The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 4

[Sirius]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

After watching last night farce with Cameron, making all these promises, which he won't keep, he is doing exactly what Thatcher promised, l would urge everyone to vote either Clegg or Brown.

get real

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

After watching last night farce with Cameron, making all these promises, which he won't keep, he is doing exactly what Thatcher promised, l would urge everyone to vote either Clegg or Brown.

They all made promises they probably won't keep, it's called election campaigning. For me actually the biggest whoppers came from Brown and whatever nonsense you keep spouting about Thatcherism we're in for public services cuts of at very least a similar scale to her time thanks to honest Brown urinating away our money.

Nothing else shows up his economic 'experience' more than the levels of cuts that are required to the public sector he enlarged to make it affordable.

[Xaccers]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

After watching last night farce with Cameron, making all these promises, which he won't keep, he is doing exactly what Thatcher promised, l would urge everyone to vote either Clegg or Brown.

Yes but we know what you're like Arthur, so the obvious best action for the nation is to vote Tory

Originally Posted by danielf

You have to admit. Clegg's got a point...

How?

[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

Nick Clegg has just given us the best possible reason not to vote for him

Originally Posted by Angua

Daniel Hannan is rabidly anti Europe. When I was a local councillor I got regular illiterate e-mail rants from him (had to block them in the end). I suspect it is only because he wants to continue to have Tory party backing that he hasn't joined UKIP.

What that article fails to point out, is that what Nick Clegg said last night does in fact fit with what the Lib Dem Manifesto openly says, because although the Manifesto does state:

http://network.libdems.org.uk/manife...festo_2010.pdf

Originally Posted by Lib Dem Manifesto

We believe that it is in Britain’s long-term interest to be part of the euro.

It then goes on to say:

Originally Posted by Lib Dem Manifesto

But Britain should only join when the economic conditions are right, and in the present economic situation, they are not.

... immediately followed by:

Originally Posted by Lib Dem Manifesto

Britain should join the euro only if that decision were supported by the people of Britain in a referendum.

Both of which were pointed out by Nick Clegg, after David Cameron only mentioned the "in Britain's interest" part.

[nomadking]

The problem with joining the euro when economic conditions are right, is that conditions change and become wrong, by then it is way too late.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by danielf

You have to admit. Clegg's got a point...

Do elaborate please on why a Euro-Sceptic such as myself is 'nasty' and 'insular'. I'm unsure what's nasty or insular about wanting free trade, while retaining sovereignty in terms of laws of the land, financial independence and border controls.

Presumably you consider Norway 'nasty' and 'insular' also given they are part of the EEA (where we should maybe be though I'd prefer the bilateral agreements the Swiss have) but not the EU?

Can anyone find a link to the German newspaper in question? Can't find it on Google but then I am not sure what to search under.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Do elaborate please on why a Euro-Sceptic such as myself is 'nasty' and 'insular'. I'm unsure what's nasty or insular about wanting free trade, while retaining sovereignty in terms of laws of the land, financial independence and border controls.

Nasty is probably the wrong word, but I consider the British in general relatively insular. Which perhaps is not that surprising seeing they are Island people

Best I can find:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/elections/n...1272472225700A

Always nice to read what he actually said and in context:

Mr Clegg, who was an aide to Tory Lord Brittan during his period as a European Commissioner, said: "I used to work for one of them, for Leon Brittan. They were being hunted down like a fast disappearing species by their own party at the time. It was horrible to watch. It really was very unpleasant this rise of nasty, insular, in some cases outright xenophobia."

He was talking in reference to being asking how many Tories were still pro-European. He then gave the above quote (after mentioning Ken Clark). So he didn't call British people nasty and insular. In fact he didn't even suggest all Tories were but rather the Tories who attempted, in Clegg's view, to sideline the pro-european members of their party.

So once again it's a quote taken out of context to smear Clegg. Although to be fair Hannan is not exactly in the Tory Mainstream.

I suggest people do consider the source before believing something otherwise I might as well just spend the remaining week posting links from the Daily Mirror.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Damien

http://news.google.de/news?hl=de&q=i...-8&sa=N&tab=wn

Can't find it! Aghhhh. What German papers are there? Any suggestions on how to filter out news from UK Sources?[COLOR="Silver"]

I'm looking at German language articles but can't find much so far.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by danielf

Nasty is probably the wrong word, but I consider the British in general relatively insular. Which perhaps is not that surprising seeing they are Island people

Given previous and indeed current experience is this surprising?

If we were not so insular we'd be getting tapped for potentially 20bn Euros to bail out Greece.

Sorry but I don't think we're insular, I do however think we've every right to be distressed at how power has been devolved away from our own elected government to one that makes a mockery of democracy in Brussels. If we were not so 'insular' we'd I speculate a similar level of control over our own affairs directly to US states. As it is we're merely slightly better off, though this is being worked on.

We are not France or Germany or the Netherlands, we are British. We have a totally different economy to the rest of Europe which is not compatible with the same management as those states and a totally different people.

If desiring sovereignty, self-determination and individualism rather than being just another one of the United States of Europe having pointless bureaucratic piece of excremental legalese covered paper after pointless bureaucratic piece of excremental legalese covered paper flowing from Brussels to keep the overpaid, expensive, grossly inefficient, self-interested and big state obsessed bureaucrats there in jobs makes me insular then sign me up.

Originally Posted by danielf

I'm looking at German language articles but can't find much so far.

See above

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Ignitionnet

Given previous and indeed current experience is this surprising?

<snip>

Ig, it was a semi-humorous comment about general traits of the Brits compared to the rest of Europe. There's no need to get worked up.

We need to regain our Empire. Then we can introduce a common currency. THE POUND!!! Whahaha! UK! UK! UK! UK! UK!

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Damien

See above

Ah cheers. Nast thing, this context...