The 2010 General Election Thread: Week 2

[Tony.]

Hmmmmm After watching the debate I have become for the first time more interested in the Lib Dems However as an Ex Soldier I am very concerned about our Nuclear Deterrent. I firmly believe we need this and should keep it. Just googled to try and find out what their stance on this is and found this:-

• Rule out the like-for-like replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons
system. At a cost of £100 billion over a lifetime it is unaffordable, and
Britain’s security would be better served by alternatives. We support
multilateral nuclear disarmament and will ensure that the UK plays a
proactive role in the arms reduction talks starting later this year.

Source:- http://network.libdems.org.uk/manife...2010_world.pdf

Unfortunately this don't answer whether we keep the old system

More worrying is this part

• Reinvigorate Franco-British and wider European defence co-operation
to ensure procurement costs are kept low

Everything involving the Military and France is Historically doomed to Failure IMHO

[Tezcatlipoca]

Originally Posted by Chris

Alan Johnson's making a complete arse of himself on Newsnight at the moment, valiantly claiming that Gord 'won' the debate 'on substance'.

Johnson's always quite good at that IMO...

Originally Posted by Tony.

Hmmmmm After watching the debate I have become for the first time more interested in the Lib Dems However as an Ex Soldier I am very concerned about our Nuclear Deterrent. I firmly believe we need this and should keep it. Just googled to try and find out what their stance on this is and found this:-

Source:- http://network.libdems.org.uk/manife...2010_world.pdf

Unfortunately this don't answer whether we keep the old system

Well, they don't say anywhere "We will totally scrap the UK's nuclear deterrent". They say they rule out spending insane amounts of money on a like-for-like replacement for Trident, and they will "hold a full
defence review to establish the best alternative for Britain’s future
security."[/QUOTE]

http://www.libdems.org.uk/defence.aspx

http://www.libdems.org.uk/siteFiles/...%20Defence.pdf

Originally Posted by Lib Dem's on Defence

No to like-for-like Trident. Full-scale Trident is a Cold War system intended for a by-gone age. It is unnecessary and, at £100bn over a lifetime, it is unaffordable. We will hold a full defence review to establish the best alternative for Britain’s future security.

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

Originally Posted by Lib Dem Manifesto

• Saying no to the like-for-like replacement of the Trident nuclear
weapons system, which could cost £100 billion. We will hold a full
defence review to establish the best alternative for Britain’s future
security.

[Jimmy-J]

"Clegg smashes through two-party system"

Nick Clegg broke the duopoly in British politics with a strong performance in last night’s historic first televised election debate between the three main party leaders.

Score on ITV.com ratings

Clegg 45 per cent, Brown 36 per cent, Cameron 19 per cent

YouGov: NC 51 per cent, DC 29 per cent, GB 19 per cent

ITV poll: NC 43 per cent, DC 26 per cent, GB 20 per cent

Link

I wasn't all that impressed with what nick clegg had to say and wasn't overly impressed with the other two either. I think the way the debate is structured is limiting way too much and it is all a little too scripted. My vote certainly hasn't changed since watching that debate and if i hear nick clegg banging on about being honest and being the only one doing it i think i will have a psychotic attack. Their manifesto is no better then the tories and both of them are better then the labour one but honesty come on nicky boy your not being all that honest because there are serious holes in your figures as well. For me right now there are only two parties in this election and it is the tories and lib dems but no way am i considering voting lib dem yet.

[Flyboy]

Originally Posted by Damien

Where you a Lib Dem supporter or? I am wondering if my view of him is because I am (probably) going to vote for them.

Well, for me, I am starting to warm to Nick Clegg, he performed well, far better than he has in the House of Commons. I think he is likely bring the LibDems onto a firmer footing for this campaign. There does not seem to be much love lost between the LibDems and the Tories and if it came down to it. As the LibDems seem to have many policies which coincide with Labour principals, I can see them offering their support to Labour, if the need arises.

I have no doubt labour and the lib dems will form a coalition government if we allow a hung parliament and that will be bad for this country. Labour have reversed their view on a number of issues to cosy upto the lib dems in recent months because they believe the best they can get is a hung parliament. As for warming to Mr clegg not going to happen for me anytime soon because despite his claim they are in this election to form the next government they are cosying upto the labour party and are welcoming the attention coming from labour in effect stitching this country up.

No surprise on brown doing that i mean the guy has never been elected to be leader of anything so he has the form. Also the more people that are up on such things look into the lib dem manifesto the more it seems to not add up and is despite their claims not the shining pillar of honesty they are constantly shouting about. Not totally convinced by the tories yet either i may well end up doing in this election what i did in the last and spoiling my vote but i am more for the tories then i am for the other two right now.

Also the more people that are up on such things look into the lib dem manifesto the more it seems to not add up and is despite their claims not the shining pillar of honesty they are constantly shouting about.

Examples?

This seems responsibly valid: http://www.channel4.com/news/article...+focus/3612992

[Flyboy]

Originally Posted by Flyboy

Well, for me, I am starting to warm to Nick Clegg, he performed well, far better than he has in the House of Commons. I think he is likely bring the LibDems onto a firmer footing for this campaign. There does not seem to be much love lost between the LibDems and the Tories and if it came down to it. As the LibDems seem to have many policies which coincide with Labour principals, I can see them offering their support to Labour, if the need arises.

I have found out that it is "The Lexalytics Twitter sentiment tracker," but I can't seem to find the one he was using. It showed that Gordon Brown hit the floor on the question about immigration, but did much better throughout the rest of the debate.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by torygraph

General Election 2010: Liberal Democrats surge after Nick Clegg's TV debate performance

The Liberal Democrats have enjoyed an sharp increase in support among viewers who watched last night’s general election debate. A new poll of the voting intentions of a group of 4,000 people who watched the programme saw Nick Clegg's party overtake Labour.

The poll by ITV/ComRes put Liberal Democrat support at 35 per cent. The Conservatives were at 36 per cent, Labour was at 24 per cent and others 5 per cent.

An average of 9.4 million viewers watched last night's debate between Mr Clegg, Gordon Brown and David Cameron.

However because of the demographics of the television audience, when the poll results were weighted to include the entire electorate, the Liberal Democrats' share of the vote slipped back to 24 per cent.

These weighted results put the Conservatives on 35 per cent and Labour on 28 per cent, a seven-point lead.

This is not unlike the poll here, which now has LibDems and Tories tied, compared to 36% for the Tories and 18% for the LibDems in the last poll.



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...rformance.html

[Flyboy]

I think that poll has changed. The figures were released prematurely, before weighting. The poll was apparently taken only from those who watched the debate. Which effectively means it was asking who won the debate. The updated figures are now:

Con 35
Lab 28
LibDem 24

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Flyboy

I think that poll has changed. The figures were released prematurely, before weighting. The poll was apparently taken only from those who watched the debate. Which effectively means it was asking who won the debate. The updated figures are now:

Con 35
Lab 28
LibDem 24

Erm That's exactly what it says in the quote. It gives the weighted and unweighted scores and explains the difference between them.

Lib Dem numbers are extremely soft at the moment though. Hopefully Lib Dems will get some momentum.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

After last nights debate, it goes to prove that the Tories won't come forward with any finance and talk all a load of crap, Gordon Brown did have a fight, but to me Clegg came out on top and for that my vote is going to him.

[Ignitionnet]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

After last nights debate, it goes to prove that the Tories won't come forward with any finance and talk all a load of crap, Gordon Brown did have a fight, but to me Clegg came out on top and for that my vote is going to him.

We were evidently watching somewhat different debates Arthur. From my POV Cameron and Brown were both sound bite machines, just that Brown's sound bites were also interspersed with somewhat more bovine excreta than Cameron's and his attempts to get Nick Clegg to join him in attacking Cameron were amusingly rebuffed making him look like a total mammary.

Watched sky news and itv news with economists on both saying the lib dem figures in their manifesto didn't add up anymore then the one's from the labour party or the tories figures. Also a number of economists with the murdoch rags have questioned them and said the figures don't add up but given they are murdoch rags i never base much in what they say. Aired on the day they launched their manifesto and to be honest i don't think any of them are being truly honest with us about finances because the truth is going to be so harsh that the first that did come out and be totally honest i think would be slitting their political throat.

As for the debate's i honestly think they are a waste of time eight questions over 90 minutes is not enough time for a proper response with any sort of detail which is why the lib dems will love it and do well out of it. I watched last night and saw brown just parroting the same stuff he always does and clegg saying quite a few times "it's ok to talk about doing it but you need to do it" which is a bit funny coming from someone in a party that hasn't had t do a damn thing for a longtime and if they were to get into power i doubt very much they would do all they say they will.

None of them right now are beyond doubt convincing and mine and i daresay many other peoples votes are still there to be had.