that Labour would struggle to get a majority with the AV system in place.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

I suspect it was the slippery slope argument: that AV would have created pressure to move to "proper" PR of a kind that would ensure more or less permanent coalition forever. Certainly Nick Clegg liked to refer to AV as a "baby step" in the direction of PR.

---------- Post added at 08:21 ---------- Previous post was at 08:12 ----------

Something like that. However in that same plan you can see the evidence that Salmond is becoming slightly unhinged. He believes too much of his own legend ... the canny operator, the high-stakes gambler ... he's so enamoured of his own perceived reputation that he seems to have forgotten that he lost the referendum, or else he seems to have convinced himself that the decisive "no" was actually some sort of deferred "yes".

The polls that are giving the SNP a big lead over Labour look fantastic until you view them in the context of the referendum. Last September the SNP successfully crystallised the issue of independence as an actual, concrete thing that could happen, rather than an abstract concept. They also firmly welded themselves to it. We are only just six months on from the referendum and naturally, those who voted Yes are now vowing to transfer their parliamentary vote to the party that stands for Yes.

It's a pity really. We could have done with there being a larger gap between the two. Voters here need to decide the election on the issues it stands for. As it is, Scotland is well on the road to becoming another Northern Ireland, with politicians elected based on their constitutional outlook rather than on a broad manifesto.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Pink link

Cameron a gay pinup boy? :erm:

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

My fear is that we now seem to be heading towards independence and none of the mainstream parties seem to know how to stop it. In fact they seem not to care at all. If we let the SNP dominate Scottish Politics then I can't see Westminster being able to hold off on another referendum if the SNP win majorities at Holyrood and become the third largest party in Westminster.

I have no idea why people aren't taking this more seriously. It's the same complacency that helped Yes gain so much ground in the referendum and cause this division in the first place.

The best strategy I can think of is to step up regional devolution. Spilt up the UK into regional departments with more devolved powers and, crucially, do so in Scotland as well. This would bypass the Scottish Parliament to a degree, help address some of the concerns of moderate Scottish voters and place the SNP in a difficult position of Independence being seen as a move to centralise powers in Edinburgh. The SNP haven't been fans giving power to regions (outside of devolution to Scotland as a whole obviously) precisely because they're worried it would undermine Independence.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Not with my brother he ain't.:nono:

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Not with us either. :sick: But I'd trust him to run the country rather than ruin it. If the economy gets screwed you can kiss goodby to benefits and the NHS.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Latest forecast from www.may2015.com:

Conservatives: 273
Labour: 271
Liberals: 24
UKIP: 4
SNP: 55
Greens: 0
Others: 22

www.ukelect.co.uk forecast, before debate:

Labour: 279
Conservatives: 271
SNP: 44
Liberals: 33
UKIP: 0
Others: 22
Greens: 1

Still think this could be 1992 all over again for Labour though, massive lead in the run up to election day but on the day the voters went for Tories.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

My money is on a hung parliament Mark as nearly every poll l see has them neck and neck..

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

god help us if the nasty party win

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Labour aren't nasty, they are just a bit misguided..... ;)

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

The cons will win and god won't help.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Beat me to it :)

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

l think you will find that also applies also to the Conservatives as well.;)


This made me laugh as it gives us the top ten loved and most unloved brands.:)

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...-10049886.html

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Looks like Ed Miliband's performance in the not-a-debate on Thursday has worked for Labour. Tomorrow they've moved ahead in a YouGov to outside the margin of error for the first time in a while. Close to majority territory even with the SNP causing them problems:

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeeh...ead-be-afraid/

The other thing is that even with the SNP doing so well they will side with Labour and before this poll a Tory/LibDem coalition doesn't have the numbers to form a majority Government.

At this rate it's looking likely it will either be a small Labour majority or Labour propped up by the SNP on a vote by vote basis.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

And then the Conservatives back in 5 years later to fix the mess Labour will have made.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

If Labour get within a dozen seats of outright victory, the Lib Dems will prop them up.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

My feelings about the Lib Dems and there lack of morals are unfortunately not allowed to be posted on a family forum such as this ;).

What i can post is that giving the Lib Dems any form of power is like handing over the keys of our nuclear arsenal to the Taliban :)

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Which is a far better outcome than a minority Labour Government propped up by a rebellious SNP. The thought of that outcome is the most terrifying to me.

I would rather continue what we have now. A Tory/LibDem coalition. However I am not hugely bothered as long as we have a stable Government at this point.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Winning.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

other way around tories leave mess like now and labour have TO FIX IT

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

take em off

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

I think the damage is done now.

we all hate each other. and there's no going back.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Except for you, you hate more people than anyone :LOL:

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

No, we don't - you just like to think we do....

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Oh.

Drat.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

How is a better economy and more people working a mess ?

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

For Labour, the more people that are dependent upon the state, the better. That's why they hate success, business and those who work.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

There was a caveat at the bottom of the article....

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

exactly their core voters are the one's with the ism's that come with benefits

ooh i can't work I've got an ism

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Yep ,this is why there is such an uproar now from people Labour made dependant on benefits during their last stint in power
,under the cons people are encouraged to support themselves and not be reliant on the state ,they build an economy based on that and that is why I am much better off financially under conservatives

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Better economy perhaps, more people working... well if you include zero hour contracts and the like to manipulate figures. There should be significant shame over employment laws twisted in that manner (no I'm not a labour voter)

Lets not forget those deemed 'fit to work' who very clearly are not, but hey when you work to targets...

IDS needs taking out back and shooting - asshole

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Yes but even there Miliband has improved.

I think the question will be if the UKIP vote collapses in favour of the Tories or not. The fact the SNP will prop up Labour either way means it's going to be hard for the Tories to get a working majority with the Liberal Democrats that over turns that block.

This is going to messy.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

If the rest of the UK majority vote for the Tories but Labour get power by ganging up with the SNP it will be messy.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

I was only speaking in general terms though, there are still issues to be sorted out but in general things are much better than 5yrs ago .I would hate to have the real mess that Labour would have made getting us out of the crash

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

national debt doubled over 1.3 trillion now despite all the cuts nhs in mess as always after tories gain power food banks soring aye all ok eh only ones better off is super rich and there borrowing more now than ever

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

I find it galling that we give away 12+ Billion/yr in Foreign aid, god knows how much to bail out banks, then get told 'we need to cut welfare spending'. You couldn't make it up.

Serious errors in judgement in some polices WILL results in the Conservatives being punished, and it was avoidable, most of what they do makes good sense, but the social stuff is just alienating vast sectors of the population, doubly so when we are crying about how poor we are, and then legislate to commit 0.7% GDP in Foreign Corruption Bribery... sorry Foreign Aid. People aren't stupid.

I wonder if the social-dynamic side will cost the Conservatives the election, much like the Poll Tax did before

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Debt isn't really the issue ,our ability to service that debt is the real issue and it is better now than 5yrs ago

What cuts ? the NHS budget has been ringfenced

only because peoples priorities are wrong ,if some people gave up tv subscriptions and other non essentials then they could afford to buy food


Rubbish, I'm much better off and I'm definitely not super rich

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

bet you be first to complain about the debt if was labour in power and it doubled

whats cut are you saying been no cuts last 5 years please tell me your not saying that

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Let's not forget that the "rich" only paid income tax at 40% for almost the entire 13 years of the Labour government. They now pay 45%. Wheras the level for starting to pay tax has been raised by a large amount.

The 50% rate was part of Labour's scorched earth policy when they knew they were going to be chucked out of office for their royally screwing of the economy.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

So very true.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Strangely enough, it did....

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unite...ional_Debt.svg

http://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/sp...98_2016UKb_G0t

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

they didn't double it in 5 years like tories ;)

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

As I said I'm not worried about the debt just our ability to service it ,and under the conservatives it is doing well .You have to remember also that the conservatives are paying debt built up by Labour and their policy of giving everyone benefits

---------- Post added at 14:24 ---------- Previous post was at 14:19 ----------

so if they hadn't increased the debt what do you imagine the austerity would be like ? would they be as they are today or would they be similar to Greek or Italian measures ?.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

all the cuts and still doubled debt great management NOT

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

The cuts are to insure that people still get all the benefits and other give aways that Labour set up during their term in office .The Tories could easily have cut borrowing from day one of their term in government ,all that would have happened is that benefits would be cut more severely ,more people would lose their jobs in government departments austerity would be much more severe than it is now .Because of the Tories debt management we can still afford luxuries such as the NHS and benefits for all .You have a mistaken idea of what the cuts are designed to do

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

they already said most cuts not done yet if they get back god help us and NHS is mess as always when tories get in

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Again ,the Tories could have had all the cuts in one go but didn't that is why borrowing has risen ,you need to look at Labours spending habits and unrealistic promises and policies and then you may start to understand why government borrowing is so high

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Look at it this way. The Tories have already said that there are MORE plan cuts to be made if they get back in.

Gurrantee, they will hit the welfare budget again, by forcing people on disability benefit etc

This cannot be done, while the rich get richer

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

the problem with the last labour government was they simply ran out of other peoples money to spend .

if they can find a new source of other peoples money to waste their in with a shot until the goose that lays the golden egg dies like the last one did .

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Really?

UK Debt as % GDP

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2015/03/8.jpg

2002 - Public Net Debt = 38% of GDP
2010 - Public Net Debt = 68% of GDP, a growth of 79%
2015 - Public Net Debt = 90%% of GDP, a growth of 32%

---------- Post added at 16:46 ---------- Previous post was at 15:58 ----------

Andrew Neil interviewing Lucy Powell, vice-chair of the 2015 General Election campaign.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02n0pk9

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

I believe that everyone is entitled to a mistake. The biggest problem is since the Tories came into power has been, they have achieve only one thing, helping the rich get richer.

In Miliband, l believe we have a man that has accepted mistakes that the previous Labour made, but he will support the working person of this country

When l was growing up, l lived in poverty. And l mean poverty. I never dreamed that a 'rich' country like the UK, is going back into poverty - with food banks, which have grown crazy since Cameron came in.

Clegg has no chance of winning any votes, with UKIP coming third I cannot wait to cast my vote

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Labour know full well that they can spout the same load of tired old tosh and a good number of sad naïve idiots will buy it no matter what. The last thing they want is a well educated populace capable of supporting themselves and actually taking responsibility for their actions. They'd much rather buy votes through social engineering, by locking people into hideously convoluted state benefits and by creating pubic sector non-jobs in Labour areas. All of this whilst being 'intensely relaxed' in private about the sort of wealth and privilege they secretly aspire to but spend so much time condemning in public.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Labour is set to make sweeping gains in London with both Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs losing their seats, according to a new opinion poll.

http://www.itv.com/news/london/2015-...st-for-london/

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Meet Alyssa - voting Labour because "Labour help people on benefits".

Straight from the horse's mouth: http://order-order.com/2015/03/30/la...e-on-benefits/

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

I have always voted Labour and that will not change I only hope that the SNP Don,t take too many of their seats, Just cannot trust them, they have divided Scotland and if they get more power they will never be content till they break up GB.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Believe it or not, I've never voted Labour but this time out I have to, in order to fight against the risk of the Seps taking my constituency. The Labour incumbent is retiring, which makes it doubly risky.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Does an increase in food banks indicate an increase in need or an increase in awareness of need?

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Vote in accordance with your principles, not tactics.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

I linked earlier to the Andrew Neil interview with Lucy Powell (the person running Labour's election campaign), and reading in today's papers, one of the things she said to Andrew Neil was This is amusing from someone who's real-life work experience is -

Degree from Oxford, BSc from Kings College London
Worked at Labour Party HQ during 1997 General Election
Parliamentary Assistant to Beverley Hughes MP
PR person/Head of Regional Campaigning/Campaign Director at pressure group Britain in Europe
PR role/Manchester Innovation Fund manager in qango National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
Campaign Manager for Ed Miliband's Leadership campaign
Acting/Deputy Chief of Staff for Ed Miliband
Member of Parliament for Manchester Central
Shadow Cabinet Office Minister & Vice-Chair Labour 2015 General Election Campaign

She obviously has a different opinion what the "real world" is than the rest of us....

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

That's not possible. No politician and no party is an exact match for anyone. Politics is the art of the possible, for voters as much as for the representatives we elect. The best we can hope for is a reasonable match between our own aspirations and those of the candidate we vote for. In my case, my overriding aspiration is to keep separatists out. That aspiration is best met by the unionist candidate best placed to win in my constituency. Here, that means voting Labour. A Tory vote, while unionist, is utterly wasted.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Understood; however, every vote is a statement of preference; even a 'wasted' vote counts toward the whole.

It is a personal choice of course; your vote, your right to choose.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

My principles are under no circumstances am I doing anything that would make it more likely for the SNP to be my MP. If that means tactical voting for this election then so be it.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Yet another example, if any were needed, of the sort of populist crap these people come out with in order to make them appear to be what they're not whilst portraying anyone who disagrees with them as an out of touch toff or something similar. They've been doing it for years and my only surprise is that people still fall for it. It's nice to see that the sneering and name calling are still the first port of call for these people when their 'facts' are exposed for the nonsense they are... :rolleyes:

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Again, understood. It is almost as if Mr Salmond lost a battle but could win the war. It needs to be sorted out.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

The Tories are acting pretty dodgy here: http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/damian-...to-play-on-me/

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

A couple of interesting graphs:

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/at...9&d=1427791452

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/at...8&d=1427791265

Cameron promises to do the same again if re-elected and achieve the goal of full* employment. It should also be noted that in the last 5 years of the Labour administration less than 300,000 jobs total were created.

Paywall linky
Attachment 26018Attachment 26019

*Defn of full employment

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...03/1.jpg:large

Ah, the good old days of Hobbits, Orcs, Dwarves, Elves, and Sauron - bloody immigrants drove them all away.....

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

You seem surprised? This is the way of all politics these days. It'll get dirtier than this over the coming weeks :erm:

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Sadly l don't think we have seen anything yet Kursk.:rolleyes:

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

My house is an election free zone, we are not watching any of the news programs, i have binned any election spam that has come through the door and if and its a big IF anyone knocks on my doors canvasing they will be told to fox trot off. I will make my mind up in the booth on election day based on what i feel is best for me and my family.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Well I'll be taking any parties predictions about what the result of another parties policies will be with a very large pinch of salt. Talk about massaging statistics to suit your own agenda. :(

I'm waiting for that old chestnut about not having EU membership costing 3m jobs. A patent lie if ever there was one.

I prefer to look at the record of each parties tour of power and judge by the results. I still remember The Winter of discontent bodies going unburied, rubbish piled up in the streets as a result of Labour trying to be authoritarian and control everything. A trait they've never abandoned.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

If we leave the EU what is there to stop the EU slapping on an import duty on British made goods if there is such a thing anymore.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

World Trade Organisation. Anyway even if that didn't apply we'd just slap the same tariff on EU goods.:)

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

1. The very real risk of us doing the same back to them - and as we have a trade defecit with the EU, it would hurt them more than it would hurt us;
2. The fact that Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon compels all EU states to negotiate a post-membership settlement with any state that announces its intention to leave the EU. Article 50 ensures that things like free trade deals are in place before a country leaves.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Are you trying to tell me that all the jobs created by the Tories ARE NOT zero hours contracts?

Go figure

---------- Post added at 15:48 ---------- Previous post was at 15:47 ----------

Pretty good marketing if you ask me.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

That's another spurious EU fox shot then.

The EU will stop trading with us if we leave... :rofl:

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

YES! Facts are our friends as opposed to hyperbole.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Wouldn't be so sure about article 50 saving the day

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance...y-for-britain/

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

I don't see anything in that article that precludes it - just a reasonably even-handed assessment of the ups and downs of the mechanism (Despite Open Europe being pro-EU in outlook).

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

If we all leave the EU they cannot stop trading without us. We were fine before they came along

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

I never said it would preclude it just prevent us getting a favourable deal upon leaving

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

It does no such thing. You need to read the article again. The thrust of it is this: the process set out in Article 50 is untested, and there are reasons for the EU to make life difficult for the UK, just as there are reasons for them to be accommodating. Nothing is prevented. Sorry.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

What you apologising for, I've wanted us to leave for years, it's not your fault we're staying in, just don't be under any illusions that we'll get an easy ride or favourable terms getting out but then nothing worth doing is ever easy

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

What did people think of the televised debates last night as l quite enjoyed having seven politicians from different persuasions up there.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

a great performance from Nigel
a good performance from Ed
a lackluster performance from Dave
the Scottish thing did ok
the welshie was just whining
and greenie is just crackers
and nickie boy's career is over

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

There was a televised debate, i did not watch it and have no intention of watching any political clap trap shown over the next few weeks. :)

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

The SNP won me £40. I had £5 on Stugeon winning. :cool:

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

I thought the Heckler won it for me :D

Natalie Bennett looked like a rabbit caught in the headlights so I don't think anybody thinking of voting Greens would have been persuaded on that show. Much of the substance was lost in the poor delivery.

The big two performed as expected. The election couldn't be won last night so getting Dave and Ed through the debate without any major errors was as much as their teams would have hoped for.

I think Cleggy had to produce something special if the Lib Dems were to have even a slight chance of not being decimated. He didn't produce so the battle for 3rd largest party is up for grabs.

The 2 nationalist woman performed will and may have won some admirers.... although many of the admirers won't be able to vote for the nationalist parties!

Farage will appeal to those who have already made their minds up to vote UKIP and may have persuaded a few more who were considering it. In terms of potential votes gained he's probably the winner on the night....... God help us:(

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

And people wonder why Cameron was reluctant to take part in a debate. Like said before, the incumbent is ALWAYS on the back foot with these debates. Look at Brown in 2010.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

Yes but he was a complete <insert your luridly descriptive nouns here>

Cameron was lucky in the draw to get the end spot whereas Ed Two Kitchens was in the middle taking flak from all sides.

Don't think we've learn't anything that we didn't know already. London Road's analysis basically says it for me.:tu:

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

The thing that I hate about these dinky Nationalist parties is... 'I'd this for Scotland/Wales...'

Thing is, I live in Great Britain. I want something good for us all not just selected bits of Geography.

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

:tu:

Re: 2015 UK General Election Thread
 

I thought it was just the same old ( they done this and they done that) sort of thing, I believe Clegg has no chance, I hope Cameron does not get in, Ed was quite good .it may be one of these two who get most votes, Nicola is to much in demand for separation and just a nippy sweetly Farage, is they only one who talks sense on immigration he might cause a few upsets in England . I will always vote Labour, So no change for me,