Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

And ironically, due to the inclusion of Lib Dems in the debates, it seems that this year's election is the first genuine opportunity in years to do something about it.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

CAn you vote then for the General Election Daniel? I'm only for locals as a EU citizen.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

No, I can't. I'd have to get a British passport, which would mean giving up my current passport, which I'm not prepared to do (yet).

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

... while eating "Hatey-Yum" sandwiches... ;)

If they included the BNP, then what about the Green Party? UKIP? The English Democrats? The Pirate Party? The Science Party?.....They can't have them all, & they couldn't only add the BNP but not any others (e.g. the Greens have local councillors & a couple of MEPs, like the BNP have, while UKIP have the same no. of MEPs as Labour).

The debates include only the leaders of the Tory, Labour, & Lib Dem parties because they are the three largest parties in the UK as a whole, with the most MPs in Westminster, and because they are therefore the only leaders who have any chance of becoming PM after the General Election.

---------- Post added at 19:34 ---------- Previous post was at 19:31 ----------


I think that's rather unfair, myself. If you live here, work here, pay taxes here, etc. etc. etc., then why shouldn't you be allowed to vote in the General Election? The outcome does affect you, even though you're not a British Citizen.

On the flip side of that, I think it's a bit strange that (AFAIK) British Ex-Pats can still vote in UK General Elections... If they are not living here, not working here, not paying taxes here, etc. etc. etc., then why should they have a say in who runs the country?

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

There have to my certain knowledge been a lot more teachers trained in the last 10 years.I have to say that was not the experience under the conservatives under Mrs Thatcher and John Major.Indeed in 1974 I stood in a hall of over 100 probationary teachers being welcomed to the City of Portsmouth by the LEA.6/7 years later there were only 5.

Agreed there are still shortages in key areas such as Maths,Science and IT but education has benefited where new teachers are concerned.

A small point but one I feel compelled to point it out.:)

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Yes and No. I can get a British passport, and I don't have to give up my current citizenship under British law. It's just that Dutch law requires me to give up Dutch citizenship if I take on another nationality. So in effect it's Dutch law that prevents me from voting here (but I can still vote in General Election in Holland). Having said that, I would like to be able to vote in country where I've worked and paid my taxes for 10 years now. I guess it's just one of them thingamabobs. :shrug:

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Ditto here Daniel, its a bit annoying really as what I pay roughly 23% of my wages in tax and not allowed to vote national only bloody locals which are most of the time worthless as its not the council civvies that you can get rid of (ie chief exes etc) who just are useless most of the time and waste of money

---------- Post added at 19:55 ---------- Previous post was at 19:52 ----------

oh and like Daniel I dont want to lose my dutch citizen ship just yet.... all depends on what happens really...

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

My Mums the same, can only vote in local elections. It is a rubbish idea that people who live here, pay taxes, and use public services cannot vote while people who have long left the country can. I think voting should be for all residents of the United Kingdom and remove the vote from ex-pats who have been gone for x number of years.

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

oh Daniel with regards to Dual Nationality the UK or any EU country is the same you cant hold 2 EU passports anymore (been like that since 1996 only know that from working for the Dutch Immigration service)

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Ah. Fair enough. In that case I'm royally ****ed off that I can't choose to vote in General Elections here after, say living here for 5 years :mad: :)

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Putting together their manifesto.....

---------- Post added at 21:12 ---------- Previous post was at 20:14 ----------

Mmmmmm - interesting.... BBC

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Are you seriously suggesting that Gordon Brown's maths doesn't make any sense?

Who'd have thought, after getting the maths so right for so long, he'd start getting it wrong by a factor of 14 now.

Not that it matters of course, even though he's obviously talking out of his hindmost, either through being intensely incompetent or just plain lying, people will still lap it up. He's a man of substance, Gordon. That substance is bovine excreta.

EDIT: Bwahaha

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multime...14_665994a.jpg

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Brown's been making it up as he goes along for so long now he can't differentiate between facts and fiction, truth or lies. To think that some people around here and the likes of Ed Balls still reckon Brown has huge credibility when it comes to matters financial..... :confused:

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Who will The Guardian back?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...mment-guardian

Clue. It's not the Tories ;)

Re: The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 3
 

Apart from the fact that, imo, newspapers should objectively report the news and leave opinion to the opinion pages, and that therefore the concept of a newspaper backing a party in an election seems an odd concept to me: good choice!

On a related note: Sky should be banned from ever hosting a leaders' debate again. :upyours: