General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Please continue all discussion about the election campaign in this thread.

There is a new opinion poll at the top. With one week to go, I will close this thread and publish a new one, with a new poll. Finally, on election day, another new thread will carry an exit poll so we can see how the parliamentary constituency of Cable Forum Central has voted. :D

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Labour are campaigning very well on the ground: http://www.economist.com/news/britai...c/on_the_march

But are the polls wrong:
http://www2.politicalbetting.com/ind...-simply-wrong/

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

guess it depend on turn out on may 7th yes they got it wrong in 1992 but only one that I can remember they did get wrong

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I'm inclined to think the polls have completely broken down.

We simply don't have the experience or background data to be able to assess what's going to happen in this election robustly.

This is all pretty new stuff, it'll take a while for there to be enough data to produce sound predictions.

EDIT: http://fivethirtyeight.com/interacti...n-predictions/

Just look at how wide the 90% confidence range is.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Doesn't look like the polls are going to be much of an indication with that range. :(

I still think a lot of people will put a peg on their noses and vote for a continuation of current policies, especially those who are now in a job that weren't before.

Never let go of nurse for fear of finding something worse.:D

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I've seen very polarised opinions locally.

If you are pro-Con, you are a snobby twit.

If you are pro-Lab, you are a benefit-chasing layabout.

If you are pro-Lib, you are as daft as you look.

If you are pro-UKIP, you are racist ****.

If you are pro-Green, you are loony treehugger.

If you are pro-Plaid, you are a language nazi.

I've seen old mates roaring at each other about their respective political leanings.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

From the previous thread
The BBC didn't select the audience, ICM (an independent polling company) did.

HuffPost

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Very good, love the stereotypes.

Funny though that all the people I know with racist tendancies are traditional "grass-roots" Tories!

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...as-claims.html

The BBC commissioned ICM and didn't know the details or just refused to confirm them? Has ICM come up with any answers? Does ICM always get the job? Maybe the perceived 'bias' was due to all the Tory supporters in the audience having nothing to cheer about because DC stayed well clear... ;)

Just found this in the Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz3XqcW3aCh

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

What about them not voting (Like me)?

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

The problem with UKIP's claims is that if it is done by a poll that reflects the make up of the British population is that UKIP are only at 15%. That's a small amount of the audience. It also depends if they included Tories or did it as a make up of the parties in the debate. If the Tories were included then you would imagine they're more receptive to Farage which does raise questions about how they made them up. Although it could just be that the left was more vocal.

Let's remember that it suits Farage to say what he did and to attack the audience. I suspect he planned that moment. His appeal to his base is that he is the lone voice of their concerns railing against the liberal establishment of the BBC, Westminster, the Press and pretty much everyone else. The same way the SNP did during the referendum. He is the positioning himself as the enemy of the establishment and he needs a bit of theatre to make that point clear and an establishment to attack. The debate suited him perfectly.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

@ MediaBoy - If you're not voting in the election you can't vote here. ;)

---------- Post added at 12:32 ---------- Previous post was at 12:30 ----------

I'm not greatly interested in Farage, but his comments got me thinking about how these things are done. Let's face it, if an audience is biased in one way or another then it's going to give a false impression to the viewers. I think it's an issue which should be transparent and from what I've read so far, that isn't the case. Maybe the fairest thing would be to have no audience to influence proceedings? :shrug:

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

My own view is

-Labour and Liberal Democrat is all part of the Conservative family.
-UKIP (They are on something and it not beer).
-The rest (Ok for local Elections)

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Normally would vote Tories, but like the look of the English Democrats party standing in Stevenage. Agree with a lot of their policies. Like I said another time, shame we cannot mix and match policies from all the Parties.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Just heard Martha Kerney taking Stuart Hosie (SNP) apart on WATO. Very entertaining.

They reply don't like being reminded that education and health spending in Scotland has grown more slowly than it has in England since 2007. :D

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

They don't like being reminded of the oil price and just how far in the mire they'd now be if they'd won the referendum either. Can't think why...

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Are the Tory's proposing to cut 2000 Nurses from the NHS!

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

The Tories are proposing to increase NHS spending by £8 billion over the next 5 years. It's hard to see how they would be looking for those kinds of staffing cuts at the same time.

Where have you heard that particular rumour?

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Fine! Just don't come here whinging about who does get into power.:p:

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

If the Scots are that interested in the welfare of England, perhaps the outdated and flawed Barnett formula should be scrapped.

What is wrong with basing funding the same way as done with the English counties? That still factors various things in related to needs. Of course that would leave the Scots will one or two billion less to spend.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

The Daily Mirror.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Tories still ahead of Labour in latest Guardian/ICM poll.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...rdian-icm-poll

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Didn't think Martha played hardball enough though as Hosie was definitely uncomfortable. Probably that left wing sympathy at the Beeb stopped her going for the jugular.


About as reliable as the internet rumour mill then.:D

Let's see: Ed "Two kitchens" promises thousands of nurses but only £2.5m a year. DC promises £8m a year but you believe there'll be nurse number cuts under a Tory government because the Mirror says so. :confused:

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

l think we have to take what most newspapers say with a pinch of salt and form our own opinion and views based on thought out rational thinking.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Quite so. Unlike (we are assured :rolleyes:) broadcasting media that is supposed to be party neutral, newspapers on the other hand, support particular parties or ideologies and some others flip-flop between parties. To rely upon a single publication is to get a very narrow perspective.

Whilst I buy a popular red-top (mostly for its entertainment value) and sometimes quote from it doesn't mean I swallow its editorial stance without question. After all it was full gung-ho when Hague wanted to bash Syria and I was completely opposed to that.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Got it in one!

I continue to be amazed by those who keep saying the NHS is not safe with the Tories when it was Labour who oversaw Mid Staffs and tried to surpress the information. It was Labour who 're-negotiated' the doctor's contracts without thinking about the patients, resulting in the A&E crisis because patients can no longer get surgery appointments when they need them. It was Labour who went for the PFI initiative which has crippled hospitals with ridiculous maintenance payments (have you seen what they charge to change a light bulb?). It was Labour who said David Cameron's proposal to increase spending on the NHS was 'irresponsible' at the beginning of this Parliament.

Whereas, David Cameron is still committed to putting in £8 billion to the NHS, far exceeding anything that Labour is proposing, he has taken out a whole layer of bureaucracy that was the Primary Care Trusts and put it into doctors and nurses and when things go wrong at a local level, it gets addressed rather than swept under the carpet. He is pledging 7 day opening of surgeries. That will reduce A&E waiting times substantially.

And yet you cannot shake people from this old fashioned and no longer relevant belief that the NHS is safer with Labour.

What tosh! If Labour get back, I can't think how the hospitals will deteriorate under them. I'm guessing that drinking water out of vases might be the least of the controversies! Will they still be able to afford vases under Labour? They will be drinking out of toilets if the vases disappear.

I know who I trust, and it ain't Labour, who have run out of ideas and the ability to care. All they seem to worry about is tick boxes and increasing bureaucracy when they should be concentrating on improving medical services for people.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Do you not find it weird that the Tories have sudden promised £8 billion more for the NHS, haven't said where it's coming from, whilst Labour aren't promising to match it? I am dubious about that £8 billion. It just seems to have been conjured out of no where out of a panic that they're not moving ahead in the polls.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Funny thing is I have left wing persuasions but am wavering towards voting conservative. Depends how selfish I feel on polling day as they definitely offer me the best deal for right now, if not I'll go green. Says a lot for the other parties that I can't find a socialist party to vote for. In fact it's been that way since I turned 18 having never voted labour.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I don't think you are alone. I think Labour have lost their way, and people are beginning to realise that without a buoyant economy, you can't afford the socialist ideals they espouse (and fail to deliver).

---------- Post added at 16:19 ---------- Previous post was at 16:16 ----------

Not really, Damien, they have protected the NHS up to now by improving the economy and cutting back bureaucracy and the crazy benefits system. They have proved they can make savings and the scale of the problem is now much reduced. Add to that the benefits of growth, and you've got it.

Labour under their present leadership are economically illiterate and really don't have a clue because they just don't know how to manage an economy efficiently. They say they will take longer paying off the deficit, which means the debt we have to pay back will increase substantially, so there will be no money to make things better under their stewardship.

The current Labour leadership is shameful and the sooner they get their acts together to be able to promise people genuinely better public services, the better. They have a long way to go.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

:rofl: Less so I'd say - talk about a rag.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

'Two kitchens Milliband' did make me laugh. He protested that although he did have two kitchens, he only used one of them.

So that made him working class, eh? Pathetic.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

If you pay down the deficit quickly then the massive interest payments that would have otherwise have had to have been paid can be used on public services like the NHS. It ain't rocket science except to Labour.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

:tu:
He's as out of touch and as working class as any 'Tory Toff'.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

To be fair, he did say his live-in nanny mainly used the other one......

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

But the Conservatives had already budgeted ahead of what is free as the result of deficit reduction and there was no mention of this £8 billion. It has just come from nowhere. You can't just say 'deficit reduction' and have that as an answer and you can only spend that money once.

It seems rather disingenuous.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

You're not making it better for him, Hugh! :D

---------- Post added at 16:44 ---------- Previous post was at 16:41 ----------

Not really. The economy is in much better shape than it looked just a couple of years ago, and that is what has made this possible.

I dare say that Cameron would not even think of making this pledge if he didn't mean it. It does depend on the Conservatives getting a majority, though. Another coalition will only dilute everything as happened in the current parliament.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

He and Balls will be offering them* to all working parents soon I reckon...

:D

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

More good poll news for the Conservatives.

http://news.forexlive.com/!/latest-u...-lead-20150420

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

And the bookies seem to be backing that up....

http://www.justbookies.com/election-odds/

Most seats - Conservatives 4/9, Labour 7/4

No overall majority 1/8 to 1/10
Conservative majority 6/1 to 15/2
Labour majority 16/1 to 40/1

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

My hunch still is that there is going to be a awful lot of horse trading once the election results are in and what might happen from that is anybody's guess as it looks like the Conservatives will win a handful more seats then Labour but not enough to form a cohesive government unless they go into another coalition.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I think there will be a last minute surge towards the Conservatives as traditional Labour voters contemplate Miliband as Prime Minister, propped up with rampant Scottish Nationalist support.

There is only one real choice here. Do you want our country to continue on the road back to prosperity or do you want it destroyed? I don't think people should be voting on old party lines. When push comes to shove at the ballot box, I think many Labour supporters will breathe in hard and vote Tory this time.

It will then be up to Cameron not to let them down, and to continue to support the NHS while making sensible decisions on spending and investing money. This nasty class war attitude needs to be put to bed once and for all.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

The poll isn't different to what we've seen before. All the polls are moving between margins of error. The Tories declined in this one: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/...rdian-icm-poll

We're still drawing with no one moving ahead. The issue for the Tories is that it is much harder to see how they form a Government than it is for Labour considering the SNP seats.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Well a comprehensive poll undertaken by a renowned and eminently fair organisation currently has UKIP well ahead of the rest on 35% of the vote. :D

I imagine that, come the day, the very worrying prospect of a Labour/SNP dark alliance will focus a few minds amongst those in England who don't like the tail wagging the dog and worry about life's little economic realities.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Actually it's 10 billion in total ,2 billion was promised in last years autumn statement .I think the only way that much can be found is at the expense of other services unless the planned modernisation will free up loads of money which I doubt .
Having said that 10 billion is quite easy to find over 5 yrs with a good economy

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I really dislike the SNP but the way Scotland is being talked about in this election from the Tories is really helping the SNP and driving a wedge between Scotland and England all to secure a few more votes in England. It's really damaging to the prospects of the Union at a time when it seems quite fragile.

Scotland is part of the United Kingdom and we recently had a campaign where most of the rest of the country was telling them to stay. To then talk about how dangerous the party is that they are seeking to elect would be easily interpreted by Scots as a slant against them and their right to vote for Westminster Governments. I know we're all talking about the SNP but that's not how it will be spun.

For the Tories it makes sense. It drives voters towards them in England and it drives voters towards the SNP in Scotland (the Tories can't win those seats anyway). However they seem to be willing to risk the Union for a few more votes.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I reckon a lot of the over 500,000 voters who are affected by the Bedroom Tax will be voting Labour. they'd be mad not to.

it would be funny if most of them voted Conservatives last year.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I think it's quite likely that the voters affected by the "bedroom tax" are staunch Labour so they don't really matter do they?;)

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

"We" hope they already are. otherwise there's a hell of a lot of votes for Eddy ;)

Just think. it could be Daves victims that are Dave's downfall.

when I went past the local jobcentre today there were a load of Labour campaigners rallying up support :)

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I agree to an extent but the SNP will spin whatever is said and done by the 'Auld enemy' to their advantage. That's what spin is after all. I think the Tories are simply hoping that a healthy economy (if we ever achieve one) will prick the SNP's balloon and show up their promises for what they were - irresponsible pipe dreams. Right now the Scots have no reason not to vote SNP because they'll be hoping to get a bigger share of the pie by so doing. If there's another referendum it'll be much more about how credible the SNP is and what's happened to oil in the interim.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

The SNP's plans for another referendum are either to say the Tory government doesn't represent Scotland and to use an EU referendum as a pretext for another Scottish one. Alternatively to spend the next 5 years propping up a Labour government to both make Westminster seem dysfunctional to Scotland and to enrage England and stir anti-Scottish sentiment which they can then use as evidence to break away from the Union.

The SNP are nationalists and they'll never give up plotting for Scottish Independence. They're playing to do this already. This is why Sturgeon has been pushing so hard to get Miliband to commit to an agreement because she knows it hurts Labour in England as well as Scotland.

Whoever wins needs to take them very seriously. We need to take the wind out of their sails. We could devolve power to more regions, including Scottish ones, so that a degree of power bypasses Holyrood.

If Labour win they should offer a coalition deal with many things that appeal to Scotland but make it clear this is a coalition deal. Hitch the SNP up to central Government or let them vote not to and miss out on the benefits for Scotland. That way they can't portray themselves as the outsiders to the Westminster establishment sticking up for Scotland. Either they're part of it or it's clear they value politics over Scotland.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Quite a lot may be a large portion of the 7.5 million unregistered voters as well .

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Actually the reason I'm not voting for them is because I don't believe them to be a socialist party with the workers interests at heart and I don't believe they've had a proper socialist leader since John Smith and you're an old boy, you remember the mess John Major made of the economy, how many people lost their houses and how long it took people to stop saying the things they say now about labour about them? Politics today is all about short termism and nothing any of them really does effects the economy dramatically their dogma might hold it back a little here and there but in the main it happens in spite of them not because of them.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Voted Tory :tu: :)

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Didn't have you down as a nasty, evil, baby eating, poor hating, bedroom taxing, workforce exploiting, fat cat, Tory toff mate... :confused:



:D

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

You made that one up.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I'm going to vote Labour. :erm:

It's Operation Keep The Nats Out up here, and I have to help shore up the Labour vote as they have the sitting MP in my constituency.

I feel dirty.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

i feel your pain-better dead than red but if it keeps miss kranky out

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I am going to vote Liberal Democrat. Mine is a safe Tory seat anyway so no need for tactical voting, I might as well go for the party I like best. I am at the point where I don't really care who the main party is as long as a coalition can be formed and we avoid 5 years of a minority Government propped up by fringe parties. I would prefer the current Government really (Tory-Liberal) but I think a Labour-Liberal one would also be ok and would probably mean voting reform.

To be honest I find the differences between the two largest parties rather minor in comparison to the idea of the chaos and possible breaking of the Union which seems to be on the agenda for the next 5 years.

---------- Post added at 21:56 ---------- Previous post was at 21:24 ----------

Has Ashcroft done a poll of your consistency? Wondering if it's close or not.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

It's at the bottom of the vulnerable list, but the sitting MP is retiring. The loss of an incumbent makes it that bit more risky.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Hopefully the SNP vote isn't quite as strong as the polls predict and there is a 'shy Unionist' voter base out there. That, and a strong tactical voting push, might limit the SNP gains from the wipeout predicted to merely astonishing.

One interesting thing that Ashcroft's polls have found is that Labour have had better contact rates than the SNP. Murphy is hopefully mobilising a better, more active, party who'll prove useful in the event of another referendum vote.

Shame Ruth Davidson is at the helm of a shell of a party being undermined by the UK Tories. She was easily the best in the Scottish Leader debates.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

The problem with the unionist vote in this context is that it is split. The SNP has been very good at hanging on to Yes voters from last September, and 45% is frequently good enough to take a Westminster seat. Our best hope right now is. That the uniform swing calculations being made, are not up to the task, and that the Nats do less well than predicted.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Neither did I ;)

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Four Royal Mail sacks bursting with registration forms delivered to the Town Hall in Leeds today.

There was some debate about having staff on until midnight tonight too.

Still got 30 mins to get online and register!!

Cheers

Grim

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Oh blimey, we don't have the Bradford effect kicking in here do we? Hope someone checked the handwriting wasn't the same on loads of them. If they came from Morley it's not impossible :D

So received mailings from Labour, Conservatives and UKIP. The UKIP one had some laughable mistakes with its English, the Conservative one errored too. Presumably the Tory campaign got a bit excited over austerity and cut their proof-reader.

There was an error in the Labour one too. No idea when basic English became so difficult :(

Labour will win in this seat though, no question. UKIP will probably come second.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I still can't believe how many people seem to be planning on voting for UKIP, after the nonsense that they stand for and all the rubbish they have said at the debates. Racist, bigoted and xenophobic group of muppets.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I might risk a EU protest vote on UKIP, but afraid of ... "vote Farage, get Miliband" - now if we'd got transferable vote, it would have been easy .. UKIP + Conservative.

Labour = not a chance in hell of a referendum
Conservative = promise of referendum (though we know what promises are worth)
LibDem = will probably hold Con back from referendum, or sabotage it.

I want my say on Europe - and as I see it, what we gain is not worth the price, so either we have a serious change in our one-sided relationship with the EU, or we should be prepared to leave, and since some things that do need changing appear to be non-negotiable (at least until the realistic threat of a net contributor leaving!), there may be no way to get the relationship we need.
Certainly, if we are to renegotiate with the EU, we must hang the sword of Damocles over them!

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Apparently 1.7 million of them have registered in the past 5 weeks but that still leaves nearly 6 million.:shocked:

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

You only need an "X" on a ballot paper, an electoral registration form's a bit more challenging.:D

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Sky News had a bit on young voters yesterday and they were talking to them about why they're political disengaged. One guy said he might agree with some policies but not others and if voting for them he would be endorsing those policies he disagrees with and therefore has no one to vote for. The girl next time said it was all the fault of politicians why young people don't vote but then didn't expand the thought.

I swear that part of the reason for apathy is an inflated sense of entitlement that causes people to think that parties should be tailor made for them.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/...e-comfortable/

Sums up what you're saying pretty well. If it's to any extent true the apathy is about hiding from the big bad world inside comfortable groupthink. As no mainstream party adheres to that groupthink, in no small part because it's simply not the real world and no-one is entitled to be comfortable, apparent apathy reigns.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Our local Tory MP is running a "positive campaign" highlighting what he believes are his successes and what he wants to do if elected.

The others are much more negative. One party highlighted what they see as a failing but to me was a real positive.

Just wondering how other areas are going in this sort of arena. I like positive campaigns.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I found this useful. This too.

It's also a great example of how, even across a relatively narrow collection of issues, no one party makes me feel entirely 'comfortable' though I am considerably closer to one of them than the others. However, life is full of compromises and very few live their lives a la carte, they usually come in a bundle.

---------- Post added at 11:46 ---------- Previous post was at 11:45 ----------

Yes, our former MP is highlighting his record. Tory leaflet is an attack sheet, UKIP one banging on about change; evidently including change to the English language going by the grammar used.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I'd agree with that. Too many people wanting a govt. to sort out their problems and to hell with everyone else and their problems.


Just listening to Andrew Neil asking Labour spokesman Jamie Reid about their plans for NHS spending and the mansion tax - the revenue stream they're basing so many plans upon. I recommend everyone to check it out on iPlayer and see for themselves. Mr Reid refused to answer numerous legitimate questions about the 'tax' and which independent experts had given the advice that it would raise £1.2bn pa, simply repeating the same statements again and again. It's this sort of thing which turns so many people off IMHO. If they're going to carry on assuming the high ground they should at least live up to it.

The interview starts at 12.19 or thereabouts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/live/bb...windTo=current

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I wouldn't say at all that John Major left the economy in a mess; Labour inherited a buoyant economy from the Conservatives, as they normally do. Compare this to the near disaster Thatcher inherited from Callaghan in 1979, when Britain was the poor man of Europe.

And again, when the current Government took over from Brown, we all know there was no money left.

The reality is that to have a successful Government delivering socialist policies, you need a good economy, which means not driving away the rich. Labour and the Scottish Nationalists will never learn!

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

UKIP candidate sparks outrage by 'calling for compulsory abortion of any foetus with Down's syndrome or spina bifida'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...na-bifida.html

what a **** nasty party how can anyone vote from them

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

i'm sure these people are a plant.
like they're not really on their side. and wait for an opportune moment to come out with these one liners.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Major certainly didn't leave the economy in a mess. It was buoyant, and growing. Gordon Brown was confident enough in it to stick to Tory spending plans when he took over.

The calamity of the early 90s was entirely caused by our disastrous entry and inevitable exit from the ERM, whose only saving grace has been that it has made it politically impossible for us to be dragged into the Euro, despite Tony Blair's insane desire to do just that.

IIRC, on the question of the single currency, Major's preference was for a parallel currency, based on the notional European Currency Unit, what he called the "hard ECU". Exactly how involved he was in pushing us into ERM I don't know; I think it is generally accepted, however, that the Prime Minister at the time, Margaret Thatcher, was not in favour, but was at the end of her tenure and no longer able to resist the pressure from Europhiles in her cabinet.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

:tu:

Bloody hell - if Major's Tories left the economy in a mess how many times worse was what Brown left behind after all that 'prudence' and 'oversight' he rammed down our throats at every opportunity? I'm afraid anyone who equates the two scenarios is living in cloud cuckoo land.

Some folks do like to try to rewrite history but fortunately there are some here who aren't going to let that happen...

---------- Post added at 13:54 ---------- Previous post was at 13:51 ----------

Too true!

:tu:

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I always thought J Major was bland, boring man - then there was the Edwina affair, naughty John!

Then there was Ted Heath's short reign.

There is a strange coincidence whenever the Tory Knobs are in power ....RIOTS...

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Exactly. When Tories are in opposition, their support base prefers to make the argument and win the next election.

When Labour are in opposition, their client groups and hangers-on are prone to taking to the streets.

There's nothing like a good old Trotskyite mass strike for breathing new life into a democracy, eh? Or wasters and dole scroungers chucking their house brick sized sense of entitlement through the window of the nearest Currys.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Obviously, these were time-travelling rioters, then......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2005_Birmingham_riots

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Oldham_riots

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Bradford_riots

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Harehills_riot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_na...rthern_Ireland

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_UEFA_Cup_Final_riots

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

:tu::)

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

where do these reporters drag these stories up from whenever an election is looming

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

The stalemate of the opinion polls continues.

http://news.channel4.com/election201...1/update-3487/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/gene...test-poll.html

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Hyperbole alert! Nice to see Tories have "supporters" but Labour have "hangers-on, wasters and dole scroungers" ... :)

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Naturally. ;)

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I've never met a waster or a dole scrounger who was also an avowed Tory, put it that way.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

would you rather not know about these extreme people with absolutely shocking views

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Yes, odd that eh? :rolleyes:

Dyed in the wool Labour supporters often have a very tenuous grasp on reality - which is why they tend to make stuff up...

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

That is why Boris has bought some water canon EXPECTING TROUBLE is he?

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I seem to recall that water cannon were identified as something that would have been useful during the wasters and scroungers riots in 2012. It looks like he went out and acquired some as soon as they came on the market at a reasonable price.

Or perhaps you think we should only train and equip riot police after it kicks off? Call them in, kit them out and give them a few quick pointers before sending them out to face the crusties?

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Yes well you really wouldn't expect such foresight from Labour would you. They couldn't even see the biggest bust in decades coming right at them FGS. Useless bunch of self serving cretins.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

the thing is there are thousands of people with similar views there are thousands with more extreme views ,the party has acted quickly and does not condone or support his views ,there are probably many politicians from different party's with extreme views that they keep secret, their all human and not perfect its the way of the world , you should hear some of the conversations around the dinner table in my house it would make your hair curl :)

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Looks like the SNP-Labour angle from the Tories is going to win them a lot of seats. YouGov pull will finally show them moving ahead. I think they've sold out the Union for 5 more years of power.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

i prefer this dm story
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Ed's Newsnight TV grilling on jobs, crime and fees where he repeatedly refused to admit he was incorrect about effects of Tory policy

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz3XyaNWbxP
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Okay maybe you don't remember. A record number of business folding, a record number of house repossession and unemployment doubling, the Tory handling of it made them unelectable and the growth labour enjoyed wasn't because of either party it was in spite of them.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/poli...-done-for.html

---------- Post added at 22:07 ---------- Previous post was at 22:05 ----------


One of the reasons I'm thinking of voting tory is from what little electioneering I've seen they have been positive. I don't want to hear what the other mob will do in their opinion I want to hear what they are going to do

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

I'm shocked by this.

Ever since his astounding success in charge of housing I've always had Grant Shapps down as a genuinely stand-up guy.

---------- Post added at 23:27 ---------- Previous post was at 23:25 ----------

The 2 sided leaflet they provided me here has 50% of it devoted to attacking Labour.

The Labour leaflet is entirely positive.

However, those are the joys of incumbency. When you have a good record in a constituency to defend you can be positive. When you are fighting against a good local MP you have to attack on the national level.

---------- Post added at 23:29 ---------- Previous post was at 23:27 ----------

UKIP make me embarrassed to be EU-sceptic right now. I reckon the totally farcical bollocks that has passed for an election campaign from them will have done more to foment pro-EU sentiment than anything the bunch of bumholes in Brussels could do.

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

Conservatives still well short of an overall majority.

http://news.sky.com/story/1469737/to...our-poll-shows

Re: General Election 2015: Voting intentions & general discussion
 

fear not i have a cunning plan -i will get my employer to run back to back Jeremy kyle shows on polling day .this should keep labours work shy wonders at home ;)