[Archived] The General Election 2015

[thenodrog]

WTF,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32556185

Makes Farage look completely sane

On that election jobby a fortnight back she said 'I'm an immigrant and I came here because I love England, English people and everything about the country', So why tf does she want to change it all? Ignorant Australian hag. I despise people who move to a country and then bite the hand that feeds them. Milibands bloody commie Dad was another... a full on 3x2 that we saved from the Nazi death squads and all he does is come here preach communism and (even worse) .... breed!

[yoda]

You make it sound as though we sent troops in to risk their lives to specifically rescue him from Auschwitz, when in actual fact he fled here before he could be persecuted.

Furthermore, he was a socialist, not a "commie". Surely our citizens, as part of a nation that embraces freedom of speech (now only a right-wing phrase coined as an excuse for venting pompous tripe), would not start chastising someone who practises socialism, in the exact same manner that I don't see many on here chastising UKIP or the BNP for wanting to alter our status quo.

And for the record, the guy worked, and I assume paid into the system, so best not to make out that he was on handouts without telling the full story.

Not like Ed then,

Are MP's salaries not hand outs, or as some would name them, benefits

[adopted scouser]

Catching up on the debate via iPlayer.

Miliband got found out by that audience, and he's a little weird to boot.

"Can I ask your name ?"

James.

"OK James (purses hand at chest level) let me answer that directly" repeat ad nauseum using different names.

Then that ah ah throat stutter at the beginning of each sentence.

Plus

Do you accept the previous Labour government overspent ? No

Deluded

[yoda]

So completely avoiding Gord's original post, then! Never mind...

As for MP's salaries, then if they're handouts, then what about other public sector workers... teachers, nurses, police, etc.?

I would not even dream about comparing MP's with any of those hard working sectors

[yoda]

Do we Brits have a tendency to take the worst handful of a group of people and tar the rest of them with the same brush?

You tell me

[jim mk2]

Do you accept the previous Labour government overspent ? No

Deluded

Well done for repeating the great conservative lie.

In 2008 Britain's banks had to be saved from an unprecedented binge of speculative excess by one of the biggest government rescue acts in history. This collapse should have been the death of freewheeling market economy but conservatives quickly put together an alternative narrative; that rather than reckless gambling and City criminality causing the crisis, it was actually caused by government overspending.

It doesn't matter that the narrative is false; it appeals to those who want to see a continuation of neoliberalism rather than any alternative. Miliband is right - Labour didn't overspend but over the past 5 years they have certainly failed to get across the message to economic illiterates the real cause of the Britain's fiscal crisis.

[adopted scouser]

Well done for repeating the great neoliberal lie.

In 2008 Britain's banks had to be saved from an unprecedented binge of speculative excess by one of the biggest government rescue acts in history. This collapse should have been the death of freewheeling market economy but neoliberals quickly put together an alternative narrative; that rather than reckless gambling and City criminality causing the crisis, it was actually caused by government overspending.

It doesn't matter that the narrative is false; it appeals to those who want to see a continuation of neoliberalism rather than any alternative. Miliband is right - Labour didn't overspend but over the past 5 years they have certainly failed to get across the message to economic illiterates the real cause of the Britain's fiscal crisis.

There must have been other 'economic illiterates' in that audience as he was jeered following his response.

Doesn't it rile you James, that the Labour party that could represent your aspirations doesn't really exist anymore ?

[yoda]

Well done for repeating the great conservative lie.

In 2008 Britain's banks had to be saved from an unprecedented binge of speculative excess by one of the biggest government rescue acts in history. This collapse should have been the death of freewheeling market economy but conservatives quickly put together an alternative narrative; that rather than reckless gambling and City criminality causing the crisis, it was actually caused by government overspending.

It doesn't matter that the narrative is false; it appeals to those who want to see a continuation of neoliberalism rather than any alternative. Miliband is right - Labour didn't overspend but over the past 5 years they have certainly failed to get across the message to economic illiterates the real cause of the Britain's fiscal crisis.

That would explain the "there is no money left note"

[jim mk2]

Yorkshire small business owners - what do you expect ? One admitted his business wouldn't survive without zero hours contracts - well matey, I'd have told him if he can't pay workers a living wage then it isn't a viable business.

With regards to Labour, I just want the Tories out of Downing Street.

[jim mk2]

That would explain the "there is no money left note"

I reckon the Tories cut off the addendum : .... "because we had to bail out the banks to the tune of billions of pounds without which the economy would have collapsed."

I agreed with GAV that Miliband was starting to look a lot stronger in recent weeks, but I think he dropped a serious bollock by saying that he didn't think Labour overspent. Labour certainly didn't cause the global financial crisis but they certainly racked up the national debt. Even Labour voters surely recognise this. I've heard interviews in the past where Miliband has said that "Labour got it wrong" on certain issues. His denial on TV about overspending seems to be contradictory and, given that this is his last TV appearance, I think he's effectively just lost his job.

Enter the two Davids, one as the re-elected PM, and one as the new Leader of the Opposition.

Bookies and polls still show Ed likely to be the next PM.

[only2garners]

Election predicted outcome: http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/uk-general-election-predictions/

FiveThirtyEight are an American company arguably the most accurate predictors in the world, so it will be interesting to see how the real outcome stacks up against their prediction, especially since the UK electoral system and electorate behaviour are different to their American counterparts.

That prediction is not Nate Silver's though. It's produced by Chris Hanretty et al, who have been doing nightly forecasts for Newsnight. On Panorama earlier in the week Nate Silver came over here but in the end decided he did not have enough local knowledge to provide a reliable prediction.

[yoda]

I reckon the Tories cut off the addendum : .... "because we had to bail out the banks to the tune of billions of pounds without which the economy would have collapsed."

Bookies and polls still show Ed likely to be the next PM.

He can't be PM without the support of the SNP,

he has ruled that out, so maybe he is sh1t scarred of being numero uno

[jim mk2]

In coalition with who? The Tories? Assuming Labour will be getting slightly fewer seats than the Tories, and that Miliband has explicitly ruled out a coalition with the SNP, the projected third largest party, then a coalition with the Lib Dems is looking as though it won't be enough to govern with, either.

Nate Silver, at the end of the show, provided a similar presentation as to the one in the link, providing seat predictions. What he couldn't predict was the outcome after that, i.e. who exactly would form a government. One thing seems certain - hung Parliament.

There won't be a formal coalition with the SNP but deals will be done

[yoda]

There won't be a formal coalition with the SNP but deals will be done

Which deals Jim, scrapping trident, Scottish independence, increased spending ?

[Baz]

He can't be PM without the support of the SNP,

he has ruled that out, so maybe he is sh1t scarred of being numero uno

Can he be PM with the lib-dems?

If Clegg loses his seat, which is a distinct possibility in student Sheffield Hallam, then the LibDems may favour left than right.

[yoda]

Can he be PM with the lib-dems?

If Clegg loses his seat, which is a distinct possibility in student Sheffield Hallam, then the LibDems may favour left than right.

Its a possibility, don't forget that Sturgeon is not standing for election but still leads the SNP, how democratic is that ?

[Baz]

Its a possibility, don't forget that Sturgeon is not standing for election but still leads the SNP, how democratic is that ?

Well she is first minister for Scotland, so at least isn't out of politics.

If we are talking un-democratic then the whole election is undemocratic as due to the first past the post system, a large % of people's views will not be represented at all. The whole election campaign is based on those uneducated enough to not have a clue which way to vote in marginal seats. Those who already do, or who are in safe seats are not part of the election marketing machine.

The point re the libdems is that I think there must have been some discussion with them and Labour, given the dismissal of SNP.

[yoda]

Well she is first minister for Scotland, so at least isn't out of politics.

If we are talking un-democratic then the whole election is undemocratic as due to the first past the post system, a large % of people's views will not be represented at all. The whole election campaign is based on those uneducated enough to not have a clue which way to vote in marginal seats. Those who already do, or who are in safe seats are not part of the election marketing machine.

The point re the libdems is that I think there must have been some discussion with them and Labour, given the dismissal of SNP.

It amazes me that you can be 1st minister without being elected, imagine a PM that has not been elected as an MP 1st, can that even come about legally ?

[Baz]

It amazes me that you can be 1st minister without being elected, imagine a PM that has not been elected as an MP 1st, can that even come about legally ?

She is elected, as a MSP in Glasgow?

Or do you mean like Boris, and the lame duck current PM? Or Farage?

[RibbleValleyRover]

Can he be PM with the lib-dems?

If Clegg loses his seat, which is a distinct possibility in student Sheffield Hallam, then the LibDems may favour left than right.

Maybe, if only Labour gets most seats.

If the Conservatives have the most seats but can't do a deal and Labour then have to form a government the Lib Dems likely won't be large enough for a Lab/Lib Dem Coalition. Granted this is based on the proviso that the Lib Dems are going to lose 20-30 seats.

So you will likely get a minority Labour government propped up by the SNP. The Lib Dems have said previously they won't be part of a Lab/SNP Coalition (though I believe there is an article in The Times? This morning that maybe shows a softening of this stance).

The whole outcome has the potential to be chaotic and highly damaging for the country.

[Al]

Yorkshire small business owners - what do you expect ? One admitted his business wouldn't survive without zero hours contracts - well matey, I'd have told him if he can't pay workers a living wage then it isn't a viable business.

With regards to Labour, I just want the Tories out of Downing Street.

Possibly for the first time I actually agree with the first sentence in Jim's post.

[Gav]

Just as long as we get Cameron and Osbourne out of Downing Street I couldn't care less who gets in.

5yrs of cuts and neglect in the North are enough, get those 2 swines out.

[jim mk2]

The Conservatives have under-estimated Ed Miliband ever since he was elected Labour leader - as the fat Yorkshire lump Eric Pickles has admitted. And they continue to under-estimate him - Tory high command cannot understand why they aren't miles ahead in the polls. The fact is Miliband doesn't eat babies as the Daily Mail would have you believe and gave an excellent account of himself in all the televised debates - which the public have clearly taken on board. And I also suspect in view of the constant battering he has suffered from a rabid right wing press that he is tough as boots underneath and would give no ground to anyone, including Putin. .

[Al]

Just as long as we get Cameron and Osbourne out of Downing Street I couldn't care less who gets in.

5yrs of cuts and neglect in the North are enough, get those 2 swines out.

[Al]

The Conservatives have under-estimated Ed Miliband ever since he was elected Labour leader - as the fat Yorkshire lump Eric Pickles has admitted. And they continue to under-estimate him - Tory high command cannot understand why they aren't miles ahead in the polls. The fact is Miliband doesn't eat babies as the Daily Mail would have you believe and gave an excellent account of himself in all the televised debates - which the public have clearly taken on board. And I also suspect in view of the constant battering he has suffered from a rabid right wing press that he is tough as boots underneath and would give no ground to anyone, including Putin. .

Yes we have underestimated Ed Miliband. Under estimated what a disaster for England he would be when he was controlled by Nicola Sturgeon.