The Official General Election Thread

[anon x]

Tony Benn was of the finest politicians this country has seen. Besides, an arrogant man would not name his son Hilary.

No,he wasn't.He shut down pirate radio . Bad man.
Yes,he would and did.

 

[anon x]

Meanwhile in the land of middle England,
"Nick Clegg in Nazi slur"
Bit rich coming from the Daily Mail.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ECTION-2010-Nick-Clegg-Nazi-slur-Britain.html

The story is actually SEVEN years old.

 

[Bluebirds]

This general election is sooooooooo fascinating. If you like the maxim style over substance. It has changed politics in this country, to the lowest common denominator. This infatuation with the television "debates" has seen politics slip into an even worse state than before. Yes it may have reawakened parts of the electorate but at what cost? By reducing the rather serious business of governing the country into a tv talent show. I do find it somewhat fascinating and I watch all the in-depth analysis. Well not all but quite a bit.

Has anyone noticed how none of the parties, or "personalities" as we should now call them, not even Click Neck's, have addressed the very real issues of public spending actualities, Afghanistan, erosion of civil liberties, fuel prices and the environment? Lip service perhaps but not when the politicians concentrate on the economy and all who set sail in her. But how do they go on about? Debating in terms that your average voter just doesn't comprehend or really care for.
And then theres lies, damned lies and statistics on immigration, law and order and defence. From all sides. Even the new third way.... oh and continually apologising for their collective misdemeanours in the great expenses scandal but refusing to actually apologise on a moral ground.

The Afghanistan issue (or lack of it) baffles me, I think the media are in on the hoodwinking of this issue as well and hence not covering this very real issue. Everyone has an agenda, just what is it?
Why when young boys are coming home in bodybags and maimed every week why has no party paid attention to this? What would they do in Afghanistan if they were elected? Its the issue noone dare mention and when they do it will be, "well its all in the name of democracy." (maybe tomorrow night's debate as its on foreign policy will mention it. For a nanosecond.

DEMOCRACY? The fact the Gordon Brown, who noone has ever elected to be Prime Minister, can stay in 10 Downing Street even if Labour get 28% of the vote? What a democratic country we live in!

As for Labour's achievements in 13 years of power? Most of those listed were accomplished in their first term. Yes the NHS and education are steadfastly better but now theres to be cuts they (or any government) will not be be able to sustain these improvements. And Northern Ireland was started under the Major government

Look at their failures;

Took the country to war on a lie, a record number of illiterate children, growing number of people living under the poverty line, increasing inequality between rich and poor (so much for Surestart!), no referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, no commission into electoral reform, no elected or even part-elected second chamber, the erosion of trials with juries, the creation of the surveillance state, draconian anti-terror laws and increased state powers, no abolition of tuition fees or student loans- turning higher education into another commericial exercise, Prison reoffending increased, global emission targets not met, approval to build a third runway at Heathrow, GDP down since 2005, the end of the bust n boom cycle.

And I'll blame them for the Wembley pitch while I'm at it!
Still I'll probably vote for them.

"We won't vote Conservative, cos we never have..." plus their evil ****s

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Dumb American Question:

Is the Lib Dem party equivalent to our Democratic Party? Or is it more like our Green Party whereas Labor is like our Dem Party?

 

[Kewpie]

Dumb American Question:

Is the Lib Dem party equivalent to our Democratic Party? Or is it more like our Green Party whereas Labor is like our Dem Party?

Conservatives (aka Tories) = Republicans

Labour = Democrats

Lib Dem = other smaller party which doesn't have much influence in the USA

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Conservatives (aka Tories) = Republicans

Labour = Democrats

Lib Dem = other smaller party which doesn't have much influence in the USA

Then the answer is yes, they are like our green party.

Thanks Kewpie!

 

[CrystalGeezer]

One last question. Are Labour also known as Whigs?

 

[Bluebirds]

The Lib Dems leader is abit like Ross Perot!!

In very basic terms The Whigs were the Liberals. Who are now the Liberal Democrats. The Tories are the Conservatives.
Labour are the newest political party out of the three and were formed out of the Trade Union movement in the early 20th century

Without wishing to start a political history lesson this should help get you by!

 

[CrystalGeezer]

The Lib Dems leader is abit like Ross Perot!!

In very basic terms The Whigs were the Liberals. Who are now the Liberal Democrats. The Tories are the Conservatives.
Labour are the newest political party out of the three and were formed out of the Trade Union movement in the early 20th century

Without wishing to start a political history lesson this should help get you by!

Thank you so much, I was looking at slide show of past political campaigns on the Telegraph today and thought this was kinda funny. You guys have a strange sense of humor we don't see here. I was trying to get a handle on which party had the better sense of humor, it seems everyone does.

 

[anon x]

Billy Bragg has gone for the LIB DEMS

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ele...agg-pledges-to-support-Liberal-Democrats.html

 

[anon x]

One last question. Are Labour also known as Whigs?

yes,the Afghan Whigs.

 

[Dave2006]

I would probably have voted Labour in 1997, they had good ideas & big plans & good people but they never renationalised the railways; Tony Benn retired; Mo Mowlam, Robin Cook, Barbara Castle & Tony Banks are all dead and they haven't been replaced by decent people, they've been replaced by useless bastards.

Mo Mowalm wasn't old Labour - she was Labour Gold

One last question. Are Labour also known as Whigs?

No. The Whigs were around in the 17th Century when we had a two party system between the Tories and the Whigs. In a sense the Whigs became the Liberal party - not to be confused by the current Lib Dem party http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whig_(British_political_party)

The Labour party emerged out of the trade union movement and didn't exist until 1900 and didn't get into power until the 1945 election - when the country kicked Churchil out for being rubbish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_Party_(UK)#Founding_of_the_party As far as I know the LAbour Party doesn't have any other names...

Billy Bragg has gone for the LIB DEMS

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ele...agg-pledges-to-support-Liberal-Democrats.html

My world truly has turned upside down


Dave

 

[Emotional Guide Dog]

I'm afraid I feel the same about your decision to support the Conservatives. That's democracy for you
We are different people, living in different places valuing different things - for me, the Tories offer nothing. Just be assured I am not voting Labour because my family always has or some other moronic reason....

I'll be nice & not say that any reason for voting Labour is a moronic one & say that was a decent post. So much politics decends into a shouting match.

I'm not voting Tory by the way. Where I live it would be a total waste of time, so it's Lib Dem for me.

I used to live a a constiuency where Labour had 72% of the vote. Then again, it's Dennis Skinner's constituency so even I might vote Labour there.
He's a legend.

 

[Emotional Guide Dog]

Mo Mowalm wasn't old Labour - she was Labour Gold

Couldn't agree more. Even the most ardent Labour supporter must concede they have no-one like her anymore. Then again, none of them do.

The banking bail out has really got to Billy Bragg. He's refusing to pay income tax until the banks pay their bail out money back & now he's going Lib Dem.

The thing with Bragg is his instinct is to go with what he considers to be morally right so in the early 80's, that would be Labour; in 2010 it most certainly isn't Labour.

 

[Emotional Guide Dog]

DEMOCRACY? The fact the Gordon Brown, who noone has ever elected to be Prime Minister, can stay in 10 Downing Street even if Labour get 28% of the vote? What a democratic country we live in!

As for Labour's achievements in 13 years of power? Most of those listed were accomplished in their first term. Yes the NHS and education are steadfastly better but now theres to be cuts they (or any government) will not be be able to sustain these improvements. And Northern Ireland was started under the Major government

Look at their failures;

Took the country to war on a lie, a record number of illiterate children, growing number of people living under the poverty line, increasing inequality between rich and poor (so much for Surestart!), no referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, no commission into electoral reform, no elected or even part-elected second chamber, the erosion of trials with juries, the creation of the surveillance state, draconian anti-terror laws and increased state powers, no abolition of tuition fees or student loans- turning higher education into another commericial exercise, Prison reoffending increased, global emission targets not met, approval to build a third runway at Heathrow, GDP down since 2005, the end of the bust n boom cycle.

This. All of it but especially the highlighted part.

 

[Uncleskinny]

This. All of it but especially the highlighted part.

I agree, and in particular the businessification of schools. It's a f***ing national disgrace.

P.

 

[Bluebirds]

Was the debate any good tonight then? I watched about 10 mnutes of it, thought I was watching 3 provincial bank managers arguing over whose turn it was to make the tea and watched the football instead. Which was even worse!

Who "won?"

 

[CrystalGeezer]

What day does your election take place?

 

[Bluebirds]

What day does your election take place?

Thurs May 6th

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Thurs May 6th

Thanks.