2015 UK General Election Thread

Originally Posted by Chris

Comments like that are hardly going to be made during a minuted meeting.

This was an off-the-cuff comment by Wee Nippy, either on the way on or the way out of the meeting room. The Scottish "government" has denied this in carefully worded terms. The French ambassador has no obligations to the British public or our political conventions so is free to deny at will anyway.

You can be absolutely confident that this actually happened, not least because a weak Tory government opposed by a strong SNP contingent is exactly what everyone knows is the best scenario for the Nats and their only real reason for existence, namely to break Scotland away from the UK. Playing nicely with a Labour government doesn't serve that purpose. Heroically fighting Scotland's corner against the evil (English) Tories does.

I agree she thinks it and I think she probably said it. As I have mentioned previous it is painfully obvious this is their plan. It was clear from the moment they made trident a 'red line' in any future coalition plans, an impossible request, that they want to remain outside the 'establishment' lobbing rocks than risk being seen as part of it.

The problem is that anyone minded to give the SNP the benefit of the doubt have been giving more than enough reason to be so. This is weak evidence. So this doesn't help the unionist cause at all. Last night I was pretty hopeful that this would put a dent in the SNP surge but now there is little to go on and if anything it will only increase the fundamentalist zeal of their supporters.

Originally Posted by Damien

. Last night I was pretty hopeful that this would put a dent in the SNP surge but now there is little to go on and if anything it will only increase the fundamentalist zeal of their supporters.

Nothing can dent the fundamentalist zeal of their supporters. . Bear that in mind, and remember that they will make a lot more noise than you would expect. Come polling day, there is no doubt the SNP will do better than it ever has before; it would be hard not to, with the Yessers still so sore over their recent defeat. But there are a lot of people in Scotland who don't support them, and who never will. It will only be big news if they make any significant breakthrough beyond the 44.7% Yes vote from last September. And I don't think that's likely.

Originally Posted by Hugh

Quite amusing...

It is but it's clear why Miliband didn't go after Farage that much. Clegg and Cameron also tried to avoid confrontation with him. The minority parties did so instead.

Farage was baiting them into criticising him so that he can play the politically correct persecution card. He does this all the time. He says something that skirts with racism, xenophobia or simply outright ignorance but is usually wise enough to stay just on the right side of the line. Everyone knows the implication and undertones of what he is saying but, on the face of it, it's reasonable.

Remember when he said the children of migrants should be counted as migrants too? Not entirely unreasonable if you're talking about the impact of migration, it's certainly not obviously racist, but it's never how these things are measured and the full implication of it is that someone born here is considered as a migrant.

This is the same. The figure he quoted was misleading and the 'not born here' includes plenty of people who have been here their whole lives, schooled here, worked here and are British citizens.

Of course he doesn't care. That isn't the point. The point was the reaction he wanted from Cameron/Miliband. They attack him for the remark and he whines that it's true and UKIPers cry Political correctness.

---------- Post added at 11:54 ---------- Previous post was at 11:22 ----------

Originally Posted by Chris

Nothing can dent the fundamentalist zeal of their supporters. . Bear that in mind, and remember that they will make a lot more noise than you would expect. Come polling day, there is no doubt the SNP will do better than it ever has before; it would be hard not to, with the Yessers still so sore over their recent defeat. But there are a lot of people in Scotland who don't support them, and who never will. It will only be big news if they make any significant breakthrough beyond the 44.7% Yes vote from last September. And I don't think that's likely.

I think it's the fact people who aren't traditionally nationalist are being taken in by this 'progressive alliance' spin. People I know in England are being taken in by this too. They're nationalists, their entire goal is a Independent Scotland. Yet people are falling for this new image that they want to build alliances across the UK for the better good. It's infuriating. I can see it, you can see it, people who aren't fans of the SNP can see but so many others cannot.

As Ashdown has said they're coming to burn the place down but no one is paying attention or doing anything about it.

Here is the actual link

The Ambassador also had a truncated meeting with the FM (FM running late after a busy Thursday…). Discussion appears to have focused mainly on the political situation, with the FM stating that she wouldn’t want a formal coalition with Labour; that the SNP would almost certainly have a large number of seats; that she had no idea ‘what kind of mischief’ Alex Salmond would get up to; and confessed that she’d rather see David Cameron remain as PM (and didn’t see Ed Miliband as PM material). I have to admit that I’m not sure that the FM’s tongue would be quite so loose on that kind of thing in a meeting like that, so it might well be a case of something being lost in translation.

I thought the comment about Alex Salmond might have raised a few more eyebrows.....

[dilli-theclaw]

Got polling cards yesterday - so I'm thinking about it all the more now. Still don't know who I despise the least though.

[denphone]

Originally Posted by dilli-theclaw

Got polling cards yesterday - so I'm thinking about it all the more now. Still don't know who I despise the least though.

Yes we got ours today as well and one will have to come to a decision soon but who to pick remains a very vexed question in our household.

[richard s]

It certainly does DenPhone, but who ever we pick can they do a better job in the next five years than this lot that are in power now! I can see another ten years of austerity measures being implemented.

Question to ask do we need a change in the British Political establishment.

Do I stick to what I know or do I want a radical change perhaps.

[heero_yuy]

The alternative to austerity (cuts) is more/higher taxes and/or more borrowing. Both are likely to be troublesome to sections of the electorate. Borrowing is mortgaging your children's future whilst I'm sure you'd welcome higher taxes so long as you're not the one who has to pay them.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

The alternative to austerity (cuts) is more/higher taxes and/or more borrowing. Both are likely to be troublesome to sections of the electorate. Borrowing is mortgaging your children's future whilst I'm sure you'd welcome higher taxes so long as you're not the one who has to pay them.

Entirely in favour of reducing current spending, however a nice big capital expenditure programme to offset decades of underinvestment while interest rates are ridiculous would be a great idea.

Borrowing on most current expenditure is mortgaging the future, borrowing for capital expenditure to improve productivity is investment in the future.

[heero_yuy]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Entirely in favour of reducing current spending, however a nice big capital expenditure programme to offset decades of underinvestment while interest rates are ridiculous would be a great idea.

Borrowing on most current expenditure is mortgaging the future, borrowing for capital expenditure to improve productivity is investment in the future.

Infrastructure spending would be the way to go but you just know that some political parties would just increase the structural deficit ( Employ load more public servants and give out more largesse to shirkers) without any long term benefit.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

The alternative to austerity (cuts) is more/higher taxes and/or more borrowing. Both are likely to be troublesome to sections of the electorate. Borrowing is mortgaging your children's future whilst I'm sure you'd welcome higher taxes so long as you're not the one who has to pay them.

i find that idea quite disturbing i think the British work force are paying too much towards the British shirk force .

[denphone]

Polls suggest log jam not shifting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32187729

[Hom3r]

I want to know why in the South East of England I'm getting party political broadcast for parties I cannot vote for even if I did.

Namely SNP, Plaid Cymru.

You can get regional News, so why not political rubbish.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

To be honest, l wish Nicola Sturgeon was an MP down here in London. I would certainly vote for her. The way she had a go at Cameron was the highlight for me.

Apart from her being tasty, and that bird from Plaid Cymru, l think the election will be good for the country.

At last we have a fight on our hands - I can see Cameron losing and it being SNP/Labour coalition - More of Nicola please

[nashville]

You can take her from Scotland anytime, I cannot stand her or her policy to break up the United Kingdom