[Archived] Election

[Amo]

Cameron's a snake. He tries to appeal to Britain's xenophobes with pointless ideas like 'capped immigration', but there are still a lot of people out there who don't trust him - and with the same now applying to Gordon Brown, the Lib Dems will be looking to capitalize on that.

[John]

Momentum is building for the Tories.

Gordon Brown & Labour in self destruct mode - does not surprise me when Peter Mandelson is involved....

[den]

Last nights debate was excellent - good questions and some clear objectives laid out by both Conservatives and Labour. Its now a well defined choice between big or small government. Saying it was like an X factor contest, yet complaining the leaders needed to be more lucid and honest is a bit contradictory and to my mind says more about the intelligence of those that whinge rather than politicians themselves.

Explain please?

I said BGT, not X factor, nor did I say anything about the leaders needing to be more lucid and honest.

Two problems I see.

1] the TV companies setting the election agenda.

2] from now on, any political party will have to have someone who can put on a display in front of the camera's, rather than be able to lead the country.

[ultrablue]

Explain please?

I said BGT, not X factor, nor did I say anything about the leaders needing to be more lucid and honest.

Which should tell you I wasn't commenting directly on your post.

[bobsterbrfc]

To be fair to Gordon Brown, he has dealt with a sustained character assassination via Rupert Murdoch's various press and media outlets. I think he has showed immense strength and dignity throughout some really quite ridiculous phases. Cameron is a slimeball PR man, however, to people who do not understand and enjoy the X Factor nature of the debates, his smoothness makes it seem as though he is delivering logical, rational views and ideas, despite there being absolutely zero content.

I am personally against the debates in the run up to an election. It would be better used and less superficial if it was incorporated into the annual political calander.

[BRFC Casuals]

You notice how the BNP are quick to shout about all these coloured people coming over and taking jobs away from young people, but totally ignore that by 'young people' they mean young white chavs who generally think the World owes them a footballer's lifestyle/wage and would rather collect benefits that do what they think is a menial job.

The problem isn't with cheap labour (we have minimum wage here so in most cases that argument doesn't work anyway) it is with OUR young people and culture (and I say that as a young person, well 29 so you be the judge). Everytime I hear that the foriegn workers are doing jobs 'the British don't want to do' it annoys me because if you have no job, no qualifacations and no pratical skills then you SHOULD be doing a menial job for low wages.

When I was at School (OK so now I'm sounding old but it was 11 years ago now) I had the understanding that if I didn't work hard then I'd end up being a toilet cleaner or working in Maccy D's but now if I was 14 I'd just think well I'm too good to do those things and some poor foreigner will do it for me whilst I sit on benefits and get more than them without having to lift a finger....oh but when I go down the pub I'll moan that ther are taking my jobs still...

Top post man and so very true as a BNP voter i have no problem with anyone coming here and working hard and obeying our laws just the ones that dont get me angry and this applies to OUR OWN lazy toe rags

At my place of work the three most hard working best time keeping trustworthy employees are from 2 eastern European countries thats why i employed them rather than young british chavs who were forced to come for interview by the jobcentre

[only2garners]

Top post man and so very true as a BNP voter i have no problem with anyone coming here and working hard and obeying our laws just the ones that dont get me angry and this applies to OUR OWN lazy toe rags

At my place of work the three most hard working best time keeping trustworthy employees are from 2 eastern European countries thats why i employed them rather than young british chavs who were forced to come for interview by the jobcentre

What I can't work out is how you agree with Ewood and I would's post but still say you're a BNP voter?

[Glenn]

The Guardian (the only print media I still read, and then only online) has switched it's support to Lib Dem after decades of supporting Labour.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

The Guardian (the only print media I still read, and then only online) has switched it's support to Lib Dem after decades of supporting Labour.

The Guardian has always been a Liberal paper until the last fortnight, if it had have owned up to this fact it would have been laughed out of court. In the past it's supported Labour because the Liberals had no chance.

[broadsword]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/30/the-liberal-moment-has-come

Wow.

[LeChuck]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/30/the-liberal-moment-has-come

Wow.

That's a fairly pivotal moment in the history of British politics, no? Has a large national newspaper ever come out in full support of the Lib Dems before?

What a shame there are seven Daily Mail readers for every Guardian reader!

[John]

Labour started the week saying how they intended to use Gordon Brown more - what a great idea!

They are self destructing at the moment and they know it. Brown should probably keep a low profile in order not to make things worse before polling day.

[thenodrog]

The Guardian (the only print media I still read, and then only online) has switched it's support to Lib Dem after decades of supporting Labour.

Confirmation as I said earlier this week that the Lib Dems are now the most left wing party of the three.

This signifies the end of Kier Hardy's 100 year old legacy, cloth cap and all.

Also the demise of a true working class. The traditional bottom end of the social scale would run a mile before they'll work nowadays. The real working class are now from the middle order, white collar brigade.

The inevitable end to the imitation Tory 'New Labour' concept which resulted in 3 parties jostling for the 'centre'.

Mandy, Gordy..... I salute you. History will long remember you.

[John]

As they just said on the TV, the Guardian has endorsed Lib Dems before and with Labour being a sinking ship, hardly a shock....

[jim mk2]

The Guardian is anti-Tory and would rather see any party elected than the Conservatives. It is bending with the wind in sensing the national mood in throwing its weight behind the Lib Dems as it sees a strong Lib Dems vote as the best way of splitting the Tory vote in the south and keeping Cameron out of Downing St. Murdoch always likes to back winners but his decision to endorse Cameron could backfire this time.

The Guardian (the only print media I still read, and then only online).

You should buy the paper too because journalists' jobs are at stake. The FT charge for online content, the Times stable has announced plans to do the same and hopefully the Guardian and other nationals will follow suit.

[BRFC Casuals]

What I can't work out is how you agree with Ewood and I would's post but still say you're a BNP voter?

I agree with his post because it is 100% true i dont see why that conflicts with my voting habits ? Im sure your not stupid enough to fall into the trap of thinking all BNP voters are racist are you ?

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

The Guardian is anti-Tory and would rather see any party elected than the Conservatives. It is bending with the wind in sensing the national mood in throwing its weight behind the Lib Dems as it sees a strong Lib Dems vote as the best way of splitting the Tory vote in the south and keeping Cameron out of Downing St. Murdoch always likes to back winners but his decision to endorse Cameron could backfire this time.

You should buy the paper too because journalists' jobs are at stake. The FT charge for online content, the Times stable has announced plans to do the same and hopefully the Guardian and other nationals will follow suit.

I've buying The Guardian since 1971 Jim. The first thing I did when I left home to live on my own was to buy a quality newspaper each day. I can't get my head around not having the paper in my hands, so the on-line version's not for me.

[yoda]

The French would appear to have a more balanced approach to housing yoda, as opposed to our lunatic ex public schoolboy driven brigade.

The stystem we have is only fuelling wages and debt upwards. When we have a budget deficit heading past the ONE TRILLION POUNDS, this aint the direction in which we should be heading, and ALL Three main parties seem to support this continueing trend.

HELP! This country needs to be run by a more fit and proper bunch than the current ones that are on show and the ones that lurk in the background advising these posh monkeys.

Actually it means that the French tend to rent instead of buy, that also opens up all sorts of social benifits for them if they are out of work and a lot of them are.

The French economy is stagnated, no one can use the equity in their houses to try and create a business so the whole thing just stands still.

Perfect for the French mentality

[thenodrog]

You should buy the paper too because journalists' jobs are at stake.

Why don't you buy the Mail and the Express as well then Jim? I'm sure that you wouldn't want their journalists to lose their jobe either.

btw talking of Kier Hardy and the socialist struggle...... you are displaying luddite tendencies with that plea for Glenn to buy the Guardian. Last I heard Glenn was out of work too so on that basis you should send him some money on a regular basis and not tell him to spend money unecessarily. One mans job is just as valuable as any other mans.

T'internet has brought huge changes to many things and placed many jobs at risk and ended many more and will continue to do so. People and businesses must change and adapt not stick their heads in the sand of Silicone Valley and hope it all goes away.

[Glenn]

Why don't you buy the Mail and the Express as well then Jim? I'm sure that you wouldn't want their journalists to lose their jobe either.

btw talking of Kier Hardy and the socialist struggle...... you are displaying luddite tendencies with that plea for Glenn to buy the Guardian. Last I heard Glenn was out of work too so on that basis you should send him some money on a regular basis and not tell him to spend money unecessarily. One mans job is just as valuable as any other mans.

T'internet has brought huge changes to many things and placed many jobs at risk and ended many more and will continue to do so. People and businesses must change and adapt not stick their heads in the sand of Silicone Valley and hope it all goes away.

At the risk of actually agreeing with Gordon .....

The newspaper industry keeping up with technology is probably something with enough meat for a separate thread, but after seeing an interview with David Simon (creator of The Wire and former journo at the Baltimore Sun) I do see how the free, fast and blipvert/blog approach to the news reporting that the internet brought about has resulted in a huge decline in investigative journalism, and that is no good thing. However, I feel that the traditional, 24 hours behind, normally heavily biased reworking of the same AP article you've already found out about, that I have to go and leave the house to purchase, has had it's day. It's now up to the newspapers to find a business model that keeps up with technology, the same way the music and film industries must. Things like The Time's Paywall and the iPad may be solutions, only time will tell.

I think long term people will pay for journalism, but not news reporting, anyone can report news, people have been reporting news to each other since Ug told his tribe about fire, it's just nowadays Ug can reach almost every other caveman in the world in seconds, but journalism is a real skill that people will pay for, I certainly don't object to paying for a superior product, just not an inferior one. Like many techies, I happily paid for the Guardian iPhone app because I felt it's cost justified the added value.

Oh and I'm no longer unemployed, after realising I wasn't going to jump back into either a techie or middle management job in the current climate, I got off my arse and started my own IT company, which is coming along nicely (and even has a few board members as customers http://www.pegden.com if you're interested). Thatch would be proud of me

[Steve Moss]

Comparing our country with the USA is churlish to say the least - we rationalise healthcare by doing the most for the most, whereas in the USA they provide top quality healthcare for the few that can afford it, average healthcare for a certain proportion and then next to nothing for at least 20% of the population,

I see this bandied about, but I don't believe it to be true. Hospitals are forbidden to turn away the very sick, even without insurance, which is one of the reason that their budgets are under tremendous pressure.

It also fails to account for the many medical professionals who treat people (such as my uncle), and gives them samples, etc. when they don't have insurance to pay for the medication.

Looking at the statistics, I doubt that your picture of the American health system is accurate.

Here is an interesting little tool to match your attitudes to the parties.

Interestingly, when the lifelong Conservative columnist Andrew Sullivan did it, he came out more Lib Dem than Tory!

I scored 75% on the Lib Dem scale.

Andrew Sullivan has been a liberal more than a conservative for several years now. He still coasts on the conservative crediential, however, as it gets him press.

I took the test you suggested and pretended to be English. I came out BNP, UKIP and Conservative. I'm not sure how accurate it is, however, as the questions were fairly general and nuances aren't likely to come through. In the US, I consider myself a conservative-libertarian, or libertarian-conservative, depending on the issue.

The American statistician Nate Silver was stunningly accurate in calling the US Presidentials

Nate Silver is amazingly good. But his best work is just prior to an election, both (IMO) as the data is fresher and because he has more of an incentive to suppress his biases.

Good luck with your election. From what I've seen you don't have much in the way of good choices. Much like our last one.

[John]

Opinion polls tomorrow showing a common trend...

[JAL]

Actually it means that the French tend to rent instead of buy, that also opens up all sorts of social benifits for them if they are out of work and a lot of them are.

The French economy is stagnated, no one can use the equity in their houses to try and create a business so the whole thing just stands still.

Perfect for the French mentality

Do the French have the stress levels that we tend to have, do they have the same sort of debt levels we have. Pushing house prices up here yoda only adds to debt, pushing prices across the board up leaving many people eventually unable to buy a property just like the French.

We use pretend money whilst the French use real money Yoda

[RibbleValleyRover]

Opinion polls tomorrow showing a common trend...

Looks like the Conservatives have the momentum at the moment, only 5 days to go though 5 days is a long time in Politics.

[American]

I've buying The Guardian since 1971 Jim. The first thing I did when I left home to live on my own was to buy a quality newspaper each day. I can't get my head around not having the paper in my hands, so the on-line version's not for me.

One of the things I like about moving to a new country is that you can choose a paper based on the writing, not what your parents read and your politics tell you to read. My wife reads the Daily Mail, and is FAR from their normal reader.

Up until they re-designed it a few months back, I loved reading the Observer, even though I am Libertarian. Since then, the magazine, the Review and the Business section have become a shell of what they used to be. This week I will be trying out new papers (have already tried the Times, but it's a bit full of itself for me - explains a lot about Murdoch employed journos....).

Back on subject, in my area of London, the Lib Dem candidate has a good chance of taking a Labour seat. He's run a good campaign, and as far as the candidate himself, I hope he wins, as I think he would do a good job representing the constituency. What I find interesting about the system, though, is that I wouldn't want to see the Lib Dems running the gov't, so that ends up factoring into voters decisions.